Las Terrenas: Paradise Found Bill Piatt Villa Clarissa 4, Ave Pedro Francisco Bono, Las Terrenas
A Decade-Long Quest for Living Abroad: 10 Key Criteria Beachside with Mountains & Trees Affordable Restaurants & Cafes Welcoming Cosmopolitan Community Relatively Undiscovered Ease of Access Path of Progress Quality Construction Providing Value for Money Foreigner-Friendly Government & People Active Lifestyle Access to Healthcare
Explored Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador & Spain Too HOT, or Too COLD Some Countries were awesome (like Ecuador), but just too far away Many Cute Towns, But Without Good Grocery Stores Two-Dimensional Cultures: Anglo/Gringo & Local Too many Tourists (Cruise Ships) with Too Many Touristy Restaurants & Shops What Do You Do with Your Spare Time (other than just drink & socialize)? Pacific Ocean is Too Wild & the Tides are Enormous Caribbean Islands Tend to Have a Sargassum Problem Some Real Estate Markets Just Feel Too Frothy Current Government May be Friendly, but Who Knows What Comes Next? Is this really where we want to LIVE?!...
How We Ended up in Las Terrenas After a particularly unpleasant trip to another island in Jan/Feb 2016, I just looked for where I could go with an unused about-to-expire Delta ticket. Spent a few days in Santo Domingo, marveling at the history here Hopped on an Espresso Bus to Las Terrenas to see what all the chatter was about. Within three days, I was hooked. My wife thought I was crazy. I talked her into coming, and within 48 hours SHE was hooked, too!
Beachside with Mountains & Trees Some of the most beautiful beaches on earth, many that are accessible only by boat (reduces crowding!) Surrounded by mountains with gorgeous vistas & waterfalls Samana Peninsula has more Palm Trees per square mile than anywhere else in the Caribbean!
Affordable Restaurants & Cafes Literally hundreds of excellent owner-operated restaurants French, Italian, Dominican, Japanese, Mexican, German & Fusion Cuisine Three course Prix Fixe gourmet French luncheon from $7 per person Highest end, world class dining along the beach averages about $30 pp Dominican BBQ Chicken dinner in town for $4-5 per person
Did I mention Shopping??
Welcoming, Cosmopolitan Community Large cadres of full and part time residents that probably outnumber tourists Social life is very active, including many impromptu gatherings & events Everyone is welcome! Even if you weren t invited Where else can you go to the grocery store & hear 5 different languages spoken in 30 minutes?! Large numbers of Expats are married to Dominicans, creating a most interesting cultural fusion
Relatively Undiscovered Las Terrenas has an aura of being farther off the beaten track than it really is. Though fairly well known to Europeans and to a lesser degree Canadians, it is virtually unknown to people from the US (that don t subscribe to LIOS) Most activity and growth is occurring organically without large infusions of external funding (good news!) NO CRUISE SHIPS! A small semi-sleepy little town just far enough away to dissuade the lazy from looking. A place where the living is easy
Ease of Access El Catey airport is less than 30 minutes away. SDQ (Santo Domingo) airport is less than 2 hours on a very civilized, well-maintained & lightly used toll road. SDQ is easily reached in about 7 hours from Raleigh, NC (our primary airport) & costs between $400-$600 depending on the season & class of service SDQ is a short 2-hour flight from MIA, 3-hour flight from ATL, or 3.5-hour flight from NYC
Path of Progress First all-year road was built in 1969, fell apart & re-paved in 1989 & 2010 Las Terrenas first had town-wide electricity in 1994 El Catey Airport opened in 2006 New Toll Road to Santo Domingo completed in 2008 Road along Playa Las Ballenas paved in 2011 Beachfront Promenade on Playa Bonita completed in 2014
Quality Construction Providing Value for Money Concrete construction, designed to be earthquake & hurricane proof French, Italian, British, Canadian & Dominican General Contractors, all accustomed to building for a discriminating market Cross-pollination of European & Dominican cultures results in businesses with extraordinary customerservice focus & access to local artisans Development projects tend to be smaller, allowing owners more control over the maintenance & upkeep of properties, enhancing value Prices are very low relative to other Caribbean locations that offer less quality roughly $200/square foot, including land, for a modern villa Property management industry is strong, competitive & professional
Foreigner-Friendly Government & People The Dominican Republic was one of the first countries in the world to create Free Trade Zones. Ministry of Tourism focuses on attracting a variety of tourists by creating alternative zones for development (eg Punta Cana for Golf, Cabarete for Kite Boarding, Las Terrenas for easy living, etc). New Residency & citizenship options have made the DR a very attractive option for offshoring. Government is stable & conservative in its management of the country.
Active Lifestyle A completely walkable community, from one end to the other. Organized mountain bike treks weekly Kite Board, Surf, Kayak, Ride Horseback, Fish, Sail, Hike, Swim Lots of leisure activities without spending big $$$
Healthcare In Las Terrenas New International Clinic Opened in 2014 English-speaking doctors Most hospitals accept US & European Health Insurance (Medicare is US-ONLY, though) Medical Helicopter Service to Santo Domingo World-Class specialists in Santo Domingo, though not in all specialties Certainly sufficient for the relatively healthy
Not Just a Great Place to Visit A Wonderful Place to LIVE!! Great karma Excellent Restaurants & Cafes Fabulous Grocery Stores Customer Service Culture Cosmopolitan Community La Dolce Vita!!
Las Terrenas Conisists of Five Beaches, Each With Its Own Character
Bill Piatt Sans Souci in Las Terrenas Villa Clarissa 4, Playa Las Ballenas Ave Francisco Pedro Bono Las Terrenas, Samana bpiatt@me.com WhatsApp: 703.887.7177