Sosúa is a resort town in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic.
Located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Gregorio Luperón International Airport in San Felipe de Puerto Plata, the town is accessed primarily by Camino Cinco, or Highway 5, which runs much of the length of the country’s North coastline. The town is divided into three sectors: El Batey, which is the main tourist section and on the east side of the main beach (Playa Sosúa), Los Charamicos, on the west end of the beach and past that, heading north toward the airport, is Sosúa Abajo.
History
At the 1938 Evian Conference, Rafael Trujillo offered to accept up to 100,000 Jewish refugees; about 800 German and Austrian Jewish refugees received visas issued by the Dominican government between 1940 and 1945 (see Dominican Jews) and settled in Sosúa. The government provided them with land and resources with which they created a dairy and cheese factory, named Productos Sosúa still in existence today. Descendants of the original settlers still live in Sosúa, where they maintain a synagogue and a museum. Most of the descendants of the colonists live in the United States. Some families remained and established inns and bed and breakfasts which were first visited by former colonists.
The town was little known until tourism took off in the island in the mid 1980s.
The bay and beach
Sosúa Bay attracts many water sports enthusiast, including snorkelers and divers because of its sheltered, calm waters, diverse species of fish and intricate reef structures. In the winter, whale watching is also a popular tourist activity in Sosúa Bay.
Recently, naturally occurring beach nourishment has created a new beach just north of Sosúa Bay, depositing sand where there were previously only sheer rock cliffs. The beach is called Playa Alicia.
There are several other beaches, Sosua Beach, which is a crescent-shaped bay protected by coral formations. Sosúa’s other beaches are Waterfront (Playa Alicia), Paradise beach (actually shifts on and off every several months), Playa Imbert and Playa Chiquita. Waterfront beach is just 15–16 years old, created after a storm around 2002.
