Recently, someone asked me via instagram which city in the Dominican Republic I like the most. This is a very difficult question to answer because each city has something that makes it special and also because I have not visited all of the major cities here in the Dominican Republic.
So far I have only been to Santo Domingo, Las Terrenas, Santiago and now I am currently in Sosua. But up to this point I would say Las Terrenas and Sosua are my favorites.
Even though they are both small beach towns they are completely different in many ways but the differences that stand out to me the most relate to the architecture, energy/vibe, and the demographics.
Architecture
When you walk through the main strip of Las Terrenas you can see a plaza that is in the design of a cruise ship, a newly renovated playground for children and an incredible boardwalk that stretches from Playa Las Terrenas all the way to the beginning of Punta Popy.
Overall it is very noticeable that the city designers of Las Terrenas care about the way their town looks and are always actively trying to make improvements.
On the other hand, in Sosua it seems like someone wanted to make a grimy version of Ocean Drive which would be Pedro Clisante and then just haphazardly built around that. Here you can find some abandon buildings, demolished venues and other eyesores on the main strip of Sosua.
Energy and Vibe
Imagine sitting down on the beach by yourself or with a significant other and feeling a nice breeze as you watch one of the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen. Now imagine doing that every late afternoon you are in Las Terrenas. If that sounds enjoyable and like a good time for you then I would definitely suggest Las Terrenas to you.
But if you like feeling the pulse of a vibrant town, people watching and ending wild nights with a beauty you may or may not know in the morning then I would suggest Sosua.
While I was in Las Terrenas I saw a lot of foreigners complain in facebook groups that there wasn't enough to do or that it became very boring.
Las Terrenas has bars and a few dance clubs, but in general it's not the best place to be a single male. You can find some fun night activities to get into, but it's not always easy or a guarantee.
Sosua is much more attractive as it relates to entertainment and being able to find a good time. Obviously if you are willing to pay a price you can also find some very physically attractive ladies to accompany you throughout the evening as well.
Demographics
As it relates to the demographics of foreigners and tourists in Las Terrenas you will find a lot of Europeans from all over Europe, but especially from France and Italy. Also there is a large contention of Canadian immigrants and tourists in Las Terrenas.
Sometimes living in Las Terrenas felt like being in one large senior home, because most of the expats there were middle aged or older. Obviously there are young people there as well, but overall the vibe in Las Terrenas is not youthful.
On the flip side, the demographics in Sosua are a little bit more American and much browner. I see a lot of African- Americans here in Sosua. Also just from the walking street I hear much more English spoken from caucasians.
In general most of the expats and tourists are middle aged and up, but there is definitely a higher amount of twenty and thirty year olds visiting Sosua, which I think adds to the vibrancy of the town.
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