Sosúa is a small town in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic. Located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Puerto Plata International Airport (POP), 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 section where most tourists visit, Sosúa Abajo, and Los Charamicos.
Sosua Abajo, which translates roughly to "Lower Sosua", is located on the western side of Sosua in a valley nearby a river that flows into Sosua Bay. Mainly a rural area of Sosúa, Sosua Abajo houses many of the workers who commute to the El Batey area, nearby Cabarete Bay and Playa Dorada.
The Barrio of Los Charamicos is situated between El Batey and Abajo, and is a densely populated urban area known for its nightlife, dancing, and bar scene. In 1988 actor George Rose was murdered here by his adopted son and the son's uncle.
The North Coast of the Dominican Republic has been a top tourist destination for Europeans for nearly three decades. There is a very large expatriate community in Sosua, which consists of mostly German, British, American, and Canadian expats. Anthropologist Denise Brennan's book What's Love Got To Do With It?: Transnational Desires and Sex Tourism in the Dominican Republic, chronicles the sex tourism industry in the town and its immense popularity with European and Canadian male sex tourists.