Las Terrenas

From Sánchez to Las Terrenas

The history of a little Dominican fisherman village

From Sánchez, the rise of the mountain towards Las Terrenas is rough. And on the mountain top, a breathtaking panorama offers itself to your eyes, from Cabo Cabrón to Cabo Francés, a huge bay of deep blue-green waters, edged by beaches planted by coconut trees.

Don’t hesitate to stop a little bit. Then you’ll understand why the Tainos indians choose to establish in the region and why, some centuries later, French ones, highlanders for the majority, tired of the eternal snows put down their bags in this little earth paradise, nook and built their shanties there. Rapidly, they made emulators and bit by bit, little hotels rise out, as well as restaurants, bars, shops. Quickly Belgians, Swiss, people of Quebec , met them, and nowadays they are more than 2000 French-speaking and the French School count with more than 120 children… It’s far away the time of the little fishing village, cut away from the world, when the track that joins it to Sánchez (tarred only since 1989), was impracticable.

Today, Las Terrenas is a resort town that can satisfy as well those who want to share family vacations as those who like to party with friends, as well sportsman as those who want to relax, as well the « sea and sun » followers as the backpacker…

Las Terrenas is a horizontal village, nestled between coconut trees , that have benefit of the most seducing country wild beaches, with a life style both nonchalant and active. A very particular atmosphere floats on the village, which insinuates itself very subtly. You feel good; it’s good to live there. A kind of an aside planet.

We feel a harmony, a true osmosis, let’s say the word, between the Dominican people and the little European community.  It’s that the new conquistadors (at least the majority of them) do not look at all like the Christopher Columbus wild comrades; them, what they wanted more than anything was to enjoy life and enchantress nature. The Europeans brought with them their organization sense, their proceeding genius, and their modernity. In exchange, they received from Dominicans their enjoying life art cultivating nonchalance and dilettantism. And everyone is satisfied. And it’s true that in Las Terrenas, it’s surprising to see this harmony between the two communities.

Well, let’s stop dreaming, not everything is perfect, here or everywhere else. At night in the Fishermen Village (it’s still called that way…), you will feel that you are in Saint Tropez. And you will maybe think that you didn’t made 8000km for this. But if you are tired of hearing speaking French, climb back the calle Duarte; beyond the calle Mella, there, you’ll be in Dominican Republic.

(Extract from the « Guide du Routard »)