Saturday, January 28, 2012

01/27/2012 FUERTE DE SAN FELIPE

01/27/2012 OCEAN WORLD MARINA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


FRIDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA NEAR PUERTO PLATA $1.26/FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, .45/KWA, .20/GAL

SUNRISE AT PUERTO PLATA: 7:20 AM

SUNSET AT PUERTO PLATA: 6:32 PM

After another night of rain this morning brought us a lovely day of sunshine. We, once again, walked up the hill to catch a bus/van to Puerto Plata where we visited Fort San Felipe, the oldest European fort in the new world. Columbus’ stop here opened the doorway for the Spanish influence to take hold. In 1540 Fuerte de San Felipe was constructed and served as a stop for traders from Europe. After being abandoned by the Spanish in the 1600s for the up and coming Puerto Rico and Cuba, Puerto Plata became a haven for illicit trading that led to its destruction by a Spanish decree. The city was rebuilt in the 1740s and became a thriving center for the tobacco industry in the later 1800s. Today tourism in the surrounding areas contributes to the city’s economy.

FUERTE DE SAN FELIPE

THE FORT ENTRANCE

PROTECTING THE FORT

THE RESTORED FORT STAND S PROUDLY OVER THE HARBOR


El Faro, the cast iron light house that stands 137’ above sea level, was first constructed in 1879 then was restored in 2004.


RESTORED EL FARO LIGHTHOUSE

TRIBUTE TO GREGARIO LUPERON, THE 20TH PRESIDENT OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


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