I live in Costambar at the top of the hill with a view of the ocean, constant breezes and few mosquitoes. You can find my condo complex online
http://seahorsecondos.com/ You can negotiate for the rent. There are lots of good places for rent depending on your budget and needs. The little grocery store at the entrance has nearly everything you could want and there is a local pharmacy that can get whatever you need if they don't stock it. The restaurants offer good food at reasonable prices. The beach has a mix of toursits and Dominicans except on Sunday when Dominicans dominate. But I feel very safe here. It's not perfect. The Costambar Association of Property Owners (APC) does a good job with security but getting absentee owners to pay their dues is a challenge so our roads are not perfect. Still, I really like it here. You can always go to Sosua or Cabarete for a day or a night or two but being close to Puerto Plata is great and we're only about 1 1/4 hour from Santiago. PM me if you want more info... Judy