Las Galeras Development Land

Owning Land at Las Galeras

Las Galeras is the small fishing village at the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, reached via El Catey International (AZS), about 45–60 minutes away, or Punta Cana International (PUJ), roughly 3 hours. It's the last real town before the coast turns undeveloped — meaning basic services (groceries, a clinic, restaurants) are close, while the beaches and land beyond stay quiet.

At 5 hectares, this parcel supports a genuine eco-resort or boutique hotel development rather than a single home, and its location puts it within reach of three beaches plus Los Haitises National Park for excursions. Whale-watching season (January–March) is the area's single biggest visitor draw, followed by snorkeling and hiking.

Buying Land in the Dominican Republic — What to Expect

Foreign nationals can buy and hold land in the Dominican Republic with the same property rights as Dominican citizens — there's no restriction on foreign ownership. For a hospitality-scale development like this, most buyers set up a Dominican SRL for liability and tax planning, though it isn't legally required. The standard process runs in four steps:

1. Title and due diligence — title is verified at the Jurisdicción Inmobiliaria, and for hospitality-scale parcels we also review zoning and tourism-incentive eligibility (Law 158-01) upfront.
2. Promise of sale — a contrato de promesa de venta is signed, typically with a 10% deposit held until closing.
3. Notarization and transfer — a Dominican notario público certifies the deed transfer. Transfer tax (3% of registered value) and legal fees (roughly 1–2%) are paid at this stage.
4. Registration — the new title is registered at the Registro de Títulos, usually within 4–8 weeks.

We work with the same lawyers and notaries we'd use for our own family's transactions, and can introduce you to the tourism-incentive framework that many boutique hotel projects in this area use to offset construction costs.

Frequently Asked Questions