Grand Bahia Principe El Portillo

Las Terrenas grew as a fishing village on the Samaná peninsula, and El Portillo sits right along its shoreline, on one of the widest beaches in the area. The resort holds 606 rooms and suites, each with a private balcony, a minibar and satellite television, laid out through gardens that run down to the sand. It is a large property, but it reads as a working stretch of coast rather than a walled-off compound. Rooms range from simple doubles to multi-bed suites with a separate sitting area, built for families or larger groups travelling together. The beach itself is broad and calm, with soft sand and shallow water close to shore. Coral reefs lie within reach for snorkelling, and kayaks go out from the same stretch of sand where children run in and out of the water park. A sports centre, gym and amphitheatre round out the grounds, along with several restaurants under the all-inclusive plan. You can hear the sea before you see it, guests say, from rooms set nearest the shore. Las Terrenas itself, with its market stalls and harbour life, is a short walk from the resort gate, giving guests a choice between staying put and stepping out. Check-in follows standard resort hours. The pace here is unhurried, built around beach time, pools and the daily rhythm of a village that has not stopped being one.