Cabrera

Cabrera, Abreu, Rio San Juan, and the Playa Grande area are largely unspoiled and pristine coastal areas. There's a raw beauty, with some beaches that are still completely undeveloped, soaring cliffs overlooking pounding ocean waves, and towering inland hills with sweeping vistas not seen elsewhere on the island. In addition, there are some of the most luxurious villa choices in the country. These high-end holiday homes are far away from the action and the negativos of Sosúa and Cabarete and will appeal primarily to those who wish to avoid the sometimes raucous nightlife scene in both Sosúa and Cabarete. Still, it's just an hour's drive to the east over a well-paved highway, making day trips a possibility. This area will appeal to a more moneyed crowd—baby boomers for the most part—who want a more relaxed, higher-quality lifestyle.

Though originally thought of as remote, this area is now booming. It has come full circle from being out in the campo (country), when most of the land was still held in small, family-owned farms, mainly a cattle-raising area. Now tucked into the pastoral landscapes and oceanfront vegetation are some of the most exclusive gated communities in the country.

Yet Cabrera itself is still a sleepy, dusty Dominican town centered on its central square, which is remarkably clean. Tourists can safely mingle with townies in the park and can stop for a drink at one of the adjacent restaurants like the thatched-roof Town Square Bar. In a land of warm, friendly people, Cabrerans are among the sweetest. Nearly 50 local and expat children now attend the new International Academy here, soon to expand to a secondary school.

Until recently, the area was very limited as far as such essentials as supermarkets, mainly just little local colmados (grocery stores) and farm stands on the Cabrera Road. Now, you can shop in the large, new Supermarket Ahorra on Calle Marie Gomez.

People now come to swim and sun, this stretch of the North Coast being famous for its fine beaches such as Playa Precioso and Playa Grande. And they come for the golf at the Playa Grande Golf Course, a famous Robert Trent Jones Jr. But you don't come here for sights because there aren't any; and other than the beaches and golf courses, you won't even find many activities, just beautiful surf and sand and lots of sun.