The lemon-yellow beachside bar serves up fresh-grilled fish and ice-cold beer to the strains of merengue. From my perch there, I can see where the deep-blue sky meets the sun-dappled ocean. Waves wash gently onto a perfect curve of golden sand. Coconut palms reach skyward, adding a splash of green. This is my favorite place in the Dominican Republic. A gorgeous corner of the Caribbean where good properties aren’t out of reach and you can indulge in sumptuous French and Italian cuisine…but more about that later.

Long familiar to Europeans, the Dominican Republic is becoming increasingly popular with North Americans. It’s easy to see why. The climate is tropical, the lifestyle is easy-going and the beaches are beautiful. The residency process is straightforward, too. And property is affordable. Only a two-hour flight from Miami, this is the Caribbean’s busiest tourist destination.

The country covers two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Its interior is a rich, velvet-green quilt of hills, with deep-flowing rivers and crashing waterfalls, but most tourists head straight for the coast, many to Punta Cana.

Originally dubbed “the Coconut Coast,” the Dominican government decided to develop Punta Cana in the 1970s. They knew it had potential, with 20 miles of dazzling beaches, a warm, dry climate and plenty of sunshine. They put in the infrastructure. They sold land parcels to hotel groups (mainly European). A private company built an airport in Punta Cana in 1984. That opened this coast up. Tourist traffic through the airport doubled between 2000 and 2009.

The upside of so many major resort hotels in Punta Cana (more than 50 at the last count) is the excellent infrastructure. You won’t have to go far for a buzzing nightlife, golf courses, luxury spas or chic cafés. It feels a bit “Miami”…fun, sand and sun. The downside is the lack of local flavor. Remember, they developed this coast from scratch. So you won’t find cute beach towns or charming local fishing villages.

But you can’t argue with the views. White beaches, neon-blue water, coconut palms against a cloudless sky. This is the best of the Caribbean. No wonder the resort hotels snapped up so much prime beachfront property here.

The hotels pushed the price of beachfront land sky-high. A developer showed me a three-quarter-acre parcel, for instance. He paid $4 million for it. However, off-beach property remains affordable. Only 547 yards from the beach, two-bedroom, two-bath condos in three-story blocks start at $147,000. The 1,237-square-foot units come with marble floors and granite countertops.

If you prefer a resort lifestyle, you might like another development that offers condos in a golf and beach community. One-bedroom, one-bath units, 1,022 square feet in size, cost $190,000. You have access to the resort’s amenities and full property management. The resort is ultra-luxurious, with ornate furnishings, stylish restaurants and an incredible spa. For more information, contact Scott Medina by e-mail: medina.scott@gmail.com.

Of course, when Punta Cana was an empty strip of coast, the Dominican Republic already had a tourist destination. Cabarete, in the north of the island, was the resort destination until Punta Cana stole the show in the mid-1990s.

In Cabarete, a half-moon of golden sand curves around a wide bay. Older, faded hotels sit alongside luxury residential developments. These developments have set their sights on a different breed of tourist: independent-minded, not interested in the all-inclusive experience… and obsessed with adventure sports.

Windsurfing, deep-sea fishing, diving, mountain biking, white water rafting, horseback riding… The afternoon skies over Cabarete fill with the billowing kites of surfers.

And the action isn’t confined to the daytime.  The recently opened Nikki Beach nightclub offers curtained “opium” beds on the beach, champagne and partying until dawn under the starry skies. Restaurants vary from little pizza parlors to Asian fusion and the beachfront Casanova. Casanova’s Eastern decor of carved wood, gilded slim Buddhas and gentle background music blends harmoniously with the lapping of the waves, creating a magical atmosphere.

Properties in Cabarete range from Sea Horse Ranch, with homes from $750,000, to home sites in the hills overlooking the ocean from $1.39 to $1.86 a square foot. And the older hotels are getting a new lease on life. The adventure tourists don’t want to stay in a resort hotel. They prefer short-term rental apartments as close to the beach as possible. Catering to this, some of the older hotels in prime locations are being refurbished as condos.

One beachfront development caught my eye. The views are of a long, light-sand beach, the expansive ocean and a sky speckled with rainbow-colored sails. Opening the large windows or terrace doors allows in the fresh sea breeze and the soothing sound of the waves.

The units have the nicest finish quality I saw in the Dominican Republic, with sleek, clean, modern lines. Studios start from $175,000 for 625 square feet. On the other side of the highway, linked to the beach via a concrete bridge, the developer is refurbishing a 10-year-old hotel building. New plumbing, wiring, windows and doors are going in, along with the same high-end interior finishes as the brand-new beach units.

These refurbished units start at $55,000 for a 400-square-foot studio. Larger 890-square-foot condos are $116,500.

For more information, contact Judith Fox-Hogg by e-mail: judith@westindies-realestate.com.

My favorite spot in the Dominican Republic isn’t Punta Cana or Cabarete, though.  It isn’t a resort destination at all. It’s a beach town, complete with wooden houses in ice-cream shades of pink and yellow. It comes with a sizeable group of Italian and French expats who have a taste for interior design and gourmet food. This place is called Las Terrenas, on the Samaná peninsula, a narrow finger of land reaching into the ocean on the island’s east coast.

Of all the locations I scouted in the Dominican Republic, Las Terrenas offers the best combination of beautiful beaches, a small-town feel, chic style and relatively affordable property.

Thirty years ago, Las Terrenas was a rustic fishing village. Twenty-two years ago, the town didn’t have an electricity supply. But an influx of 6,000 French and Italians, who loved this place so much they decided to settle here, changed the face of the town.

Today, the town center is a whirl of motoconchos (motorcycle taxis), stores and cafés painted rainbow-bright. The original old wooden homes sitting on the beach are now trendy cafés and restaurants. They’re family-run, serving wood-fired pizza and simple snacks, right up to gourmet Italian and French food.

New businesses have sprung up, too: art galleries, a hammam (a Turkish sauna), a French bakery and an Italian deli.

This isn’t all-inclusive resort territory, and thanks to strict planning laws it should stay that way. The beach hotels here are small and family-run rather than sprawling, faceless chains.

The beaches around Las Terrenas are some of the most pristine in the Dominican Republic. Playa Popy attracts kite and wind surfers. West of the town, a rocky outcrop pierces the shallow, clear waters close to Playa Bonita’s soft sand beach.

Playa Coson is postcard material: pristine white sand flowing into the distance, clear Caribbean water and hundreds of coconut palms. No need to bring a packed lunch, either. One rustic spot offers an all-you-can-eat seafood barbeque on the sand. Or you can try fine dining in an upscale restaurant. The restaurant is part of Peninsula House, the island’s finest hotel. Set in the hills and filled with fine art and antiques, the plantation-style property commands rates of $730 a night.

Properties currently on the market in Las Terrenas include a three-bedroom, three-bath home, with a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse, in a small development. It comes with a deck and pool, and it is a short walk to the beach, restaurants and cafés. It’s on the market for $255,000. A gorgeous six–bedroom, six-bath home with a beautiful pool area carries a price tag of $1.1 million—a dream property. For information on properties here, e-mail: toni@ballenabay.net.

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The Best Deals Off the Beaten Track
Margaret Summerfield is the Director of Pathfinder (International Living’s preferred real estate advertiser). She scours Latin America for the hottest real estate opportunities. She’s been to places you’ve never heard of…spent hours in meetings with local contacts…and seen more projects in the region than just about anyone you’re likely to meet. When not on the road, Margaret calls Casco Viejo, Panama City, home. To find out more about her trips, tips and the deals she finds, see: Pathfinderinternational.net/joinilg/.

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