The Dominican Republic is known for being the world’s second-largest producer of amber. The richness of its resins is recognized for their wide variety and unique beauty. Despite being considered by many as a semi-precious stone, amber is, in fact, a resin that results from the hardening of the sap of certain plants, generated as a defense mechanism against the breaking of bark or attacks by beetles, insects, bacteria, and fungi. In the Dominican Republic, amber comes from the legume known as Algarrobo.
One of the peculiarities of Dominican resin is its wide range of colors, ranging from lemon yellow to dark brown, including red and blue.
The Amber Coast
In the Dominican Republic, deposits are found in the Northern Mountain Range, and even the road between Puerto Plata and Cabarete is known as the “Amber Coast” due to being one of the places with the highest production. The primary production centers are located in Palo Quemado, Palo Alto, Juan de Nina, La Toca, and Los Cacaos, among others.
In honor of the uniqueness of amber in the Dominican Republic, a museum in Puerto Plata showcases the most unusual and beautiful local amber formations. Over time, this site has become a center for learning about its history and extraction process. The Amber Museum in Puerto Plata exhibits a vast collection of pieces with different shades and the most exotic inclusions, from small animals like scorpions to molecular structures of lizards and frogs.
History of the Amber Museum
The museum is located within a neoclassical mansion built in 1918 by Augusto Bentz, one of the most important sugar producers in the area at the time. The Costa family, an Italian family passionate about unique amber pieces in the Dominican Republic, inhabited the house. In 1982, the Costa family decided to exhibit their collection to the general public and opened the museum.
That’s how the Amber Museum in Puerto Plata opened its doors and continues to be one of the main tourist attractions on the island to this day. It is constantly visited by tourists and scientists worldwide specializing in its study.
What can you learn at the Amber Museum?
At the Amber Museum, in addition to seeing the extensive exhibition of pieces created from this resin, you can learn about its extraction process, its origins, and ancient beliefs surrounding this material.
Location of the Amber Museum
Getting to the museum is very easy; it is located right in the Historic Center of Puerto Plata, making it a must-visit for tourists. Its exact location is Villa Bentz on Duarte Street No. 59, at the corner with Emilio Prud’Homme.
