Sosúa Scuba Diving and the North Coast

Diving on the Atlantic side

The Dominican Republic's north coast faces the open Atlantic rather than the Caribbean. That changes the diving. The sea is more exposed, the swell is bigger, especially in winter, and the coast has more cliffs, headlands and sudden drop-offs. On calm days the water can be very clear and the reefs feel less visited than the south. It is also where the country's most famous wildlife trip begins: Silver Bank whale trips leave from Puerto Plata between January and April.

Sosúa is the traditional dive town on this coast. The bay is a half-moon of sand protected by headlands, which keeps it calmer than the open coast, and several dive centers line the beach. Boats reach most sites in a few minutes, so two dives fit easily into a morning.

Sosúa Bay dive sites

Inside and just outside the bay, the reef starts close to shore and drops off in steps toward deeper water. Divers see brain and star coral, sea fans, sponges and the typical Caribbean fish: parrotfish, angelfish, snapper and grunts, with moray eels, lobster and the occasional turtle or eagle ray. A wall on the edge of the bay is the favorite of experienced divers. Dive centers also visit a wreck or two sunk off the bay as dive sites, and use shallow sandy patches for training. Site names vary from shop to shop, so ask your center which sites suit your level.

Because the bay is protected, Sosúa is also a good place to try diving or to take a course. If you are new to the sport, read learn to dive in the Dominican Republic to understand the options before you arrive.

Puerto Plata, Cabarete and Cabrera

Puerto Plata, the old port town west of Sosúa, has the airport and most of the larger hotels on this coast. Many of its visitors dive with Sosúa centers, which collect guests from nearby resorts. East of Sosúa, Cabarete is the country's kitesurfing and windsurfing town: the steady trade wind that makes it famous also makes the sea rough for diving, so divers staying there usually dive at Sosúa in the morning.

Farther east, near the small town of Cabrera, the Dudú Blue Lagoon is a freshwater sinkhole set in jungle, used for cavern diving and training. It is a world apart from the reefs and is covered in cave diving in the Dominican Republic.

Monte Cristi: the remote north-west

At the far north-western corner of the country, near the Haitian border, the Monte Cristi National Park includes the dry coastline around the flat-topped El Morro hill and the Cayos Siete Hermanos, a chain of small sandy cays offshore. The banks off this coast are known for historic shipwrecks from the colonial era. The reefs are among the least visited in the Dominican Republic, but diving here is an expedition rather than a holiday: there are few dive operators, conditions depend heavily on the wind, and you will need to plan ahead and travel with your own operator or a local guide.

When to dive the north coast

The north coast is diveable all year, but the season matters more than on the Caribbean side. From about November to March, Atlantic winter swells can arrive with little notice and close the sites outside the bay for a day or several. Late spring and summer are usually calmer, though that overlaps the hurricane season, which runs from June to November. Water temperature is similar to the south, about 26 to 29 °C, and can feel a touch cooler in winter. Compare both coasts on the best time to dive in the Dominican Republic page.

Planning a Sosúa dive trip

• Fly into Puerto Plata, or into Santiago and drive north. Details are in our Dominican Republic dive travel guide.
• Leave a spare day in your plans in winter, in case swell cancels a dive.
• If you plan a Silver Bank trip, a few days in Sosúa before boarding is an easy way to check your gear and your snorkeling fitness.
• For the clearest, calmest water, combine the north coast with a few days at Bayahibe.