Exploring Amber Cove: Free Activities, Beaches, and More
The Amber Cove cruise port is located in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, and is named in honor of the amber found on its shores. If you’re sailing to Puerto Plata, it’s important to note your specific cruise port, as there are two popular ones here — Amber Cove and Taino Bay (pronounced Ty-ee-no).
If you’re curious about which of the two your ship will visit during your cruise, you can often find this information on your detailed itinerary, provided by the cruise line, but generally speaking, Carnival Cruise Line brands Carnival, Holland America Line, and Princess all berth at Amber Cove, and most of the other cruise lines dock at Taino Bay.
If you’re cruising to Amber Cove, you’ll probably want to decide if you want to just stay in port and enjoy the amenities there, or to get out of port and explore Puerto Plata. Unlike Taino Bay, unfortunately, Amber Cove is not within walking distance to many of the city’s top attractions, like Umbrella Alley and Paseo de Doña Blanca.
Is Amber Cove Free?
As noted, Amber Cove is primarily served by Carnival Cruise Line and what I love about this port is that it’s not a tender port, and in fact has a short pier, and there is a lot to do and see right at the port without the need to invest in an excursion. It’s also a smaller port, which can only accommodate two ships at a time, so you don’t have to worry about it getting overly crowded.
What’s best about the Amber Cove cruise port is that it’s free… well, mostly. Use of the pool and its loungers is completely free, and cruisers do not have to pay any sort of admission fee to enter and use them. There are, however, additional amenities available for rent, and attractions for purchase, detailed below.
Free Things to Do at Amber Cove
As noted above, if you’re looking for things to do at the Amber Cove cruise port, you’re in luck, because there are a lot of great options to enjoy at no cost.
In addition to the standard shops, bars, and restaurants (the legal drinking age in the Dominican Republic is 18), there is an “Aqua Zone” with a zip line, over-water cabanas, and a pool with a designated splash zone, including a small water slide, for younger children.
Cruisers can enjoy complimentary lounge chairs, hammocks, pool access, and many free fun activities, although some of the port’s activities, such as zip lining and the aqua bikes, have a cost, detailed below.
Amber Cove Rental Pricing
As of 2024, rental costs were $28 for unlimited zip line access, $5 for the big water slides (unlimited); $8 for all-day Wi-Fi (and no, if you bought Carnival’s Wi-Fi package, it unfortunately does not work here).
Single or double kayak rental is $20 for a half hour or $35 for an hour; pedal boats for up to four people for $25 for a half hour of $45 for a full hour; aqua cycle pedal boats (4×4) for $40 for a half hour or $60 for an hour. Stand up paddleboards and hydrobikes rent for $20 for half an hour of $35 for one hour; solar catamaran for two people at $40 for half an hour or $60 for an hour.
While use of the pool is free, umbrellas cost $22 to rent for the day, although use of chairs is free. All-day use of a pool float is $12 (although I always recommend to bring your own), noodles are $5, and all-day locker rental is $6 with a refundable $6 deposit.
Beaches Near Amber Cove
Many curious wonder whether or not Amber Cove has a beach, but unfortunately it does not. There are beachfront views and over-water cabanas in the aqua zone, but no direct ocean access exists. There also aren’t any beaches that are really walkable from Amber Cove. If you want to visit one of Puerto Plata’s beaches, you will need to take a taxi, and -warning- taxis in Puerto Plata are pricey! Another option is to hire a private driver (more on that in a moment).
If a beach day is really the thing you seek, there are several beaches with free public access that are accessible via taxi from Amber Cove. I have visited two of Puerto Plata’s public beaches: Cosita Rica and Playa del Pueblito. I would not recommend either of these beaches, though. They are both polluted, and the water is very murky and filled with seaweed. Look, I love a good beach day, but in my experience, Puerto Plata just is not the best cruise port for that.
Can I Visit Taino Bay if I Port at Amber Cove?
Cruisers sometimes find themselves wishing they were docking at Taino Bay instead of Amber Cove, or vice versa, due to a preference for the amenities available at the alternative port. Unfortunately, if you port at one, you are not allowed to access the other. As with all cruise ports, if you exit the port area, you must show your ship card ID to gain entrance back into the port, and they will verify that your ship is actually docked at that particular port before allowing you in.
The two ports are far enough apart that they are not within walking distance anyway, so visiting the alternate port would require a taxi. As noted above, Puerto Plata taxis are expensive, so I wouldn’t recommend it anyway.
Things to Do in Amber Cove
If you choose to get out of the port and explore Puerto Plata, here are my top recommendations.
Historic Puerto Plata
Cruisers wishing to venture outside of port often visit the historic district, which is a great free option for cruisers. This area of Puerto Plata features the Paseo Dona Blanca, an Instagram-worthy Victorian pink alleyway, as well as the famous Umbrella Street. Unfortunately, Umbrella Street, Paseo Dona Blanca, and the historic district in general are not within walking distance from Amber Cove.
Be forewarned that these popular historic district attractions are chronically crowded, but are great for a quick visit and photo opp, especially as they’re located so close to one another. They’re also just a stone’s throw away from the center of the historic town district, known as Central Park, or Parque Central, where there are beautiful buildings, most notable of which being the eye-catching St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral.
Locals often populate the square with buckets of bird seed and accept tips from travelers who wish to feed the flocks of pigeons that populate the area. Of all the things we did on a recent visit to Puerto Plata, feeding the pigeons and having them eat from her hand was the highlight for my 11-year-old kiddo.
Ambar Museum
Another attraction that’s close to the others in Puerto Plata’s city center is the Ambar Museum. It might be a smidge generous to call this a “museum”, as it’s more like a glorified gift shop that entices would-be shoppers into the stores under the guise of a free activity, but on a recent visit to the historic Central Park, I decided to stop by since it was so close.
This specific location to which I’m referring is the “Ambar Mine Museum,” not to be confused with the Amber Museum, which is a different attraction that charges a nominal entry fee, and it was worth the stop — especially as it’s free. There’s a small “museum” section, where a guide will describe Puerto Plata’s history of amber mining, and after exploring this area, guests exit into a gift shop offering amber jewelry and other trinkets.
Fortaleza de San Felipe Fortress
History buffs will enjoy a stop at Fortaleza de San Felipe Fortress because of its history and the incredible sight of the coast, including views of the ships docked at Taino Bay. Exploring the exterior grounds on food is free, but entering the fortress requires an admission fee, although it is nominal. At just $2 per person, it’s a bargain.
Damajagua Falls
Probably the most popular Puerto Plata excursion is Damajagua Falls, and there’s a lot to love about this attraction, but it’s important for cruisers to do their research on this one before booking. While Damajagua Falls offers an exhilarating adventure with stunning natural beauty and thrilling water activities, it requires a good level of physical fitness and the hike can be challenging for some visitors. It also can be a bit of a risk in terms of experiencing a physical injury. This one is definitely geared toward more active cruisers, as it requires a one-hour steep hike in the hot and humid rainforest.
Related: Read about my Damajagua Falls adventure.
MonkeyLand
A popular Amber Cove excursion is MonkeyLand, where visitors to interact with friendly, free-roaming squirrel monkeys in a lush, tropical environment. I bought this excursion on my first-ever visit to Puerto Plata and I loved it, but note that it’s located a bit far from Amber Cove, approximately 9.8 miles and 30 to 45 minutes by car, depending on traffic and road conditions. The other Puerto Plata cruise port, Taino Bay, offers a similar attraction on site, Monkey Island, but cruisers porting at Amber Cove who wish to cavort with monkeys will need to visit MonkeyLand for a similar experience.
Taxis in Puerto Plata
Taxis are readily available at a well organized Taxi Stand in Amber Cove, but in my opinion, the pricing is obscene. At a 2024 visit, for example, the taxi fare round trip for 1-5 people to Damajagua Falls was $120, which is outrageous (although prices are somewhat negotiable).
If you’re visiting Amber Cove and not staying at port or participating in an excursion where transportation is included, I highly recommend hiring a private driver. You’ll get personalized, private service, often for less cost (or the same price) than taxis, and have the flexibility to explore and see all the sites you want to visit, and skip those that you do not wish to see.
Private Drivers in Amber Cove
While there is plenty to do and see at and outside of the port at no cost, Puerto Plata has many great attractions that cost and/or are a good distance from both cruise ports. While I ordinarily prefer to explore on my own and take transportation to attractions on my own, Puerto Plata is the exception, given the high cost of taxis.
When visiting Puerto Plata, either to Amber Cove or Taino Bay, I hire a private driver. If you wish to see multiple Puerto Plata locations, hiring a driver can be a far more economical choice, and give you the benefit of doing what you want, when you want, and how you want. When booking a private driver, always be certain to verify their license and credentials (don’t be afraid to ask to see them and even photograph them!) and vet them in advance by reading reviews or getting recommendations from fellow cruisers.
Protip: If venturing out on your own, just be sure to know the pros and cons (and risks) of private excursions.
As for my personal recommendation, I booked Happy Driver Dominican on two occasions and had an outstanding experience both times with Angel, who is fluent in English. Most private drivers in the Dominican do not book online through sites like Viator or even have websites (due to the cost), but rather operate by word-of-mouth business and through Facebook.
Amber Cove Language and Currency
The official Dominican Republic language is Spanish, but visitors will find that most employees at the touristic areas at and near the ports are also fluent in English. I’ve visited numerous times and never had an issue in communicating with vendors and tour providers in English. The official currency is the Dominican Peso (DOP), although US dollars and credit and debit cards are accepted in most tourist centers, so there’s generally no need to convert currency.
Puerto Plata Cruise Port Ship Schedules
The Puerto Plata cruise port schedule for Amber Cove and Taino Bay can be found here.
Dominican Republic’s Time Zone
Keeping track of time zones can get complicated when cruising, especially for itineraries where there can be multiple time zone changes on one sailing. Your captain will make announcements during the cruise to update you on these changes, but it’s good to be aware of these differences ahead of time when making plans for your stop at the port, especially for excursions.
Most cruise lines operate on “ship time” set to the time of the departing port, so for sailings off the eastern coast of the US, this is Eastern Standard Time (EST). Dominican Republic’s time zone is Atlantic Standard Time (AST), and they do not observe Daylight Saving Time, so the AST time zone may differ from EST — or it may be the same — depending on the time of year.
