North Coast

NORTH COAST INFORMATION

Lapped by the Atlantic Ocean, the beautiful north coast of the Dominican Republic , known as the Amber Coast , provides a wealth of variety for permanent or part-time residents and tourists alike. If you already live here or are thinking of relocating, there are few locations on the north coast where you do not have pleasing views of the ocean or majestic mountains and cooling breezes.  It is also perfect for a vacation home or investment property.  Commercially, it has immense potential.  Many websites offer country and local tourist information.  

See https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html or http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563569/Dominican_Republic.html 

for general information about this friendly and very beautiful island of “Hispaniola ”.

The area covered by the North Coast neighbourhood comprises of the provinces of Monte Cristi (16), Puerto Plata (20), Espaillat (8), María Trinidad Sánchez (14),  and we are also Neighborhood Experts for the province of Samaná (22). The provinces are divided into municipalities , which are the second level political and administrative subdivisions of the country.  (see photos for  map showing provinces)

The area is served by the two International Airports of Puerto Plata International Gregorio Luperón Airport (just 15 minutes from Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata and Sosúa) and the Arroyo Barril International Airport in Samaná, both with regular flights from North America and Europe.  Flying Times: from New York (3-1/4 hrs), from Miami (1-3/4 hrs), from San Juan (35 mins), from Toronto (5 hrs), from Santiago de Chile (8 hrs) and from most European cities (8-10 hrs).

Principal Cities and Towns

The principal towns and cities on the north coast which will be of interest to those considering moving to or investing in the Dominican Republic are Luperon, Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete, Rio San Juan and Cabrera.  (For Las Terrenas, Las Galeras and Samaná on the Samaná Peninsula , please see the Samaná Neighborhood page.)   There are many other less well-known gems dotted along the coast and we will be happy to introduce you to property there.

Luperón

The earliest foreign residents were predominantly Belgian and Swiss and there is a small development of good quality housing in the area of El Castillo, with its beautiful, tranquil beaches.  This is a developing area where land is still very affordable

Puerto Plata (Port of Silver)

Puerto Plata is the largest city on the north coast, the provincial capital and one of the most important cities in the country, with Consulates, good health facilities, an InternationalSchool and several other private schools, four universities and many government departments. Puerto Plata has a somewhat faded glory with Victorian gingerbread-like mansions from the late 1800's, located in the older part of the city and its many parks and cafes offering Dominican specialties. Many visit the city to see the historic fort, Fuerte de San Felipe. There is a newly renovated 2 km boardwalk, or Malecón, lined with typical Dominican restaurants, where you can take a walk and enjoy views of the port and the Atlantic Ocean .  Above the town sits Mount Isabel de Torres, accessible by a cable car, which affords spectacular views of the city and coastline and the surrounding botanical gardens and famous statue of Christ the Redeemer.

In terms of Real Estate, Puerto Plata comprises of several areas of specific interest with property to suit all tastes and budgets.

Puerto Plata City offers exciting Real Estate development in the area of The Malecon, with private housing and commercial enterprise growing rapidly.  The city centre is typically Dominican with gated communities, such as Bayardo, springing up in the suburbs. Torre Alta is another very popular residential development just to the east of downtown Puerto Plata, with a good power supply, as have many of the residential developments.

Cofresi located on a beautiful bay approximately 10 km west of Puerto Plata, is a resort community consisting of higher-end hotels, such as Sun Village, and exclusive private villas with picturesque ocean and mountain views, mainly situated in the hills of Altos de Cofresi.  One of the area's major attractions is the Ocean World Marine & Water Park with its much loved dolphin encounter.  There is scope for further investment in this desirable area.  Schooling is in Puerto Plata.

Costambar is a self-contained, gated project with a beautiful beach and calm waters.  Many residents from around the world have made their home here.  The area boasts a 9 hole golf course and club house, international bars and restaurants, a more than adequate supermarket, internet cafes and low maintenance fees.  Villas, condos and small hotels/bed and breakfast properties mix together appealingly to give this area an established feel.  Property prices are still at a good level and are expected to rise if anticipated changes to the port in Puerto Plata occur.  Schooling is also in Puerto Plata.

Playa Dorado is a gated resort area about 5 km east of Puerto Plata with over a dozen all-inclusive resorts on beautiful beaches, as well as a shopping mall with restaurants, bars, gift shops, a movie theatre, not to mention two casinos and the Robert Trent Jones-designed 18 hole Playa Dorada Golf Course.  Residential, gated communities are beginning to spring up in the hills nearby with spectacular ocean views.  Examples are El Doral, Star Hills and The Palms.

Sosúa

The small town of Sosúa is located around 25 kilometers east of Puerto Plata and less than 10 km from the InternationalAirport .  Over the last few years, it has developed into one of the most popular coastal resorts in the Dominican Republic . It has five excellent sandy beaches to choose from, with Playa de Sosúa being the most popular. This small town is situated around a large bay and consists of two parts: El Batey and Los Charamicos, which are linked together by Playa Sosúa. The area to the east of the beach, El Batey, focuses entirely on tourism and includes an attractive commercial centre with a large number of shops, restaurants, bars and terraces etc.

The nightlife is fun and exciting, especially for such a relatively small town.   Playa de Sosúa has half a kilometer of sand, good diving, snorkelling, catamaran and glass bottom boat rides and consists of an unbroken line of small shops selling souvenirs, snacks, drinks etc. There is even a local hairdresser, who will cut and style your hair while you sit under the shade of a palm tree on the beach.

 A centre of commerce, Sosúa has ease of living for most Expats looking for a centre with shops, banks, supermarkets, pharmacies and day-to-day necessities. Catering to its international residents, it offers German bakeries, Italian trattorias and German sausage makers. It can also boast some of the finest soft white sand beaches on the north coast and is as friendly and welcoming as it can be. For families, some of the best schools, including an International School , are available close by, along with good health facilities.

For Real Estate, Sosúa offers every option.  There are probably more secure, gated, residential communities on the north coast than in any other area of the country.  In Sosúa there are a number of hillside areas with fantastic views and wonderful breezes, typified by La Mulata, Panorama Village and Terramar.  These international areas offer a wealth of private villas to suit all tastes and budgets.

In addition, high quality condos are currently being constructed to a luxurious standard in beachfront projects such as Villas Victoriana, Infinite Blu etc.  Very reasonably priced condos are still also  available in this international town.

Many commercial and investment properties are also to be found, with development land being in high demand.

Cabarete

Cabarete is a small, vibrant, Caribbean town nestled some 12 km to the east of Sosúa. The town, with its beachside bars, restaurants and hotels, appeals to all ages but comes to life in the evening as one of the 'hottest' destinations in the Caribbean. This is home to the kite and wind surfers, hosting World Competitions, but also offering surfing at Playa Encuentro, quad and mountain biking, horse riding or just sun worshipping on one of the best beaches on the north shore.

Perhaps surprisingly, the boundary between Cabarete and Sosua is located very close to Sosua town (just east of the entrance to La Mulata), so whilst many of the most popular residential communities may appear to be in Sosua, they are technically classed as Cabarete.  The most desirable gated enclaves of Sea Horse Ranch, Haciendas El Choco and Sosua Ocean Village come into this category, along with popular developments offering more affordable properties such as Playa Laguna, Casa Linda, Perla Marina, Lomas Mironas, Hideaway Beach, Vista del Caribe, Costa Azul, Bahia de Arena and Pro Cab, the only gated community of villas in downtown Cabarete.  Romantic names which truly capture the beauty of this area.

As well as providing extremely varied villa properties, Cabarete is perhaps even more renowned for its great choice of condos.  In recent years the area stretching from Kite Beach to the east of Cabarete, has become almost unrecognizable with the rapid increase in high quality, beachfront, condo developments, perfect for year-round living or vacation and ideal for those looking for a beachside investment that will rent with ease.  Some the most popular of these developments are Ocean Point, Ocean Dream, Velero and Cabarete East, with exciting new condos being built at Kite Beach , Windsurf and The Oasis, a little further out of town in Camino del Sol.

Few areas can offer more real estate choice than Cabarete, and this boom is spreading further east all the time, with the delightful area of Playa Las Canas becoming increasingly popular for beachfront homes.  Good deals are still to be had on development land and individual lots in this area.

Rio San Juan/Playa Grande/Cabrera

Rio San Juan is an up and coming fishing and farming town about 100 km east of Puerto Plata. There are a few hotels and beautiful beaches in this area, as well as the Gri Gri Lagoon, where you can take a boat tour to see the unusual rock formations and magnificent mangrove trees. The Playa Grande/Cabrera area, about 120 km east of Puerto Plata, has a spectacular white powder sand beach lined by tall palm trees and surrounded by rugged cliffs. Big waves make it a popular spot for water sports but the undertow can be strong. There are many beautiful villas in the area. The Robert Trent Jones-designed Playa Grande Golf Course is located here, with 10 holes of the golf course being along the spectacular cliffs, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean . This is arguably one of the most impressive courses in the Caribbean and certainly a must for all golfers.