This small community was settled during World War II by 600 Austrian and German Jews. After the war many of them returned to Europe or went to the United States, and most who remained married Dominicans. Only a few Jewish families reside in the community today, and there's the original one-room wooden synagogue and Museo Judio Sosua (Jewish Museum). Also, a small park has been built on the waterfront to commemorate the Jewish colony.
Sosúa is called Puerto Plata's little sister, and consists of two communities—El Batey, the more modern hotel development, and Los Charamicos, the old quarter—separated by a cove and one of the island's prettiest beaches. The sand is soft and nearly white, the water crystal clear and calm. The walkway above the beach is packed with tents filled with souvenirs, pizzas, and even clothing for sale. The town had developed a reputation for prostitution, but much is being done to eliminate that and to clean up the more garish elements. Conversely, there are many fine, cultured types here, both Dominican and expats, and the recent opening of a cultural center, Casa del Arte de Sosua, was a major coup for them.
