On the Samaná peninsula, Las Terrenas, a small seaside resort located 200 km north of the capital Santo Domingo, is still a gem to discover. Forget Punta Cana and its soulless factory hotels.
Here is a long beach of fine sand, lined with palm trees tortured by the winds, where Dominican families relax at the end of the week, to the sound of bachata and merengue. With its small colored wooden houses, ochre, yellow, green or blue, Las Terrenas seems, at first glance, straight out of another time, perhaps that of the Tainos, or, more realistically, from away from the throes of civilization. Unlike other areas of the Caribbean, Las Terrenas enjoys a temperate climate, between 25 and 31 degrees all year round. In the evening, travelers and locals meet in seaside restaurants. These establishments most often belong to the many Europeans living in the municipality, French, Italians, or Germans. They all operate a host of businesses or hotels.