Puerto Plata, the capital of the province by the same name, is the Dominican Republic’s ninth largest city. First settled by Christopher Columbus, La Isabela was located near where Puerto Plata stands today, and is the first town created in Columbus’ New World. As such, Puerto Plata is considered one of the first towns in the Americas, dating back to the late 1400s. The port city was further created in the 16th century, when the Fortaleza San Felipe was built as a prison, and was once the battlegrounds of the French and United States in the early 1800s. In the mid-1800s, the town become controlled by Haiti until it was razed during the War of Restoration. In 1865, the town, as it currently exists, was built, containing many Victorian-style
