Sosúa

This small community was settled during World War II by 600 Austrian and German Jewish refugees. After the war many of them returned to Europe or went to the United States, and most who remained married Dominicans. Only a few Jewish families reside in the community today, and there's only the original one-room wooden synagogue.

Sosúa is called Puerto Plata's little sister and consists of two communities—El Batey, the modern hotel and expat residential neighborhood, and Los Charamicos, the Dominican quarter—separated by a cove with one of the island's prettiest beaches. The sand is soft and the color of light amber, the water clear and calm. The walkway above the beach is packed with tents filled with souvenirs, pizzas, and even clothing for sale. The town developed a reputation for prostitution in the 1990s, but much continues to be done to eliminate that and to clean up the more garish elements.

With numerous supermarkets, banks, pharmacies, restaurants, schools, and all the necessities for day-to-day living, the town lends itself well to the expat lifestyle. Sosúa has the D.R.'s largest concentration of German residents and tourists, and it sometimes seems that you can get schnitzel here more easily than sancocho.

The up-and-coming Dominican families are coming back to the big houses on the bay, even as upscale condos and hotels are springing up to cater to higher-paying tourists. An example is Sosúa Ocean Village, a gated residential community that is destined to be the next prestigious address. On 100 acres, it's five minutes from El Centro and is filled with million-dollar beachfront homesites and resort-style amentities (Gold's Gym and Sanctuary International Day Spa); the community also has a rental pool of villas, town houses, and apartments.