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| Sosúa | ||
| province | Puerto Plata | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 69.885 (2012) | |
| height | 260 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Sosua is a city on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.
background
Sosúa is a tourism center on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. In the 1990s, the city was the main port of call for German-speaking tourists. Meanwhile, however, tourism has grown strongly in the region Punta Cana relocated to the eastern tip of the island. While Punta Cana mainly offers all-inclusive package holidays, Sosúa stands for individually planned tourism with a large number of small hotels. Many residents from North America and Europe live in Sosúa, especially from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
getting there
By plane
Puerto Plata Airport is about 5 km west of Sosúa. In Germany, Frankfurt (with Condor) flown to directly. It is best not to exchange money at the airport because of the significantly poorer exchange rates. The airport is not served by public transport. Taxis are available for the onward journey to Sosúa. The fare to Sosúa is set at $ 25.
As an alternative to the taxi, you can walk across the parking lot to the main road (approx. 400 m) and stop a guagua or shared taxi there.
By train
Sosúa has no rail connection. In the Dominican Republic, long-distance public transport is carried out by coaches. Sosúa is connected to the major cities of the country by the bus companies Caribe Tours and Metrobus.
In the street
A main road connects Sosúa with the nearby city Puerto Plata.
By boat
There are no ferry connections to Sosúa.
mobility
Motoconcho
The most common means of transport within the city are motoconchos (moped taxis), which wait for customers all over the city. A trip within Sosúa costs between 50 and 100 Pesos during the day and between 100 and 200 Pesos per person in the evening (depending on the distance). If 2 people are taken on a motorcycle (that is also not a problem), double the fare is due.
taxi
Ordinary taxis are far rarer than motoconchos. They are particularly suitable when larger distances are to be covered with several people. In order to avoid nasty surprises, you should inquire about the fare before the journey.
Shared taxi
Shared taxis are cars that run like guaguas along the main road and stop on hand signals.
Guagua
Guaguas are minibuses (mostly of Asian design) that run on the main road without a schedule, but run quite regularly in both directions. A common stop is the Texaco gas station on Camino Del Libre. But you can also signal at any other point on the main road that you want to ride. The buses then stop if there is still space. It can get very tight in a Guagua because the drivers are careful to take as many paying customers as possible with them. In addition to the driver, there is usually a Cobrador (cashier) for the crew of the minibus. The fares are cheap and amount to a maximum of 50 pesos and to Puerto Plata Cabarete 30 pesos.
Coach
The bus company Caribe Tours operates a bus terminal in the district Los Charamicos on the main street. From here buses run every hour via Puerto Plata to Santo Domingo. Sosúa is the western terminus of the bus line, i.e. if you continue to the east you have to use other means of transport. The coach only stops at fixed stops. The buses are air-conditioned, comfortable and inexpensive. A trip to Puerto Plata costs 35 pesos and takes about 30 minutes. To Santo Domingo 330 pesos are to be paid with about 5 hours of travel time.
The Metrobus terminal is located next to the Texaco petrol station in the El Batey district. Fares are slightly more expensive than Caribe Tours and the buses are in less than good condition. Which company is best to travel with depends not least on the location of the respective bus terminal in the arrival and departure locations. There are no central bus stations in the Dominican Republic, instead each company has its own station at very different locations in the city.
Tourist Attractions
Sosúa is known for its beach and vibrant nightlife. The main beach 1 Playa Sosua is about one kilometer long and connects the two parts of the city Los Charamicos and El Batey together. The beach is bordered by a chain of wooden stalls, which mainly house souvenir shops and restaurants. In El Batey There are also two other bays with much smaller and quieter beaches.
activities
Various water sports activities such as banana boat rides, diving courses and fishing tours are offered on the beach. Renting a scooter is a great way to explore the area. There is a smaller gym above the casino.
shop
Sosúa's retail trade is characterized by mostly small shops with a maximum of one or two vendors. On the beach as well as near the beach around the street Pedro Clisante there are numerous souvenir shops selling jewelry, hand-painted pictures, keepsakes, and clothing. The prices in these shops are usually a matter of negotiation. In addition to a few supermarkets, there are many spread across the entire city area Colmados (Mom and pop shops) where groceries and refreshments can be bought. In the Playero supermarket you can get everything your heart desires, in the Pola supermarket a little less choice, but better quality meat and vegetables.
kitchen
There is a wide range of restaurants and small snack bars in Sosúa. Typical Domican rice dishes with grilled chicken are often offered at street stalls. In addition, there is a diverse international culinary offer, which also includes several German restaurants.
nightlife
Sosúa has a lively nightlife with many bars, discos and casinos. The center of the nightlife is at the beginning of the street Pedro Clisante between the cross streets Dr. Roses and Duarte. While mainly European tourists can be found during the week, many local and US guests also roam the bars on the weekend.
accommodation
As a tourist destination, Sosúa has a large number of hotels of various standards. Prices start from around 15 euros per night.
Hotel list:
- 4 Hotel Casa Alegria, Sosua, Calle Holanda (Villas Ana Maria). Tel.: 1-809-805-5231. cozy guest house in a quiet residential area under German management.
security
At night you should avoid dark corners and if possible use a trustworthy motorcycle taxi. Assaults could occur alone and on foot in dark areas.
health
The Caribbean sun is intense and can quickly cause sunburn. Accordingly, sunscreen should be a loyal companion, especially for longer stays at the beach. The tap water is not drinking water, it is better to use water from the supermarket.
Practical advice
- Since many Dominicans have little or no knowledge of foreign languages, little knowledge of Spanish can be extremely helpful. It is always advisable to have some change with you. Many motoconcho riders and beach vendors pretend not to be able to give back the change when paying with bills in order to keep the change.
- The cellular provider Claro and orange run shops in the street Dr. Alejo Martinez. Prepaid cards can be purchased there for little money on presentation of the passport. There is also an internet cafe on the same street, which also has telephone boxes and offers calls to Europe.
Shops that sell postcards usually also have the associated postage stamps on offer. The photo shop in the Pedro Clisante even has an unofficial mailbox. Official mailboxes (if any) are extremely sparsely distributed. The logistics chain for mail transport is also unreliable. Postcards often get spilled on the way and never reach the addressee in Germany.
trips
The neighboring cities of Cabarete and Puerto Plata are well suited for day trips. Cabarete is about 15 minutes by car from Sosúa. Like Sosúa, it is a tourist destination known for its kite surfing scene. Cabarete's nightlife takes place right on the beach in the adjacent bars and discos. It is about 30 minutes by car to Puerto Plata. The city is much larger than Sosúa and offers various sights and shopping opportunities.
literature
Web links
- https://www.thegoodlifesosua.com - Official website of Sosúa
