At Casa Dominicana, there comes a time when a trip to the Dominican Republic is essential. Despite having an office on site and Leszek Gimel overseeing operations in the Dominican Republic, we decided to visit our little paradise. Our plans included establishing relationships with new developers, maintaining contact with existing ones, and visiting properties purchased by our clients. Exploring the island was also part of our agenda. We enjoy presenting you with insights that go beyond what can be read in guidebooks or seen online.
For business and organizational reasons, we landed in Puerto Plata. An early morning flight from Warsaw allowed us to sleep through most of the journey. Consequently, we woke up as we landed at Gregorio Luperón Airport at noon. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the wonderfully scorching sun, as always. After exiting the terminal, a familiar face from the car rental company was already waiting for us (if anyone is looking to rent a car from point A and return it at point B, please contact us). After completing all formalities, we headed to a house we had rented earlier in the western part of Puerto Plata (you often ask us how we travel and where we stay, knowing the Dominican Republic inside out, and it’s simply like any tourist curious about new places… we use popular services like AirBnb or Booking).
To our surprise, the owner turned out to be a real estate agent. Later that same day, we had the opportunity to view a beautiful property on a hill, consisting of two houses. One of them featured a large terrace with a magnificent ocean view. As I mentioned earlier, despite working in and with the Dominican Republic daily, new places continually surprise us with their beauty.
The next day, we had a meeting scheduled with a Polish developer. He is constructing Phase I, comprising several dozen apartments with ocean views. Two more phases are planned. These will be CONDO-style apartments, where the buyer has access to the apartment for two weeks, and for the remaining time, it is managed by the developer. This business model should be considered an investment product. However, the developer is not limited to this business model and also offers the option to purchase a property for personal residence.
For the following days, we planned a drive along the northern coast. This way, we aimed to get to know towns such as Sosua, Cabarete, and Cabrera better. Seeing how many expats have decided to settle here, it is safe to say that this region of the island is ideal for permanent residence in the Dominican Republic. Prices here are lower than on the eastern coast, but properties do not have the same potential as in the Punta Cana region. There are simply fewer tourists here. However, this does not detract from beautiful places like Playa Grande, Playa Cabarete, Playa Sosua. The region also boasts wonderful spots such as the piscina natural in Rio San Juan or the wild Playa Bretón.
The next region we wanted to visit was the Samaná Peninsula. This wild part of the country is a paradise for nature lovers. It is also an excellent investment location, where plots of land on the first coastline can be purchased. We also learned that this area will see many interesting investments and road infrastructure development in the near future.
During our trip around the peninsula, visits to its paradisiacal beaches were a must. They make an incredible impression. At Playa El Valle, persistent individuals who traverse the rocky section washed by the ocean will have the chance to admire turtles. A place that made a huge impression on us was Playa Frontón. The best way to reach it is by boat departing from Las Galeras. The ocean was quite rough during our trip, allowing our guide to showcase extraordinary boat handling skills. One of the wilder beaches, where it is difficult to encounter people, is Playa Lanza del Norte. Being there, I felt like a castaway.
More touristy, but excellent for walks, is Playa Cosón, where a river of the same name is located. It looks different every day due to waves flowing into the river and meandering water. I must also mention the beautiful view of Scotch Bay (Bahia Esocesa) here. It can be admired while driving on road 133 towards Las Terrenas. A little earlier, driving uphill along the same road, there is a cave that can be entered.
Returning to properties, a very interesting project we can offer our clients is located in Santa Barbara de Samana. This project is similar to the one in Puerto Plata. Most apartments in Phase I are CONDO-style, where we entrust our apartment to the developer. Phases II and III were built for individuals wishing to purchase an apartment for themselves. The project itself offers a magnificent view of the bay. One of the amenities is a rooftop pool with a bar, where breathtaking sunsets can be admired.
Our next stop was the southeastern part of the island, specifically Bayahibe and its surroundings. Here, we checked the status of ongoing investments purchased by our clients, among other things. As part of the commitments outlined in our client agreements, we conduct regular visits to the investments. We meet with the construction manager, take photos, shoot videos, and inquire about all necessary and current information regarding the progress of works.
To better understand the products we offer, whenever possible during our trips to the Dominican Republic, we try to rent apartments in the developments that we later offer to our clients in Poland. Once again, we were convinced that our clients would be satisfied with the product we proposed to them. While on site, we established contact with another developer who is building nearby. This is a very interesting project because, despite the lack of a beach, the rocky coastline has been developed. It has an incredible atmosphere. The developer ensured that villa and apartment owners could use the seaside restaurant, swimming pools, and gentle stair access directly to the water.
During our stay in Bayahibe, we accepted an invitation to the most luxurious residential community in the Dominican Republic – Casa de Campo. Wanting to organize golf trips, we wanted to experience the resort firsthand. The hotel and golf infrastructure here are world-class. Over 200 horses are available to guests. The area can be explored on horseback. Additionally, there is a modern shooting range and kayaking trips are organized on the Chavón River, where the movie “Rambo” was filmed. This is just a fraction of the amenities this resort has to offer.
The following days were planned for visits to Santo Domingo. On behalf of the Polish-Dominican Chamber of Commerce, we organized numerous meetings, including at the ProDominicana Investment and Export Center, the Ministry of Health, the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce, and the Free Trade Zones Council. The visit to Santo Domingo concluded with our presentation during the economic seminar organized by the Polish Embassy in Panama.
The last stop of our trip was Bavaro, the most tourist-oriented town in the Dominican Republic. This is where we recommend purchasing an apartment primarily as an investment. Although the Punta Cana, Bavaro, and Cap Cana region is full of permanent residents, it is primarily the largest tourist region in the country. The city is constantly developing, with many new investments emerging, and consequently, a large number of high-quality restaurants. It was certainly an interesting experience to see Bavaro during two periods – during the “pandemic” and at the peak of the season. It was a completely different place, although both versions had their charm. I will try to describe this in the next blog post.
In summary of our trip, we managed to see over 10 investments in total, which significantly expand the portfolio of properties we can now offer you, dear clients, with even greater confidence. We also had the honor of representing Poland at an economic seminar organized by the Polish Embassy. Casa Dominicana is, as you know, a founding member of the Polish-Dominican Chamber of Commerce, and we are always eager to discuss the developing cooperation between our countries. I spoke to the attendees about Poland and the immense advantages of importing our products. Immediately after the meeting, we established cooperation with Dominican entrepreneurs. There is certainly great interest in the Polish market and what Poles can offer.
The Dominican Republic has many beautiful places, and we discovered them for you with true delight. We are a little envious of all our clients who, thanks to us, also have their home in the Dominican Republic and can admire its charms every day.
If you would like to learn more about the real estate market in the Dominican Republic, we invite you to an open meeting that will take place on February 3rd in Warsaw at 3:00 PM at Okopowa 59 Street.
Link to the Facebook event —> https://fb.me/e/22cDwmz7i
Link to the LinkedIn event —> https://www.linkedin.com/events/6877175372744560640/about/
Jędrzej Pacak
