SOSUA Dominican Republic has Changed 🇩🇴 Better or Worse Now?

Posted on Author dominican 32



Cabarete Restaurant Guide 👉 Las Terrenas Restaurant Guide 👉

Sosúa has long had a complicated reputation — and for years, many travelers avoided it altogether. But things are changing fast. 👀

In this video, we head back to Sosúa, Dominican Republic to see what it’s really like now, after recent government changes aimed at cleaning up the town and reshaping its image. Sosúa is increasingly attracting families, vacationers, expats, and digital nomads, and we wanted to see firsthand how much has actually changed.

We walk around town, explore the beaches, and visit some familiar (and surprising) spots — including the brand new Hard Rock Cafe Sosúa (yes, really), one of Sosúa’s most famous beaches, and areas that feel very different from what many people remember.

In this video, we visit:
• Hard Rock Cafe Sosúa
• Playa Alicia
• Playa Sosúa (where many of the biggest changes are happening)
• Jolly Roger – a classic Canadian bar 🍁
• Leo’s Banana – an iconic beachfront restaurant with an incredible sunset view

Sosúa used to be known for its rougher side and a party-heavy reputation, but today there’s a clear effort to move toward a more relaxed, family-friendly, tourism-focused destination. Is it working? We’ll let you decide.

If you’re considering traveling to Sosúa, vacationing here, or even buying property in the Dominican Republic, this video gives you a real, current look at what Sosúa is like today — not outdated opinions from years ago.

👇 Helpful links below 👇

Recommended Realtors (Dominican Republic):

#Sosua #SosuaDR #Dominicanrepublic #DRTravel #VisitDR #NorthCoastDR #lifeinthedr

0:00 This is Sosua
3:02 Hard Rock Cafe
5:10 Playa Alicia
7:36 Real Estate and Buying
10:29 Sosua vs Cabarete
13:00 The Main Beach
19:14 Sunset Drinks
21:02 Wrap Up

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32 Replies to “SOSUA Dominican Republic has Changed 🇩🇴 Better or Worse Now?”

  3. My wife and I were there a few years ago. We were swarmed with prostitutes. It was so bad that we said we would never go back, felt dirty and gross.

    This doesn't even look like the same place

  5. Thanks so much for sharing! Love watching all your DR adventures. Currently in the Canadian Arctic (Iqaluit) 🥶but will be visiting the Dominican again in the spring.

  9. Sosua is very SLOW!!! Everything has changed and time will tell if things will get better. I am friends with a few different business owners and they all say that they are hurting because of lack of people. Those that say "things are better" are not seeing the big picture and being honest about the lack of travelers. As of the beginning of January, reservation bookings are down 16%!

  11. We’re glad to see Sosua changing for the better. Prostitution was taking over but this authorities are doing great job to bring Sosua back to become again a family place.
    Thank you Trevor and Anna for the tour, by the way that last place you guys visited is beautiful 🍻…be safe!!

  13. I visited and lived in Sosua for 6 weeks 5 years ago. It's good to see the changes!!!!! ❤
    Beautiful beaches. Amazing restaurants and affordable and relatively pretty safe place a lot of Canadians there. Check out the bar called "Finish Line" 🇨🇦

  14. Yeah, the town is changing so rapidly. The government has made it their priority to develop it. Their plan is to make it more family friendly and more luxurious. That's good, I guess, since a lot of investment is coming, but maybe real state will get expensive.

  16. That’s good to hear. I see a lot of YouTubers that are not Dominican telling people to come to the DR. Especially the passport simps who go after underage girls. If a person isn’t Dominican, they shouldn’t be inviting people to come to DR. And the dumb passport simps need to stay in their countries. That’s why they already being banned in places like Colombia and the Phillipines. Good video guys.

  18. Ho bevuto la peggiore birra della mia vita all’hard rock a sosua. Una birra alla spina vecchia senza bollicine senza schiuma. L’ho mandata indietro e ho dovuto pagarla. 🥶 Andate al ristorante toscano e al new Garden due posti che consiglio vivamente. Sì mangia benissimo 😍

  19. Hello Anna and Trevor, It is fun watching the positive way you guys dialog switching back and forth. I first traveled to Sosua (and Cabarete) in 1981/82 for Christmas/New Year winter break as a "gringo" (engineer) from Boston. So I have seen many changes from when Sosua beach had practically no businesses aside from women cooking fresh caught fish in a large pot over a three rock wood stove. In the 1970's/1980's Sosua was the weekend playground of wealthy Dominicans from Santiago and Santo Domingo. I still travel to the Municipality (Municipio) of Sosua (by the way, Cabarete also is in the "Municipality" of Sosua). The large construction at the beach is an investment by the government to move the "informal" businesses (like the one that was demolished) into a new market plaza. You were walking in the "El Batey" side of the Town of Sosua. Next time walk over to the other side of the beach to the "Los Charamicos" side of the town and have great seafood lunch with a view at: Michael's Stone: https://www.facebook.com/groups/324897304599197/posts/2335639130191661/ Maybe we will meet someday to talk about experiences. Best wishes, Richard

  20. Those are future malls and the little casitas will be torn down. The owner’s of the restaurants on the beach will then move in to the new restaurants. I think that tourism in Sosua will be booming again next year when everything is finished.

  21. Sosua is in transition and change takes time! Once the construction on the beach is completed, the tourists will return and Sosua will thrive. They plan on day trips from the port in Puerto Plata. I hope to buy something in Sosua Ocean Village in the future.

  22. The government just signed a contract with foreign investors and they are going to start to develop a project called Punta Bergantin (the new Punta Cana between playa Dorada y Sosua, closer to Playa Dorada, and Puerto Plata City). Also new developers are planning to hype Puerto Plata and Sosua, so they will make sure now to keep it clean.

  23. Im there in 38 days!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ never been to the DR or anywhere out of the USA besides Canada 🇨🇦 my hubby and son are looking forward to the food at Iberostar waves, and they are also really looking forward to the seven waterfalls and surfing. I am going to try and find someone to pick us up and take us to see the whales 🐋 lifelong dream of mine

  25. I love Sosúa! I have so many memories there from my childhood and teen years. I'm from Santo Domingo, but I used to spend every summer break in Sosúa and Cabarete. My aunt had a business and a house there—honestly, those were the best times of my life. 😀"

  26. I love you guys.. but when you go to a place to report your views on a city or place, please do research before that way people know what’s going on.. you showed the mess and the beauty without context.. but I think you guys are great

  28. As a Dominican-American I am all for the improvement of any city on the island as long as the locals are able to maintain some of their local businesses and make a decent living. Instead you see gentrification, the local businesses get pushed out and in comes the Hard Rock Café, the McDonalds, the Starbucks, Marriott, etc. They pay terrible wages because they know people are desperate for work and the government has no guidelines in terms of minimum wages. Eventually Sosúa will become a playground for the well-to-do and foreigners.

  29. The structure you saw on Sosua beach is being built at both entrances to the beach. These are commercial plazas where all the kiosks and businesses currently along the beach will be relocated. This entire area used to be a garden with camping areas; the government wants to reclaim it and regulate the sanitation and quality of businesses on the beach.

  32. Thanks for another great video! Coming to Las Terrenas in March with a few other couples, but staying at a resort this time. We will try to get off the resort a bit to check out some places to eat and enjoy the area. 2000 mile storm hitting North America today. Wish I was in the DR now!!!! Instead hunkering down in the Greater Toronto Area!

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