Services

Cooking/Cleaning/Laundry

We have a woman on staff who takes care of cooking, cleaning, and laundry.  She is a gem! She cooks lunch and dinner, keeps the house clean during your stay, and does laundry. 

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Full linens are provided and will be fresh when you check in.  Bath and beach towels are provided.  Basic soap and shampoo are provided. 

 

Groceries/Meals

At the house we have lunch and dinner menus available (you can opt for a brunch and an early dinner if that suits you more)  You, the renter, are responsible for the cost of all groceries.

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There are a couple large grocery stores in Las Terrenas where you can get breakfast foods, snacks, etc or there are smaller shops along the streets where you can buy from locals.  There is a small bodega within walking distance from the house where you can get limited supplies.  The grocery stores and local bodega take cash or credit cards.

 

Almost daily a local baker on a motorcycle will stop in front of the house typically in the mid morning and beep his horn.  He is selling fresh bread.  Many of us very much enjoy the bread with sugar (azucar).  He will give you a sample if you go out to meet him then you can buy what you want.  ENJOY!
 

Security

The house is in a gated community with security but there is an option for a security guard to stay on the property at night for an additional fee.  He arrives at 6pm and leaves at 6am. 

 

We do have security cameras on the exterior of the property.  There are NO CAMERAS on the inside of the property only on the exterior.   These cameras are to assist our efforts in securing and monitoring the house.  
 

Groundskeeping/Maintenance/Excursion Guide

Our house caretaker / groundskeeper / maintenance guy and is also available as a guide on excursions if you desire.  He will be around the house daily if there are any maintenance related issues.  He can also bring the chairs to the beach for you; coordinate 4 wheeler rentals for you and honestly just about anything you can think of he can set up.  We suggest you use excursion providers recommended by the staff.  This will provide the best experiences and results. 

 

Area Activities

There is a lot to do in Las Terrenas and the surrounding towns!  

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Mountain biking -- Louise and Riza -- 1 809 517 5722 – mtbvacationsdr.com

Surfing - Johan at Surf Pirata -- 1 829 410 4949 – piratasurfschool.com

Ziplining - Samana zipline – 1 829 542 3005 – samanatreetopzipline.com

Whale Watching - Ask Julio

Waterfall horseback / or hike - Ask Julio

Cayo Levantado (Bacardi Island) Day Trip - http://golasterrenas-dominicanrepublic.com/attractions-activities-what-to-do-see-in-samana-cayo-levantado-bacardi-island.html

Los Haitises National Park, Samana Bay - Day Trip - http://golasterrenas-dominicanrepublic.com/attractions-activities-what-to-do-see-in-samana-los-haitises-national-park.html

Restaurants - Las Terrenas 

Shopping -- Las Terrenas

Kite surfing (just down our beach)  You can ask for Kinito ( 1 829 404 8743)

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For more information on Las Terrenas: http://golasterrenas-dominicanrepublic.com/index.html

 

Beach

Portillo beach is 150 meters (one minute walk) from the house.  There is a picnic table at the beach for the use of guests staying at Casa del Mar.  Our table has our house name on it.  We have a table umbrella, paddleboards, masks and snorkels and a few other options for fun at the beach at the house.  If you are going to go for a walk down the beach, we recommend not to leave any valuable items unattended.  We have white beach chairs at the beach that say Casa del Mar at the top. The code to unlock the chairs is 2021. There are additional chairs at the house that Julio can bring to the beach for you if you need more. Just let Yisel know and she will coordinate with Julio. There are also basic folding beach chairs at the house you can bring with you.  Do not leave those there overnight.  Our beach is relatively calm as the waves break on the reef and therefore it is great for swimming for children. However other beaches in the area may have strong currents.  We suggest using caution when visiting other area beaches to be aware of dangerous currents.

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Language

Spanish is the official language of the D.R. however you will find many do speak some English.  With that said if you don’t know Spanish and no one in your group does you will need to use your phone and Google translator.  The cook/housekeeper does not speak English so the best way to communicate with her is through “Whatsapp” and Google Translate.

 

Phone Service and Texting

Most main US providers (Verizon, AT&T etc.) will offer a $10 per day service in the D.R.  When you land your phone will automatically see that you are in a country and usually send you a text to offer you daily service.  However the house has WiFi that you can use so you don’t have to pay the $10 a day unless you want phone service as you travel from the house.

 

Internet/WiFi

We have high speed Fios Internet/WiFi at the house. 

 

Power & Air Conditioning

The house has air conditioning in the bedrooms.  We request this is only used at night as the electric rates in the Dominican are very high.  Electric service is also known to go on and off occasionally.  Most of these outages are only 5 minutes but occasionally there will be prolonged power outages, but these are unlikely.  We do have a battery backup which will run the lights, fans and fridge but will NOT run the air conditioning.  Cooking is from propane so don’t worry, food is still served!  The battery backup will usually last 6 to 10 hours depending on use.

 

TRAVEL to the Dominican Republic

You will need a valid passport from your country to travel to the Dominican Republic.

 

Airports

Las Americas International Airport- SDQ- Santo Domingo - 2.5 hour drive from Santo Domingo to the house.  We do have a taxi driver available for $180 one way (up to 6 people).  Larger groups can be accommodated by the taxi for an additional fee.  Rental car options are available at the airport as well if you choose to brave the Dominican roads.  

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Samana El Catey International Airport- AZS - El Catey- 40 minute drive from El Catey to the house.  This is the closest airport option by far but there are very few flights to this airport from the US.  American Airlines typically has a flight on Wednesday and Saturday from Miami or Charlotte.  Taxi fee is typically $70 for up to 6 people. This flight is seasonal so in the winter months is more available and they typically don’t fly this route from Sept. to December.

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Aeropuerto Internacional del Cibao- STI- Santiago- 3 hour 10 minute drive from Santiago to the house.  We do not have a taxi driver available from Santiago airport.  Rental car options available at the airport.  

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Punta Cana International Airport- PUJ- Punta Cana- 4 hour drive from Punta Cana to the house.  We do not have a taxi driver available from Punta Cana airport.  Rental car options available at the airport. 

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Flight Costs

We strongly recommend that you purchase plane tickets at least 4 months ahead of time.

 

Flight costs can vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year and when you order.  Recently flight prices have been highly variable.  Typically a direct round trip from NYC to SDQ is $400-$500.  If you see it for less than $500 we would recommend you purchase it.  Sometimes you will pay nearly $1,000 round trip out of NYC for holiday travel.

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Car Rentals and Taxis

You can rent a car at the airport and drive on Dominican roads with a US license.  Driving in the Dominican is not for the faint at heart!  We suggest getting a taxi from the airport for 2 reasons.  First the taxi brings you right to the house so you don’t have to worry about finding the house.  Secondly, after traveling, not having to drive 2+ hours is nice.  You can sit back and enjoy the Dominican views!  Also renting cars at the airport is time consuming (waiting in line) and in my experience costs more per day. 

 

You can rent a car in Las Terrenas (near the house) for around $50 a day depending on the size of the car (additional information on this below).  Also by taking a taxi you save 2 days of car rentals as you don’t need to rent the day you arrive or leave since you have a taxi. If you don’t want to rent a car you can just use the taxi as needed.  We have a great taxi guy that we recommend directly and he  will be happy to serve you as needed.  If you plan on traveling around, having a car is convenient.  If you plan on spending most of your time at the beach or at the house you can just taxi when needed.  You can also opt to rent the house scooters for the week or rent local “motoconchos” which are basically motorcycle taxis that you hop on the back.  This is an EXPERIENCE in and of itself.  

 

Scooter Rentals

Three scooters are available on-site at Casa del Mar and can be rented for your stay.

 

Currency

Dominican Pesos are the local currency and it’s not a bad idea to have some on you for small purchases.  However US dollars are basically accepted everywhere and the exchange rate you get on the street is better than what you get at any bank in the U.S. or the D.R.  Most restaurants and many businesses will accept normal credit cards (as well as the supermarket) but small street shops are better to be cash.  The exchange rate as of March 2024 is $1 USD to $59 D.R. Pesos.

 

Pedestrian Safety

It is very important to know that in the D.R. pedestrians do NOT get the right of way.  In our neighborhood this is not a concern as there is very little traffic but if you go into Las Terrenas or other local busy towns please use extreme caution and if walking with kids use even more caution.