Located about 35 miles from Samana in the Samana Peninsula, the nearest town is Sanchez, a much older town but with almost no tourism .Over the past 10 years tourism has increased in Las Terrenas and now there are many foreigners that live here permanently.
The town has two main roads where you will find many bars, nightclubs and restaurants .There are also two beaches one of which is on the main road that comes in from Samana where you will find most of the residences and apartments for rent . On the other side of the road, the sea side, you have little places that are managed both by Dominicans and foreigners who are now fully integrated on the island.
We’re talking about playa Punta popi where the Dominicans gather in the afternoons to drink beer and play dominoes with friends.
Following the main road you pass the police station and come to a junction where you can go either towards the beach or towards the town of Las Terrenas. If you go towards the sea you will be going to the second beach called Playa Las Ballenas, one of the most fascinating places in Las Terrenas where you will find many sea front villas and residences for rent.
Going towards the center of town you will find many squares built by foreigners who have lived here a long time. In these squares there are all kinds of shops ,from clothing stores to furniture ,supermarkets, kitchen appliances, computer stores and more. We can assure you that you can find mostly anything you may need.
The clinics in Las Terrenas
Regarding healthcare, there are 3 main clinicas in Las Terrenas, two are open 24 hours a day while the other one is open only during the day.
They are quite well equipped but are not suitable for major emergencies such as complicated heart or head operations so ,in case of a serious accident there is a helicopter available that will take you to other clinics in Santo Domingo.
For this service you must have health insurance.
The light gas and sewer services in Las Terrenas
Here in Las Terrenas we have all the main services, unlike many areas of the island we have electricity 24 hours a day. There is a private company that provides service in Las Terrenas at a very high cost, it’s very expensive. As of today the cost is about 0.36 euro per kilowatt.
As far as gas is concerned , there is no methane, here we use classic gas cylinders ,or tanks with LPG, that are filled at gas stations..
With regard to the sewers , they are still working on the system throughout the country, here we have classic septic tanks.
Hotels and residences in Las Terrenas
The town has plenty of accommodations for every taste and all budgets, you can find a room for $ 200 per day but there are also residences where you can sleep for 20 dollars a night, of course it depends on what you’re looking for.
There are restaurants run by Germans, Italians , Russians and French, you can have Dominican food but also enjoy a good plate of pasta, a nice pizza or any other typical dish of various nationalities.
Security in Las Terrenas
Las Terrenas is very safe for tourists, we have lived here for years and never had any problems. We have heard of some cases of delinquency but just like in any other place.
The tourists are on the streets of Las Terrenas all day until late at night, you only need a bit of common sense and make sure to not go out with any valuables on you.
Other nearby beaches of Las Terrenas
Besides the two main beaches we have other very beautiful beaches a few kilometers from Las Terrenas, the first is called playa Bonita, which is located about 6 km from Las Terrenas, a really beautiful beach with crystalline waters where you can find Dominicans who sell fresh grilled fish along the beach.
The second beach is playa Coson ,also very nice but the sea is a bit more rough compared to other beaches, in fact, it is mostly frequented by those who love surfing.
At about 15 km from Las Terrenas there is another town called El Limon where you can find other beautiful beaches such as Playa Moron, it’s a beautiful beach but a little difficult to reach.
In addition to the beaches in El Limon there are the famous waterfalls, an enchanted place in the middle of beautiful vegetation where you can bathe in pure but very cold water.