Sosúa has the best bay on the north coast and the worst reputation, and both are deserved. The trick is to use it in daylight.
The short verdict#
| You want | Worth it? |
|---|---|
| Calm water, snorkelling, lunch on the sand | Yes, by day |
| A cheap base near Puerto Plata and Cabarete | Yes, with the caveat below |
| A family or couples' evening out | No, Cabarete instead |
| Wind, kitesurfing, beach bars | No, that is Cabarete |
What makes it worth it#
The bay: sheltered, calm, clear, with snorkelling off the eastern end and restaurants and loungers on the sand. The history: Jewish refugees founded the town in 1940 on land the Trujillo government offered, and their museum and synagogue are in El Batey. The price: apartments and meals far below Punta Cana. The position: Puerto Plata's cable car and the 27 waterfalls twenty minutes one way, Cabarete fifteen the other (the north coast, is Puerto Plata worth visiting).
The honest part#
After dark the main street of El Batey is bars whose trade is sex tourism, mostly older foreign men and Dominican and Haitian women. It is open and legal-grey and it sets the tone of the town at night. It is not dangerous in the visited streets, but it is not what most visitors want around their dinner, and the risks of that scene, drink spiking, theft, scams, are real for anyone who joins it. Is Puerto Plata safe? covers the coast.
Where to stay instead#
Cabarete, fifteen minutes east, for wind, beach bars and a mixed crowd (Cabarete guide); Puerto Plata's old town or Playa Dorada for the city and the sights. Come to Sosúa's bay for the day from either.
With a Dominican#
Roavi has one Local Friend listed in Sosúa and a few in Puerto Plata. Local Friends in Puerto Plata, rent a friend in Puerto Plata, and the Dominican Republic forum for a question first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sosúa worth visiting?
By day, yes: the best swimming bay on the north coast, snorkelling, beach restaurants and the Jewish museum, cheaply. At night the main street is an adult scene; most visitors stay in Cabarete or Puerto Plata and visit Sosúa's beach for the day.Is Sosúa safe?
The beach, the bay and the main areas are safe with ordinary care by day; at night the bar district has the problems that come with its trade, from drink spiking to theft. Is Puerto Plata safe covers the north coast.Sosúa or Cabarete?
Cabarete for staying: wind, kitesurfing, beach bars and a younger, mixed crowd. Sosúa for the day: calmer water and snorkelling. They are fifteen minutes apart.What is Sosúa known for?
Its bay, its founding by Jewish refugees in 1940, whose descendants' museum and synagogue are still there, and, less happily, its sex-tourism nightlife, which is why the town has the reputation it has.
