Sánchez

What is Sánchez like?

Sánchez is one of the three municipalities of Samaná province, along with Santa Bárbara de Samaná and Las Terrenas. It lies on the south coast of the peninsula: while Las Terrenas faces the Atlantic Ocean, Sánchez looks onto Samaná Bay. Until 1996, Las Terrenas was a municipal district of Sánchez.

The town, once called Las Cañitas, is named after Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, one of the three Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. In the late 19th century, a railway linked it to La Vega, in the Cibao, and its port became one of the main ports in the country. The train stopped running in the second half of the 20th century and the port lost its importance. From that era remain old wooden houses in a so-called Victorian style and the railway ruins at the old port.

According to the town hall, farming and fishing are the municipality's main activities. The Ministry of Tourism calls Sánchez "la capital del camarón" (the shrimp capital), and in 2023 the Port Authority opened a tourist and fishing pier there.

What kind of property is there?

• Houses in town and in the surrounding area.
• Land in the surrounding area.
• A few apartment buildings or commercial units in town.

The agency works mainly in Las Terrenas; any Sánchez properties we have on our books appear under properties for sale. If you do not see what you are looking for, ask us.

How do you get there from Las Terrenas?

By the road that crosses the mountains in the interior of the peninsula. Law 18-96, which made Las Terrenas a municipality, puts it about 16 km from Sánchez; Wikivoyage speaks of 17 km of winding road. The road is narrow, with signs banning heavy trucks; residents have complained in the press about more truck traffic and the risk of accidents. Check road conditions before you set off.

Sánchez is also on the coastal road from Nagua to Samaná, rehabilitated as part of the Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico, a toll road opened in 2011 that also links Las Terrenas to Majagual, near El Catey International Airport, which lies about 8 km west of Sánchez.

Who is Sánchez for?

• People who want to live in a real Dominican town, centered on fishing, farming and the bay.
• People who want El Catey International Airport close by.
• Primary-home projects or building on a plot of land, not far from Las Terrenas.

What should you check before buying in Sánchez?

1. Title and legal status, as with any purchase: certificate of title, deslinde (survey) and no liens.
2. The coastal strip along the bay: the law places a 60-meter strip from the high-water line in the public domain, where building is in principle not allowed.
3. Land use: agricultural land cannot always be built on; ask the municipality and, near rivers, mangroves or protected areas such as Parque Nacional Manglares del Bajo Yuna, the Ministry of the Environment.
4. Access and utilities (water, electricity, internet) at the exact address.

Torn between Las Terrenas and Sánchez? Message us on WhatsApp and we will explain the differences for your project. See also our overview of all neighborhoods.