In the footsteps of Columbus

La Isabela was the second Spanish fort and the first official Spanish settlement in the New World between 1493 and 1496. The ruins of the settlement are located on the northern shore of the modern Dominican Republic, in the department of Puerto Plata. La Isabela is considered the first officially founded European colony of the New World, not counting the brief existence of Fort La Navidad. It is named after Queen Isabella of Spain.

History

The colony was founded by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. Returning to the island, Columbus discovered the fort of La Navidada, erected during his first trip, was completely destroyed by the Taino Indians. But La Isabela wasn't much luckier. In 1494 and 1495, it was hit by two Atlantic hurricanes. Famine and disease soon led to rebellion and deep disillusionment among the colonists.

Then a group of settlers led by Bernal de Pisa tried to seize the ship to escape to Spain. The remaining colonists lasted until 1496, when Columbus decided to leave it for the foundation of a new colony, the modern city of Santo Domingo. Luperon is a small resort town with 20 thousand people on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Once Christopher Columbus himself, arriving at these shores, called the local beaches “the most fabulous land under the sky.” It was he who founded the settlement here, which served ships carrying valuable cargo from the New World to Europe. It was here at Luperon that the loaded ships had their last stop before the long voyage. At the time when a major port grew in Luperon, and a unique architectural style of the city was created. Here and today, buildings in the Victorian style, decorated with fine wood carvings, there are also so-called “gingerbread” motifs, but they can be seen only on the facades of luxury villas and public buildings.

Holidays in Luperon are popular not only because of the unusual architecture and tranquility of the small provincial town. It's really beautiful nature! The town is sheltered at the foot of the picturesque Isabel de Torres mountain, it is surrounded by green valleys, and along the azure coast there are beautiful beaches lined with fine pearl sand. In Luperon there is a rocky beach, which is no less attractive than sandy. By the way, very close to Luperon is the resort of Costambar, locals and tourists often all the northern coast is called Costambar, because of the large amount of amber in these parts. The fact is that “costambar” from the Spanish language is translated as “amber coast”, which is quite fair, since the extraction of “solar stones” here is carried out for centuries. By the way, you can find a “frozen piece of sun” in the beach sand – many tourists have already been lucky! If you have no desire to hope for luck, you can always admire the beautiful stones in the Amber Museum, it is located only 50 km from Luperon, in the capital of the province of Puerto Plata. The museum presents unique stones, inside which insects have frozen forever, this spectacle will delight children, and their parents, of course, too. By the way, it was from the Dominican Amber Museum that a large valuable amber was borrowed for the filming of the famous Hollywood film Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg.

Tours to Luperon are popular primarily among connoisseurs of a relaxing holiday without large shopping centers, noisy discos and crowded beaches. In addition to lovers to lie in the sun under the shade of green palm trees, a large number of tourists who are passionate about traveling on yachts come to Luperon. There is a good yacht port where you can buy or sell a yacht, or even rent it and go on an unforgettable trip along the coast of the Dominican Republic. In Luperon built a large number of hotels and tourist complexes of different levels of stardom, therefore, tours to Luperon can be picked up by travelers with any expectations and any level of prosperity. Some hotels work according to the already beloved all-inclusive system. In many hotels, rooms are equipped with everything you need: a safe, a mini-refrigerator, air conditioning and even a TV. In the very west of the coast, almost at the border with Haiti, there is a town of Monte Christi, famous for its luxurious bay with a fleet of Spanish galleons resting at the bottom, the salt lakes of Lago Enriquio and many old colonial houses.

Just behind the coral reefs enclosing the bay lies the island group of Ciete-Ermanos ("Seven Brothers"), in the gray sand of the beaches of which large sea turtles lay eggs from November to February.

Notable places on the route