IL Readers at Home in Oceanfront Havens
By International Living
?I?ve Never Met Such Friendly People?
Names: Susan and Stephan Miller Ages: 61 and 64 From: Kentucky
Living in: Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
Just a few decades ago there were only two ways to reach the natural paradise of Las Terrenas, on the Dominican Republic?s Samana Peninsula. You could take a horse, or a boat.
Then, word spread among Europeans?mostly from France and Italy?about a place with stunning waterfalls cascading down from lush green mountains, and shady woodlands touching on miles of palm-fringed, white-sand beaches.
Since then the only changes have been for the better. By the time Susan Miller and her husband Stephan discovered Las Terrenas four years ago, there was a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere. ?It has the sophistication of St. Bart?s or the French Riviera mixed with the friendliness, music and laid back attitude of Dominicans,? says Susan.
?And nowadays, it only takes 30 minutes to drive here from the new international airport at El Catey.? Susan and Stephan had been living in Louisville, Kentucky. ?We loved Kentucky, but as we approached retirement I knew I couldn?t spend one more cold winter in Louisville. So we decided to find our dream home in the sun with the aim of splitting our time when we retired; six months in Kentucky and six months overseas,? says Susan.
?At first we checked out Panama, but we returned home without committing and then two months later we saw an article in International Living about Las Terrenas so we went to explore,? explains Susan.
Their original plan was to have a look at the area, then move west and investigate the rest of the north coast. But things changed when they arrived in Las Terrenas. ?We knew we had found our piece of paradise. We wanted to live near a beach, and the beaches in Las Terrenas are beautiful, but what really grabbed our attention was the immediate friendliness. I had never met such friendly people before. And the fact that we didn?t speak Spanish wasn?t a problem.?
The couple quickly found and bought a villa to the east of town for $170,000. ?With two bedrooms it was perfect for us. Just 300 yards from the beach and only a 10-minute walk into the town. It has a lovely yard and a private swimming pool, too. It was important to us that it was close to all amenities as I didn?t want to have to buy a car and I love walking. Plus we wanted to rent it when we weren?t using it, so proximity to the town and the beach is paramount,? says Susan.
The sophistication of Europe on a Caribbean island.?
?You can sip a cold beer at an oceanfront caf? here for $2, drink a caf? latte for $1.50, or enjoy a long leisurely lunch for as little as $8. There are French pastry shops, where you?ll find fresh, crusty baguettes, croissants and exquisite patisserie.
And supermarket Lindo, on the main street, has a superb selection of good-value French produce such as wine, cheese, spices and an excellent meat section,? says Susan.
She continues, ?There are arts and craft shops, too, such as Native Art Store, located on Duarte Street, offering a wide range of delightful handmade crafts at reasonable prices. There are chic clothing shops and a beautiful jeweler, Terrenas en Plata, also on Duarte Street, which has unique pieces made from larimar and amber?natural stones from the Dominican Republic.?
?Daily life here begins with sunrise when I take my dog for a walk on the beach, followed by yoga in the garden and then I trim the flowers, and pick the almonds off the tree. We make sure we get down to the beach before noon to buy some fresh fish from the fishermen, which Stephan will barbecue for us. We often walk into town for happy hour with other expats before coming home for dinner and star gazing beside the pool.?
And it?s so affordable. ?Prices are on the whole cheaper than the U.S., and if something is more expensive I bring it with me, like my favorite breakfast cereal for example. But a fresh pineapple will be $1 and a whole fresh chicken around $4. Every day, fishermen sell their daily catch of dorado, snapper, shrimp, octopus and lobster. A pound of shrimp cost about $6, whereas whole lobster is about $7 to $8 per pound,? says Susan.
Due to the European influence, Las Terrenas has a large choice of restaurants.
La Yuca Caliente on Calle Libertad, directly across from El Paseo Plaza, prepares authentic Italian dishes from $8 upward. Fisherman?s Village, on the beach, is a long row of seafood restaurants and bars, where you can find something to suit all tastes and budgets. Try the dreamy chocolate mousse for only $5 in La Terrase.
With the opening of a new highway two years ago, and an additional extension just a few months ago, it is now less than a two-hour ride from Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo to Las Terrenas, though the nearest is still El Catey.
While there are still few Americans and Canadians in Las Terrenas, Susan says that if you want to speak English and meet fellow countrymen, there is no better place to go than Big Dan?s Polar Bar in the center of town, opposite the bank. Danny hails from Dashville, Illinois, and his fresh fruit cocktails are famous, and you are always sure of a warm welcome and good conversation.
Susan explains, ?It is lovely to have a network of American and Canadian friends and we all celebrate important days together such as Thanksgiving, but we have friends from other nationalities, too, such as Haitian and Dominican and we always join in their celebrations as well. Las Terrenas is very welcoming that way. It?s not really an expat enclave, which is what makes it so special.?
There is a good clinic in Las Terrenas and excellent hospitals in the cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago, both around two hours away. ?I?d had a dental implant in the U.S. at a cost of $4,500 and then had another one done in Santiago for only $1,500,? says Susan. ?I was so pleased I then went ahead and had another two done in Santiago.?
Las Terrenas is a beach bum?s dream, but there are also plenty of excursions. ?The El Limon waterfalls, where you can swim in a natural pool, are a beautiful horseride into the hills,? says Susan, ?And from the middle of January to the middle of March you can go whale watching. There is zip lining, a Taino Indian park, and tours of coffee, cocoa and rubber plantations.?
Susan says, ?We were asked to sell our house, called Casa Pura Vida, for double what we paid. But there?s absolutely no way we would ever sell. What could be better than living in what is the very best location in the Dominican Republic, if not the world???
Lindsay de Feliz.
