Las Terrenas:
A Different Sort of Beach Town
If you’re looking for high-rise all-inclusive resorts and a tropical version of America, Las Terrenas is NOT for you. We love it specifically because it is not those things. Instead, it’s a place where gorgeous beaches, a vibrant culture and people living their everyday lives co-exists. Pasolas (scooters) zip around in a frenzy and the chaos of the traffic can be dizzying. We prefer to walk as much as possible and most of the town and beach area has sidewalks. It’s small, with about 13,000 residents but amazingly multi-cultural. Dominicans, Haitians, French, Italians, Russians, Canadians, Americans and so many more all converge into this cultural and language melting pot. Spanish is most widely spoken, with French and Italian in a close 2nd and 3rd and then English. We didn’t know much Spanish when we first came but are taking lessons and it’s the kind of place where people are glad you’re making an effort.
There is no lack of space to put your towel in the sand and pop into the water – the waterfront all along Punta Popy, where our place is located, is public access and not super crowded outside of specific peak vacation weeks (Christmas and Easter). There are fantastic kite boarding and surfing schools and places to rent paddle boards. The Samana Penninsula (Las Terrenas is at the gateway to the peninsula) is a vast, green, gorgeous place with plenty of beach excursions, amazing whale watching (Jan-Mar), ATV tours and more. We’ve got recommendations for our favorite places in the Las Terrenas and Logistics tab.
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Villa Xelia has upgraded internet and our own fiber optic connection with repeaters, allowing for solid wifi connectivity throughout the villa and patio. Villas infinity also has backup power and water. This means that MOST of the time, all of those things are available. However, it is a middle income country and sometimes any one of those things may be out for a bit due to unforeseen circumstances. But the property managers are very accessible and responsive and work to get things up and running quickly.
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Infrastructure
About Xelia
Built with an indoor-outdoor living design, most of the exterior walls open wide to allow breeze to flow throughout the main level of the house and the inside and outside blend together. A beautifully lit staircase filled with local art provides a lovely transition to the upstairs. Trimmed all with local teak and coraline tile, the 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths feel private and perfect for up to 6 guests. All bedrooms have large closets, ceiling fans, screened windows and air conditioning units. The main bedroom has a king bed, a programmable safe and an ensuite bathroom. The 2nd bedroom has a queen bed that can be pushed aside to pull out a twin trundle for kids. The 3rd bedroom has a built-in desk space and is perfect as an office and exercise room. The queen bed pulls down from the wall when the room is needed for sleeping space. High quality sheets and bedding are provided for all beds.
We believe local is best whenever possible. We’ve had all of the main furniture in the house built out of local teak by local artisans. The furniture is also indoor/outdoor to resist the inevitable wetness from people wearing swimsuits in a tropical climate. The local oil paintings, macrame and other art completes the feel of a lovely, modern, local home.
Beyond the furniture and art, we’ve included other touches to make the house a home. The Italian modular kitchen is fully equipped with high quality pots, pans, cutlery, dishes and kitchen tools for most anything you’d like to make. A Weber grill stands ready on the patio to grill the fish you can pick up from the fishermen down the street. And, a bar cart on the patio is perfect for those “sundowners” around the pool. A smart TV provides plenty of entertainment options. Additionally, a small washing machine is placed under the stairs – perfect for throwing in those small loads that can be line dried. Should you need more extensive laundry facilities, many places in town pick up and drop off laundry. We can provide recommendations.
The community pool is a great place to lounge in the sun and play in the water. Xelia also has its own private plunge pool that is just the right size for a cool down plunge or float. If you’re coming from the beach, the outdoor shower is the perfect place to rinse off the sand before you dunk in the pool. Floats and quick drying large towels are available to take to the beach and pool.
*A note about small children: We LOVE kids but because of the indoor/outdoor layout of the house, we do not recommend small children who don’t know how to swim to be in the home. There is no safety barrier around the pool.
We love our home and we want it to be available for people for a long time to come. We ask that you adhere to the following:
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All guests staying at the house must provide name, contact and identification
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No more than 6 people overnight and no parties
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No smoking
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No loud music and quiet hours are observed after 10 pm
The Rules
