Cofresi Holidays

Cofresi is 10 kilometres west of Puerto Plata and a convenient airport transfer from there. It is one of the most exclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic with a choice of luxury accommodation that overlooks the beach and contrasting mountains inland.

There is only one narrow road into Cofresi and that runs through the town and down to the beach so it's easy to find your way around. The resort started life as a small fishing town before the tourists began arriving in the 1970s but it still retains a lot of its original charm and is much quieter than some of the neighbouring resorts.

Hotel staff are friendly and helpful no matter where you stay in the Dominican Republic but in the luxury hotels you can expect to receive first class service and food at all times. Away from the hotels, local food is generally good and Caribbean sauces are deliciously rich. Stews (guisados) and casseroles (cazuelas) are definitely worth sampling and are served with generous portions of fresh vegetables.

Cofresi is such a popular choice of resort within the Dominican Republic because of its lovely sheltered bay location, crystal clear water and guaranteed sunshine for much of the year. It does rain now and again but there isn't a particular rainy season and temperatures remain fairly constant between seasons. The Caribbean trade winds mean that it's always quite breezy but the advantage of that is it's always perfect weather for surfing.

The unique coral reefs here are a huge attraction for divers and even beginners can experience some of the fantastic underwater sights offshore, as there are designated snorkelling areas for beginners with tuition. You will find that hotels have their own diving schools and equipment hire is readily available. Sea temperatures can be unpredictable in low season, so between October and April diving is not always feasible.

Just along the coast at Sosua there are glass bottom boat tours that give tourists a taste of underwater sightseeing around Sosua Bay without wearing a wetsuit and snorkel and these are suitable for the whole family to enjoy.

You can buy hand crafted souvenirs from shacks along the beach at Cofresi, something that you tend to find at most resorts in the area. If you choose to leave your hotel and explore further afield, Santo Domingo is the nearest city with a massive selection of shopping malls, speciality shops and all the retail therapy you could possibly imagine.

Ocean World Adventure Park in Cofresi has the world's largest dolphin lagoon and a shark interaction pool if you are brave enough. There is also a sea lion exhibit, tigers, reptiles and tropical fish. The park has quite a reasonable restaurant and souvenir shop as well.

Most holidays in the Dominican Republic are all inclusive and because of this the hotels are incredibly self sufficient and really do have everything on site that you will need including a selection of restaurants, shops and entertainment. They also offer organised trips and excursions at an extra cost if you feel the need to leave the comfort of your sun lounger and take in some sightseeing. You can hire a car for the day or take a taxi between resorts as they are all within a few kilometres of each other along the Dominican coastline.