Puerto Blanco Marina & Hotel

A good spot to meet people from all over the world who’ve accomplished a lot.

We had a great time at the marina. The dockhands were friendly, and manager Deyha (sp?) helped us out with anything we needed, including arranging a ride for us to check in to the country. Las Velas was a lovely outdoor restaurant, with lots of cruiser activities and happy hours. We really enjoyed being here.

We did every meal here and loved the international food, made with very fresh ingredients and offered at a great price. The Dominican or American breakfast is included, with excellent service from Deya, Perla and Marcelina, and Juan Carlos makes first class drinks. Carlos, a Portuguese from NYC, and his Dominican partner Patricia run one of the friendliest, most delicious places we’ve stayed. Now called Las Velas Lodge & Restaurant at Marina Puerto Blanco, it has super clean, fully air-conditioned rooms with modern private bathrooms at great value. The harbor view gives you a rare feeling of peace, and the marina hotel and restaurant feel safe and idyllic. What a breath of fresh air in a market full of huge, run-of-the-mill, stale all-inclusives. Forget Puerto Plata, this is the place. Playita and Playa Grande are beautiful local beaches. We’re coming from Miami and are considering buying a house in that neighborhood. We’ll be back.

I’m a solo female traveler, and I can’t imagine a safer place to vacation. There’s an all-night guard, and friendly English speaking cruisers are happy to share things to do in town. There are yoga classes nearby and other activities, too. The room was very clean and comfortable, the staff were wonderful, and they had good food specials. It’s also a nice place for a date night.