Fortaleza de San Felipe

A must-see monument full of rich history! It’s very well-maintained and offers stunning views of the coast. Entry is only a 200 DOP donation, which is a bargain for the experience. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in Puerto Plata.

We visited Fortaleza de San Felipe, a 16th-century Spanish fortress turned museum—once protecting the coast from pirates and later serving as a political prison. Cool sea breezes drifted over weathered stone walls as lush green grass met the blue ocean, with our cruise ship, MSC World America, rising behind it—where history and modern travel meet. The grass is a bit slippery after the rain; one of our friends fell - so be careful and cautious!!

This is a historic 16th-century Spanish fortress in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. It is now a museum showcasing its role in defending the coast from pirates and invaders. There are original cannons and ancient weapons on site with a small museum inside detailing the fort's history as a military stronghold and subsequently a prison.

Great views of the lagoon - it was poetic i visited the place on my last day in Bacalar. I spent an hour there but you can go faster.

Well maintain, nice to walk and not feel like a tour is going to ask for a fee or approach you. Beautiful place from puerto plata and full of a lot of potential.

Cool history, interesting place to visit and learn about the fort.

The San Felipe Fort was a stop on our private tour of Puerto Plata. If you’ve been to San Juan and seen the large fort there, this is much smaller, but very similar in age and stone composition. Over 450 years old, it is on a cliff next to ocean so there are plenty of great views. You can also buy tickets to go through it for a half hour tour.

Stopped here on a cruise excursion. Well kept area.