Amber Cove Port Guide
Exploring Amber Cove: Free Activities, Beaches, and More
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 Tah-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 get out of port and explore Puerto Plata. Unlike Taino Bay, unfortunately, Amber Cove is not within walking distance of 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 serviced by Carnival. What I love about this port is that it’s not a tender port and 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 the port area getting overly crowded.
What’s best about the Amber Cove cruise port is that it’s free… well, mostly. The pool and its loungers are completely free, and cruisers do not have to pay any sort of admission fee to enter and use them. However, additional amenities are 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 many 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. However, some of the port’s activities, such as zip lining and aqua bikes, have a cost, which is 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), and $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 or $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 hydro bikes rent for $20 for half an hour or $35 for one hour; solar catamarans for two people at $40 for half an hour or $60 for an hour.
While the pool is free to use, umbrellas cost $22 to rent for the day, although chairs are free. All-day use of a pool float is $12 (although I always recommend bringing your own), noodles are $5, and locker rental is $6 with a refundable $6 deposit.
Beaches Near Amber Cove
Many curious people wonder whether Amber Cove has a beach, but unfortunately, it does not. The aqua zone at the port has beachfront views and over-water cabanas, but no direct ocean access exists. There also aren’t any beaches that are walkable from Amber Cove. If you want to visit one of Puerto Plata’s beaches, you must 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 the thing you seek, several beaches with free public access are accessible via taxi from Amber Cove. I have visited two of Puerto Plata’s public beaches: Cosita Rica and Playa del Pueblito. Full disclosure... these aren't the best beaches, especially compared to other Caribbean cruise port destinations like Nassau, where you'll find sugar-soft sand and turquoise waters generally free of seaweed, but they're fine if you're really into the beach scene.
Can I Visit Taino Bay if I Port at Amber Cove?
Cruisers sometimes wish they were docking at Taino Bay instead of Amber Cove or vice versa because they prefer the amenities available at the alternative port.
Unfortunately, you cannot access the other if you're docked at one. 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 docked at that 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 doing this anyway.
Things to Do in Amber Cove
If you choose to leave the port and explore Puerto Plata, here are my top recommendations.
Historic Puerto Plata
Cruisers wishing to venture outside the port often visit the historic district, a great free option. This area of Puerto Plata features the Paseo Dona Blanca, an Instagram-worthy Victorian pink alleyway, and the famous Umbrella Street. Unfortunately, Umbrella Street, Paseo Dona Blanca, and the historic district are not within walking distance from Amber Cove.
Be forewarned that these popular historic district attractions are chronically crowded, but they're 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 is 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 inhabit 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 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 historic Central Park, I decided to stop by since it was so close.
This specific location is the “Ambar Mine Museum,” not to be confused with the Amber Museum, which is a different attraction that charges a nominal entry fee. 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. 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. Still, cruisers need 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 good physical fitness, and the hike can be challenging for some visitors. It also can be a bit of a risk of experiencing a physical injury. This one is geared toward more active cruisers, requiring a one-hour steep hike in the hot and humid rainforest.
Related: Read my full review of Damajagua Falls here.
MonkeyLand
A popular Amber Cove excursion is MonkeyLand, where visitors 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 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. Still, cruisers porting at Amber Cove who wish to frolic with monkeys will need to visit MonkeyLand for a similar experience.
Related: Read my Puerto Plata Port Guide for other things to do here.
Transportation in Puerto Plata
Taxis are readily available at a well-organized Taxi Stand in Amber Cove, but the pricing is obscene. For example, on a recent visit, the taxi fare round trip for 1-5 people to Damajagua Falls was $120, which is outrageous (although prices are somewhat negotiable).
A private driver for the entire day, with a driver at your disposal to take you to other places, is close to that same cost. I highly recommend the private driver route if you're visiting Puerto Plata and plan to leave the port area.
When booking a private driver, always 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.
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 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 with 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 planning 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.
Exploring Amber Cove
