My scout, Oliver, has boots on the ground in the Dominican Republic…
The “DR,” as some folks call it, has emerged as a post-pandemic travel hotspot. After the Riviera Maya on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, it attracts the most tourists in the region. A record 10 million international travelers arrived in the Dominican Republic in 2023, and 2024 is on course to eclipse this number.
Most of these arrivals go to Punta Cana, easily the country’s biggest destination. Like the Riviera Maya, Punta Cana has been benefiting from a decades-long Path of Progress that began there in the late 1960s, when it was discovered by a group of investors who started acquiring and developing beachfront land.
Development is tearing ahead in the Punta Cana area now. And this is where you’ll find the vast, stunning master-planned community of Cap Cana.
Spanning 30,000 acres, Cap Cana screams out-of-this-world luxury. It has top-tier golf courses, a pristine marina, sports fishing, shopping complexes, upmarket restaurants, a hospital, and a bilingual school. And it’s just 20 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport, which has regular flights to cities across Canada and the American northeast.
This destination has immense potential. I scouted here twice last year, meeting with developers to negotiate deals for members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. I’m zeroing in on something special here.
So, I asked Oliver to follow up on my prior scouting…
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. If you have a question for Oliver while he’s scouting in the Dominican Republic, click here to let him know.
Your Own Private City on the Caribbean Sea
By Oliver Lovett
Everyone had told me Cap Cana is vast. Twice the size of Manhattan, they warned me. Despite it all I was still taken aback at how big it is.
Perhaps it’s because of all the open spaces, but at more than eight square miles, Cap Cana feels like a world onto itself…
Api Beach is just one of the postcard-perfect beaches available to owners in the vast master-planned community of Cap Cana.
Cap Cana is a master-planned community exuding luxury and exclusivity…a private city within a tropical oasis. The prices here reflect that. In parts of Cap Cana you’ll find villas listed at $5 million to $10 million and condos at $1 million and above…
One aspect of Cap Cana’s appeal is its accessibility. The drive from Punta Cana International Airport to Cap Cana is just 20 minutes.
On arrival here, I headed straight for the beach (as I imagine many people do).
I selected Api Beach and was astounded to find I had a postcard-perfect beach with calm, clear waters and pristine sand—just a few steps from a high-end beach club—completely to myself. Granted, this was a Wednesday morning, but the contrast with other, crowded Caribbean beaches I’ve visited was striking.
The beach club at Api Beach, where you can enjoy a cold drink or spot of lunch. Api Beach also had an artisanal ice cream parlor and a paddleball court. Amenities like these are dotted throughout Cap Cana, available to all Cap Cana residents and their guests.
My Airbnb was in Las Palmas, a gated community set back from the beach in Cap Cana.
Keen to explore, I took a drive to the local convenience store for supplies. It was just five minutes’ drive away and gave me a chance to scout the neighborhood. Everything was modern, well-constructed, and well-maintained.
Hedges and gardens were cut, buildings clean and freshly painted, and the roads were smooth and well signposted.
The little neighborhood was also well-appointed. I passed an Italian restaurant, two dental practices, a dog grooming business and a hardware store. Nearby there’s a church and an emergency center. I found myself thinking, not for the first time, how well thought-out Cap Cana is.
Arriving at the small convenience store I was pleased to find it had everything I needed—cold beers, sandwich ingredients and an intriguingly unlabeled fruit smoothie which looked like it had been made fresh.
Waiting at the counter for the clerk to give me change, I noticed a steel bottle opener tied to a long string by the checkout. A reminder of the island life mentality that makes the Dominican Republic so special… Why wait until you get home to open that cold beer?
It’s this blend of relaxed Caribbean living and ultra-high-end luxury that gives Cap Cana its soul.
Golfers at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada course. I’m told you have to play the course two or three times before you’re able to stop looking at the surroundings and concentrate on your shot.
Cap Cana is a golfer’s paradise. It features the Jack Nicklaus-designed Punta Espada course, which has won numerous awards since it was opened in 2006.
It’s been named the best golf course in the Caribbean and Mexico by Golfweek and the # 35 best course in the world by Golf Digest. No less an expert than Fred Couples declared it to be Jack Niklaus’ best ever course design after winning the 2010 Cap Cana Championship here.
As good as the course may be, it’s the views of the Caribbean that are the real attraction. The clubhouse benefits from sweeping views down the Caribbean coast. And some holes are so close to the ocean that golfers can feel the spray of the waves.
Walk a few steps from the clubhouse and you’re greeted with this stunning view down the coast.
Perhaps the crown jewel of Cap Cana, though, is the marina. The marina is set inland, to shelter its impressive array of yachts and super-yachts.
Many are here for the fishing. The Dominican Republic is something of a sports fishing mecca. Head out to sea and you can catch blue and white marlin, mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and more.
The area around the marina is built in a charming colonial style and the plazas are lined with boutique stores and cafés. The developer who was showing me round told me that it’s also home to some of Cap Cana’s best restaurants. She mentioned Barbudo restaurant, where I plan to eat this evening.
Cap Cana is home to a stunning marina, a lovely place for a stroll.
On my way back from the marina, I called in at Green Village, an upscale commercial area set inside Cap Cana. Inside there was an organic store selling everything from homemade soup and detergent to free range eggs.
Once again, the supermarket gave an insight into what life in Cap Cana is all about…
Walk in and you’re met with an extensive display of imported cheeses, and cured meats. Everything from blocks and wedges to whole wheels of cheese, and from all over the world.
Turn the corner and there’s row upon row of freezers stacked with fish and meat. It’s a barbecue lover’s dream. Imported steaks, ribs, pork belly, whole suckling pigs. On the shelves above were tubs of seasoning, Caribbean hot sauces, and an array of olive oils.
Many of the fish were locally caught. Whole red snappers, stared out at you, their teeth poking through the plastic wrapping.
I was left with the distinct impression that eating in Cap Cana revolves around restaurants and cookouts.
Later, after returning to my Airbnb, my suspicions were confirmed. Looking out the kitchen window I saw an outdoor patio and four huge chimneys from the four community barbecues. Nobody wants to cook indoors when the weather is this good.
The white sands and turquoise waters of Juanillo Beach in the heart of Cap Cana. You’ll find a stunning beach club here that’s open to all Cap Cana residents and their guests.
I’m excited to explore Cap Cana further…
Then Ronan’s asked me to do some more scouting in the Dominican Republic. After Cap Cana, I’ll be traveling to the beach town of Las Terrenas. I’ll send back notes on what I find…
Ronan says: On my last visit to Cap Cana I sat in a fresh, cool meeting room under a giant screen. An executive presented their mission and plans. Luxury beach and waterfront golf, a marina for mega-yachts, international schools, an eclectic mix of dining options, homes that list for $10 million-plus…
I arrived there from Cabo. It all seemed so familiar—the “Caribbean Cabo” I chuckled to myself. And then I toured the community and really felt at home…adjacent to the stunning, verdant Jack Nicklaus golf course, a new St. Regis is under construction. Seven figures for the smallest suites…
It’s just like the 5-star Quivira master-planned community where I have my Cabo condo, and where a new St. Regis is nearing completion next to the first green on our Jack Nicklaus-designed course.
As I’ve seen happen in Cabo, Cap Cana is a place the “ordinary rich” will flock to as word gets out.
The “ordinary rich” is a term I use to describe professionals…small-business owners…computer scientists, bankers, lawyers, doctors…people who earn well and can move around to some degree. Maybe it’s a few weeks…or a few months…or years…but they can take their work on the road if they want to, and a lot of them want to. Moreover, the ordinary rich are fine paying thousands of dollars a month to rent. They have the money.
At RETA, we bought ahead of their arrival en masse in Cabo. We got the type of best-in-class real estate this booming and well-off market were seeking. Only, we did it at RETA-only prices. And we’ve seen huge uplifts as a result. To give you some examples…
- $250,000 More—In August 2021, RETA members could get a penthouse in a community called Cabo Costa for $249,000. I got one. Today a penthouse in Cabo Costa lists for $499,000.
- Uplift of $212,400—In May 2022, we had a RETA deal in a best-in-class community called Monte Rocella in Cabo. I bought two condos alongside RETA members in this deal. A condo that RETA members could buy for $272,600 in May 2022 has since been listed for $485,000. That’s $212,400 more.
- Boost of $602,885—A RETA member bought a luxury villa in Copala, in the Quivira master-planned community, for $385,115 in 2017. I recently saw the same Copala villa listed for $988,000—that’s $602,885 more.
Owning in Cap Cana ahead of the ordinary rich is an incredible opportunity to replay this trend…and in a place with breathtaking natural beauty and out-of-this-world luxury.
Yet RETA members are set to get in here at prices other folks pay to own in ordinary communities and locations. Stay tuned…this opportunity is coming soon.
Your Daily Dream Home
Dordogne, Aquitaine, France
This charming house is in a small village on the banks of the Dordogne river, in the southwest of France. Nearby, there are shops, restaurants, and a golf course.
The first floor has a living room and a kitchen. The second floor has one bedroom and one bathroom. Outside, you’ll find a sizable garden and a terrace area. The house has potential to be expanded, subject to the required authorization.
Remember, we don’t make money from any listing shared here in the Your Daily Dream Home section. We have no dog in the fight. We’re just sharing cool properties we’ve found.
I haven’t visited this property or done due diligence on it. If you’re interested in the listing, you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence.
