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Coverage of the up-and-coming resort village of Las Terrenas on the Dominican Republic╒s Samana Peninsula. Taken from the Second Edition of The Adventure Guide To Costa Rica by  Harry S. Pariser.  Copyright 1994, Hunter Publishing. All rights reserved.



Las Terrenas


This long stretch of the N coast offers some of the nation's finest beaches.  At low tide you can walk right out to the coral reefs.  Although, it lacks Sos£a's glamour, it also has less noise and hassle.  Although the area is becoming more and more developed, it still has the informality of a small village and remains highly recommended as a place to go and relax.  Secluded Playa Bonita is situated around the headland to the W, and Portillo lies to the E.  Humpbacked whales can sometimes be spotted off of the coast in season. getting there:  A number of carreras run from Sçnchez.  Expect to wait a long time for the back of the pickup truck to fill up.  Avoid the bright red pickup if you can because the obnoxious owner delights in overcharging foreigners.  The 11 mi. (17 km) paved road from Sçnchez offers fantastic views--passing rolling hills covered with palms and marvelous overlooks--as you rise and then descend. A new direct road to Samanç is under construction.  by car:  It would be difficult to find a better use for a rental car than take it on this road.  Although there's no gas stations after Sçnchez until Las Terrenas, some homes sell it in gallon jugs.

orientation:  The layout is pretty simple.  A main road stretches all the way from Sçnchez to Limùn via Portillo.  As you enter Las Terrenas, a side road leads off to the L to Punta Bonita, several km away.  Pickup trucks terminate at the end of the village; the road straight ahead continues to Portillo.  A branched loop road heads off to the L; the bulk of the guesthouses are down here along the beach and on the way.  A few others are towards Portillo.  As you head towards Portillo, the beach becomes more and more beautiful and less frequented.

getting around:  You can generally get everywhere on foot, and there are no safety problems at present.  Motoconchos charge five pesos (40 cents) during the day and ten pesos (80 cents) at night.  Locals are charged only three pesos so pestering foreigners is an obsession.  These guys work so hard and so late because they╒ve bought the bikes on credit and have to make payments or face repossession.

accommodation on the main road:  Attractive Palococo (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) charges from around US$40 d.  It has a pool and Jacuzzi. Dinners at its international restaurant are around US$12.  Mami (tel. [phone]) on the main road, also has rooms for under US$5; it can be noisy.  Dinnys has plain but breezy rooms near the sea for around US$9.

beachside accommodation:  A number of small hotels/guest houses including Espinal, La Selva, Habitaciones, and Louisiane are off the loop road and near the beach. Most guesthouses and hotels have backup generators; public electrical power is a recent development here. On the road to the beach, Supercolmado Frank has rooms for around US$12.   Hotel Tropic Banana (tel. [phone], fax [phone]; Apdo. 25, Sçnchez, Samanç) has a pool and attractive rooms from around US$30 on up. In Montreal, Canada, call [phone] or fax [phone]. With 190 rooms, Cacao Beach (tel. [phone]) is the largest hotel and seems larger than the village.  Call 565-2097 in Santo Domingo for information.  Off the main road past Cacao Beach near Coco Loco, attractively designed L╒Aubergine (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) charges around US$16 off season and US$28 during the season. Kursten and Josefina Kramer have three rooms above their ╥Finchen╙ Restaurant (tel. [phone], fax [phone]).  While the rooms are low priced and very comfortable and attractive, they╒re best suited to nightowls because the restaurant stays open late.  Farther up the same road, Hotel Villa Caracol  has rooms without bath starting at around US$9.  Its best suites are around $36.  In Germany, contact DER Resie-Center Lippstatdt GmbH, Markstrasse 3, 4780 Lippstradt; call (02941) 3185 u. 51 18; or fax [phone]. Another good place to stay is the seaside Kanesh Beach (tel.. [phone], fax [phone]). Rates start from $25 for rooms with overhead ceiling fans. Coralitos, which has villas for rent, is next. Atmospheric Las Cayenas Hotel (fax [phone]) which resembles an old Caribbean great house, is the brainchild of Marie-Antoinette Piguet, a Frenchwoman who visited here on vacation. It╒s powered by solar panels. Rates (which include breakfast and taxes) are $45 s and $60 d.  Farther down this same road on the way to Punta Bonita, the very expensive Plantation Club (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) is the product of financing by Domincan fat cats from La Romana.   to the W:  There are three hotels at Punta Bonita, the German-run 19-rm. Atlantis (tel. [phone], fax [phone]), the Acaya (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) and the Punta Bonita (tel. [phone]).  For information and reservations at the 10-unit Apartamentos El Atlantico, contact Hotel Palacio (tel. [phone], fax [phone]).  They rent for $35 pn and sleep up to four.

on the Portillo road:  Opposite El 28 on the road towards Portillo and run by a very hospitable and outgoing Swiss couple, Los Piûos offers very attractive bungalow ($US 36) and room (US$20) rentals.  Designed for Europeans who are used to youth hostel accommodation, their very clean but compact dorm rooms rent beds for $6 s and $9 d (two in one larger bed). Breakfasts are served on the attractive patio. Contact Marlene and Hans Fretz (tel. [phone],  fax [phone]). Cabaûas Esmeralda is some 150 ft. from the road.  Modest rooms with shower and mosquito net cost US$20/db.  Bargain during the slow season or if you're staying for a few nights. Owned by a Venezuelan, El Papagayo (tel. [phone]) is right on the road to Portillo as well; it has a very pleasant atmosphere. Rooms start from around $20-$25. It has a restaurant and snack bar. Nearby, Villa Vieja rents a furnished two-bedroom apartment with kitchen for around $25/night.  Popular with Peace Corps volunteers, the lowest priced place is run by Doûa Niûa off the road to Portillo; ask around for directions.  An old Dominican lady, it almost seems as if she stepped over the edges of a historical photo.  Her place also seems to be a historical relic as well.  She charges US$2 for a full breakfast and US$4 for a room. Doûa charges standard rates for soft drinks as opposed to the extortionate D$10 (80 cents) charged by most restaurants. Her favorite but rather suspect phrase is ╥mi es pobre.╙  Whatever money she garners does not go back into maintenance, and stories are told about her wealth. There╒s an outdoor shower, and a manually flushed toilet.  Be certain not to kill any tadpoles while flushing, or you might find yourself reincarnated as a frog. A large condo project (Villas las Flores) is planned for this stretch of road; it may or may have not materialized by the time of your arrival.

El Portillo accommodation:  Head straight from La Terrenas and follow a potholed road for four km to find the simple but attractive El Portillo Beach Resort (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) which has 171 rooms and cabaûas, pool, two tennis courts, scuba clinics, volleyball, and horserback riding.  It's popular with European package tourists and has its own airstrip.  It's a 30-min flight.  Make arrangements with the Prieto Tours (tel. [phone]) in Santo Domingo.  El Limùn is 10 km farther.

food:  If cooking for yourself, there╒s a small market and other vendors along the main road.  Possibly the best bread in the nation if not the entire Caribbean is baked at Panaderia Francesa in front of Disco El Tiempo.  The Dominican baker learned his chops from his French brother-in-law when he came for a visit.  Some of the nation's finest seafood dining is in this vicinity.  Posada Chez Paco is a good seafood and French cuisine restaurant . French-owned La Salsa is a thatched roof beach restaurant. main road food and dining:  High priced La Gateria offers deli type food and take out items. Cafeteria des Artes is an attractive French-run place offering local food and atmosphere. ╥El Capitan╙ (tel. [phone]) is a bar and restaurant near Sçnchez.  Portillo road dining:   Excellent places to eat breakfast are at Los Piûos and at (lower budget) Doûa Nina╒s. El 28 is a small Spanish restaurant on the beach near the beginning of the El Portillo road; it has fish and paella. Comedor La Escala is on the road towards Portillo. ╥La Canne ç Sucre╙ serves pasta, salad, and crepes at inexpensive prices (starting at US$1.75 for crepes). Casablanca is an attractive bar which has a restaurant in season. enroute to and near the beach:   La Chicha serves inexpensive creole food. Rincùn de Fleur is on the water.  Near La Louisiane, La Orquidea serves moderately-priced French food. serves Basque food. ╥La Tita╙ is another Italian restaurant. Specializing in Basque and French food, Restaurante Jikako is off the road to the beach.  Near the beach, Dinny╒s features a reasonably priced restaurant. Zuni╒s has good seafood.  The French-owned Tropic Banana features gourmet cuisine.  ╥Finchen╙ Restaurant serves Dominican and German food; it╒s also a very popular watering hole. Down the road, you can also dine at Kanesh and the attractive Las Cayenas Hotel.  Palococo╒s Los Canarios is the classiest place on the main road.  There are a large number of local restaurants on this road as well as some low budget eating stalls where you can really revel in atmosphere.

entertainment:  Out on the main road, the roar of motoconchos conflicts with that of blaring generators. The singing in the Iglesia Biblica clashes with disco coming from the pub across the street. The night market along this road has a very African feel to it. You can eat rice and beans, fried plantains, meat dishes, and overfried fish. The best disco here is Mambo.  El Tiempo has murals featuring motifs such as a melting clock and the grafitti in the men╒s room is something else!  A third disco is Disco Terraza Nuevo Mundo which is down the street from Codetel.  Disco Terraza Antony has a ╥hotel╙ above it; it╒s more of a bar than anything else. The intimate Rock CafÄ stays open until 4AM or so and fills up after the disco closes. Prostitution is a growing industry here. Right across from El Tiempo, Arco Iris Video shows movies nightly for 40 cents. Some 10 km towards Sçnchez, La Raquera is hosted by an entertaining pistol-toting gentleman who resembles the Marlboro Man. At Chichi in the town of Sçnchez itself, an old guy plays Latin classics.

services:  There╒s no bank.  You can change illegally, but you get less than you would at a bank.  Hotels will only pay D$11.5 per US$. A Codetel office (fax [phone]; open daily 8-8) is on the main road as is Las Terrenas Tourist Service (tel. [phone], fax [phone]).  There's also a branch of the Samanç Tourist Service here.  Western Union is also on the main road. Publishers of the mimeographed free publication Las Terrenas News, Green Tours is near the Tropic Banana. Car rentals (US$60/day) are available near the beginning of the road to Portillo. Along the loop road, the Ranchito (tel. [phone]) has horse rentals and a trip to the waterfall (advance reservations required).  Caribbean Rent-a-Motor is on the main road. diving:  The growing popularity of Las Terrenas has spawned an increasing number of dive shops. Divebold is in front of Coco Loco. The Stellina Dive Center (tel. [phone], fax [phone]) is a German-operated dive operation in the Cacao Beach. German, Italian, Spanish, and English are spoken. In addition to two dive boats, they also have a glass-bottom boat. In Zurich, Switzerland call 01/531 18 09 or fax [phone]. Several souvenir shops are on the main road.

from Las Terrenas:  Buses leave at around 5 and 7 AM (yawn!) to Santo Domingo and from 8 to Nagua.  In the past, transportation to Limùn is scarce.  You must hire a motoconcho.  From there you can go on to Samanç.  Otherwise, if you wish to head for Samanç, you must backtrack to Sçnchez.

More information about The Adventure Guide To The Dominican Republic by Harry S. Pariser


"a complete practical guide"--Wisconsin Bookwatch

╥The history section is a wonderfully succinct and powerful description of the island from Columbus to post-Trujillo. The section on Trujillo╒s rule is outstanding.╙--Howard Zinn, author of A People╒s History of the United States

Lively merengue and haunting Spanish ruins. The Caribbean's lowest point and its highest mountain peak. Waterfalls, spectacular beaches, natural parks, multicolored tropical birds, rolling fields of sugarcane, baseball, and savory food. These are but a few of things the Dominican Republic has to offer. A cultural melange, the nation occupies the eastern half of Hispaniola, the largest island in the Caribbean. Long a favorite among US visitors--hundreds of thousands visit annually--the Dominican Republic offers some of the lowest food and accommodation prices in the Caribbean along with some of its friendliest inhabitants.
    While Old Santo Domingo has been restored to its colonial grandeur, many of the nation's thousands of miles of palm-lined beaches remain pristine and sedate.  The capital's frantic pace contrasts favorably with the resort town of Puerto Plata, Sos£a's European sophistication, the Samanç Peninsula's sprawling jungle, and deserted beaches. The more adventurous will want to climb Pico Duarte or visit the other national parks, all of which are described in detail in this comprehensive guide.

THE ADVENTURE GUIDE TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC also includes:
Ñ 19 Maps and 17 color photos
Ñ Extensive information on history, culture, and food
Ñ Information on all types of accommodation--from the most spartan family-run hotels to luxurious
    resorts such as sprawling Casa de Campo
Ñ Where to play tennis, ride horseback, hike, and swim
Ñ The best snorkeling and diving spots
Ñ Car rentals, local transportation, and tips on saving on airfares and visitor's cards
Ñ Local carnivals and patron saint festivities
Ñ All local services including shopping, changing money, bus companies, and transport to     and from airports

$1495: 258 Pages; IBSN 1-55650-629-5

(Published in German as Reisehandbuch Dominikanische Republik: IBSN 3-923550-27-8).

Other books by Harry S. Pariser include The Adventure Guide to Belize, (Third Edition), $14.95; The Adventure Guide to Costa Rica, (Second Edition) $16.95 ("best-balanced, most comprehensive guide"--Lan Sluder, Travel Forum, CompuServe); The Adventure Guide to the Virgin Islands (Third Edition), $14.95; The Adventure Guide to Barbados, (Second Edition) $15.95; The Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico, (Second Edition) $14.95; and Jamaica: A Visitor's Guide (Third Edition), $14.95.All are available from Hunter Publishing, 300 Raritan Parkway, Edison, NJ 08818. Call (908-225-1900) or fax [phone]). Also distributed nationwide by Ingram. For more information contact Harry S. Pariser at [phone] or write 1327 9th Av., No. 1, San Francisco, CA  94122

Copies may also be ordered from Harry S. Pariser at the above address; include a check or money order for $20 (priority mail shipping); $18 (book rate shipping) and mark ╥book order╙ on the envelope.  note:  Readers comments are always appreciated. Send me e-mail at [e-mail]