Las Terrenas

**Las Terrenas** (*English: "Dirt"*) is a town in the Dominican Republic's Samaná Province. It is notable for its miles of beautiful, golden sand public beaches, combining a modest but full-service tourist infrastructure with an authentic Dominican town. The population was 18,829 at the 2015 census.

### Region

Cibao NE
Samaná Province

### Distance to:

SF de Macorís: 40 km (*25 mi.*)Santo Domingo: 155 km (*96 mi.*)

## About

Las Terrenas, one of the three municipalities in the Samaná Province, is located on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Its name originates from the French *"La Terrienne"* which means *"The Landlord"*.

It was founded in 1946 as part of the plan of the tyrant Rafael Leonidas Trujillo to relocate the rural inhabitants of Santo Domingo.

## History

Las Terranas began as a small fishing village isolated from the rest of the country, but over the years this town has slowly transformed into one of the main tourist destinations on the island, known for its picturesque landscapes, white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

Its attractions include the 18 kilometers (*11 miles*) of beach where you can enjoy a wide variety of water activities.

Tourism in this municipality is constantly growing due to national and international investments that have led to the construction of several hotels, shopping centers, bars and restaurants.

The construction of the new Santo Domingo-Samaná highway and the El Catey International Airport ( Presidente Juan Bosch ) has improved access to this northeastern region and has also benefited the popularity of Las Terrenas with foreign and local visitors.

Las Terrenas also has a wikivoyage page that goes into more detail about its role in the tourism industry.

## Geography

Las Terrenas is located at 19.2993° N, 69.5559° W. According to the ONE, the municipality has a total land area of 104.35 square kilometers (40.29 square miles). It is bordered on the east by the city of Santa Bárbara de Samaná, on the south and west by the town of Sánchez, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean.

## Economy

It is known for its high rate of tourism and for its white sand beaches and clear waters. Among the most frequented visitors in the area are Europeans; Mostly of Spanish, Italian, French and German nationality. One of the most well-known towns or community in the town is the fishing village. Its name is due to the fact that previously said town was mostly populated by fishermen. Among the best known beaches are Las Terrenas Beach, Punta Poppy Beach, Coson Beach, Bonita Beach and Las Ballenas. Tourism in this region is constantly growing due to investment in tourist buildings such as hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and shopping malls.

### Transport

Since the completion of the new highway between Santo Domingo and Samaná, people from SD have started arriving more frequently. The journey takes 2 hours from the center of the municipality to the center of Santo Domingo. In addition, the new El Catey airport is open to international flights, mainly for connections with Europe and Canada.

In March 2012 the new part of the highway between El Catey and Las Terrenas was also completed. In fact, all roads are paved.

### Others

The secondary activities of the municipality are fishing and commerce focused on tourism.

The municipality developed a new aqueduct that is ready and working as of 2013. In addition, in 2012 it saw a new fiber optic Internet / TV / telephone system installed that has progressively improved communications and network connection.