Las Terrenas
People often ask me which places I would recommend when travelling in the Dominican Republic (DR).
If you ..
- don’t speak Spanish
- are travelling by yourself
- are looking for a safe and convenient place
- want to dance as much as you can
- have never been in the DR before,
then Las Terrenas is the best place for you. I like to call this place “A DR Beginner friendly place” for that reason.
If you are looking for an authentic place in terms of culture and dancing, then I would recommend you to go to other places. Don’t get me wrong, the dancers are amazing and talented, and you will definitely get some authentic dances here and there. But also be aware, that the dancers are mostly taxi dancers/and or instructors who are paid to dance with tourists, basically to please and accommodate our needs.
What makes Las Terrenas so attractive ?
Las Terrenas is about 140km away from the Santo Domingo Airport (SDG) and is located in the province of Samana. It’s a touristic town, not too big but not too small either - personally I find it has the perfect size. Safety and convenience are definitely one of the benefits which come along with a touristic area or maybe also your priorities (especially when travelling alone), in case you normally react allergically to the word “touristic”.
Which is most probably why many expats prefer living here.
This place just has it all you need to enjoy your vacation to the fullest and if you are a dancer like me, LT is just the best place to dive into the Dominican culture of Bachata, Merengue, Salsa and Dembow. Many Bachata trips and events/congresses are held here which is no wonder considering the reasons I’ve mentioned previously. Also because of the location, it’s easy to visit other places from there such as the town of Samana, Las Galeras, El Santo Limon with its beautiful waterfall, and so forth.
Hotels :
As far as hotels are concerned I definitely recommend
Hotel Piedra Marron run by Vita and Vito, a lovely couple who immigrated from Switzerland. The rooms are not huge, however extremely tidy and clean (especially the bathrooms which are my personal priority), hot water and well functioning toilets (which you will be extremely grateful for once you get in DR, trust me ;)). What I love about the hotel is that it’s not a commercialised huge complex, but more a smaller and therefore more private atmosphere. Some rooms come with kitchen which can come in very handy if you want to save money and maybe make your own breakfast like I did in the past with my friend. Near the hotel there’s a little colmado (market) which has basic needs and food supply, so it was very convenient. And most of all Vita and her husband are just so friendly and welcoming and I felt very welcomed! Check out this link to view their hotel.
If you are somebody who prefers bigger hotels, there are plenty which you can find on the internet, but if you are into hostels and getting to meet people more easily, go and check out
Manty’s Guesthouse which also makes amazing food also accessible for non guests. I personally have not stayed there but I definitely went there several times to enjoy their delicious dinner and also got to meet many people who were staying there for a longer period. Check out this link to view her Facebook page.
Nightlife :
And last but not least, nightlife : I can’t remember all the names of the bars because there are so many - especially when you go to pueblo de pescadores (“fishermen’s village”). Actually this is the area how LT started, a small farmers and fishermen’s village which slowly but surely developed into this popular place that is known now and the fishermen’s cabins have transformed into these cool bars and restaurants.
Whenever you don’t know where to go, you can’t do anything wrong here, as the street is full with bars and you can just change the location whenever you are curious to find out other places.
Besides this area, you should try definitely La Bodeguita, and Babylon. La Bodeguita has more of a rustic and authentic vibe whereas Babylon is more modern and has more of a club feeling.
Once you get used to LT and people start recognising you, ask them and talk to them which parties are recommended. Again, this is only possible because of the convenient size of the town.
(*unfortunately the Pueblo De Los Pescadores got burnt down, and currently under constructions - Dec’2023)
In terms of Nightlife, make sure to ask the taxi dancers for the event updates.
If there’s something you would like to hear more about, please ask your questions in the comment section down below !
For a more personalised and in-depth advice for travelling in the DR and/or some struggles you have to understand the culture, I am offering an Intercultural Communication Consultation here.
Photo : Las Terrenas, 2019
Photographed by Katrin Kocsis
© 2021 Kuriko Kraemer
