Whether you're considering living in the Dominican Republic full- or part-time, this beautiful country boasts the Caribbean's largest city, Santo Domingo, virgin beaches in Barahona, yachting enclaves on both the north and south coasts and the bustling resort town, Punta Cana. Expats in the Dominican Republic share their favorite places to live.
With hundreds of miles of coastline and dozens of cities with populations over 20,000, deciding where to live in the Dominican Republic can take time. Here are the 8 best places to live in the Dominican Republic according to expats, retirees and digital nomads.
Playa Dominicus
Playa Dominicus (Dominicus Beach) in Bayahibe is about 30 minutes from La Romana. The iconic black-and-white striped lighthouse pictured above is actually a beachfront bar. "I love the location because Dominicus is small, has beach and diving, my condo has security and private beach club. Only a 15 to 20 minute drive to Casa de Campo," wrote one expat in Dominicus. Bayahibe Beach is also nearby and has a very similar feel. Boats and tours traveling to Catalina Island leave from Bayahibe Beach.
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Casa de Campo
"I have lived in Casa de Campo 5-6 months per year for the past 4 years and visited C de C for the past 30 years. On the southeast coast, Casa de Campo is a wonderful location, but probably one of the most expensive places (exception may be in the city of La Romana)," wrote one member. According to Wikipedia, Casa de Campo is a 7,000 acre resort developed in 1975 by Gulf + Western. With over 2,000 high-end private villas, 3 golf courses (including the famous Teeth of the Dog course from Pete Dye), a marina, restaurants and more. The resort currently has homes for sale ranging from $440,000 to $30,000,000 and has numerous famous residents and guests. For some expats, this upscale, country-club environment is the perfect fit. Casa de Campo is located outside of the city of La Romana, which has a population of approximately 130,000.
Juan Dolio
"We love living in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic. The people here are warm, friendly and welcoming. There are many different ethnic restaurants. The seafood is good, particularly from fish markets. Driving is like any developing country, challenging.... The cost of living here is less than in the US or Europe, but not so low as in SE Asia, for example. Travel to and from the US is economical and not too tiring, as we are 2-3 hours from the East Coast," wrote one expat. Juan Dolio is a small coastal town on the Caribbean ocean with a population of approximately 2,500 residents(Ref: Wikipedia). Metro Golf and Country Club is located in Juan Dolio and Guavaberry Country Club is just outside of town. Both golf courses have homes and villas located on their golf courses - Guavaberry has it's own beach club. "We have been living in Casa del Lago in Guavaberry Golf for the past 2 years. It is gated and quite safe. We are about 10 minutes from the beach in the little village of Juan Dolio. Our ownership in Guavaberry provides us with a non-golfing membership and use of the beach club. We love our location, about a half hour from Santo Domingo and 20 minutes from San Pedro," added another expat.
