Villa El Secreto has been one of my favorite VRBOs EVER! Bibi was awesome about communicating with us; including giving me a heads up that the day of arrival was a national holiday, so we should be prepared for beach traffic. (There was traffic!) But, then we turned down this little side street and all the hustle and bustle faded away. The pictures of the property are lovely, but they don't quite capture the vibe of being there. Drinking coffee every morning on the terrace, is an amazing way to start your day. We had rented a small SUV to get from Punta Cana to Las Terrenas (via Santo Domingo for a day). While driving took some initial adjustments, I'm glad we did, as we were able to do day trips outside of Las Terrenas and hall around our groceries. There was plenty of space for the vehicle in the car port. That being said, two of the days we spent in Las Terrenas, we just walked down the street to Las Bellenas beach and that was all we needed. Getting to town would be a little bit of a hike, but you could walk down to the beach road and easily catch a moto for about 100$ pesos per person. You can tell that Jose and Bibi have very high standards for their home. It was appreciated. The kitchen was well equipped and we were able to cook many of our meals at home. Besides the mosquitos (which Bibi warned us were prevalent), we didn't encounter any creepy, crawly critters. We did have an issue with the a/c in the smaller house (pretty sure it was user error) and they sent Kelvin over right away to deal with it. And, because it was January, we hardly even used it. If you have never been to the Dominican Republic before, I encourage you to get out and explore the region. My daughter is living and working in Samana, so we meandered our way through the mountains and went whale watching in Samana Bay. Hump back whales migrate to Samana Bay between January 15 and the end of March. I highly recommend using Whale Samana as the guides. The owner, Kim, is a researcher so when you are out on the boat you learn a lot about hump back whales and she is extremely conscientious about not interfering with their natural environment/patterns. (We noticed some of the other tour boats kind of following Kim's boat around so they could site the whales as well.) I can't say enough about our trip and our stay at Villa El Secreto. Can't wait to go back!

For a first visit into the area, the surroundings seemed idyllic with miles of coconut and palm lined beaches, numerous restaurants and bars, and an access road with lots of foot traffic. There is easy access to moped rentals, grocery stores, and most other incidentals within walking distance. The place itself is uniquely accommodating with a separate fully equipped cabana for another couple apart from the main house. The main house has three beds in two rooms. We had amazing communication and assistance from Nora and her property manager Kelvin.

For a first visit into the area, the surroundings seemed idyllic with miles of coconut and palm lined beaches, numerous restaurants and bars, and an access road with lots of foot traffic. There is easy access to moped rentals, grocery stores, and most other incidentals within walking distance. The place itself is uniquely accommodating with a separate fully equipped cabana for another couple apart from the main house. The main house has three beds in two rooms. We had amazing communication and assistance from Nora and her property manager Kelvin.

This home was absolutely stunning and the surrounding beaches couldn't be more relaxing. Though our vacation got cut short, Beatrice was fantastic to work with and incredibly responsive. From making sure that we were comfortable when we arrived to helping us secure a Covid test before leaving early, we were sad to leave. The only tips that I could offer for future guests is to be sure to have a SIM card for your phone so that it works in another country and also have someone with you that can easily communicate with the locals. My husband and I are not fluent (but were inspired to be during this trip!) and found the language barrier to be tough at times. All-in-all, Las Terrenas is beautiful and is a must see!

"El Secreto" is as advertised. Once you get through town, down the small streets and behind the metal gate you find a secluded cottage with beautiful gardens and pool. We found it very relaxing in the morning with a cup of coffee watching the hummingbirds, and others go by. We didn't use the guest cottage but it is very nice if you had extra guests. Walking to town is a bit of a hike but the 5 minute walk to the beaches are worth it. Must go down to the Eden Bar at the end of the street for drinks, food and the sunset! We hope to come back one day.

I’m going back soon

Very cozy very quiet, beautiful and very organized etc we would go back again

This property is a nice place to have fun with your family and has everything you need, has an excellent location near to the playa las ballenas and the concierge is very diligent and helpful.

This property is exactly as advertised. We were very pleased.

We loved the time we spent in Las Terrenas and at El Secreto! It was private, relaxing and beautiful! Loved the proximity to everything as well as the open communication from Bibi and Kelvin as well...although we need to learn a little more Spanish. Thank goodness for google translator Can not wait to return! Would definitely rent this villa again for me and my husband’s quiet get away as well as for our family time! Thanks Bibi

It was a beautiful place. Clean house and a short walk to the beach. We really enjoyed our time there.

It was all good! Walk to the beach only 7 min. For an older lady..like me. Villa well furnished..only the TV has a bad temper.... Nice outdoor shower, comfy lounch chairs. Loved all the blooming Bushes and the humming birds, very relaxing after the beach..w a drink!

Amazing house, beautiful pool, in a gorgeous location. El Secreto is a hidden gem. The owners are super responsive and helpful. I would stay again.

We enjoyed staying at El Secreto on our first visit to Las Terrenas. The house is a 5 minute walk to the best beach spot in town. The property is gated and secure, has beautiful landscaping, and the pool is a very nice addition. The power goes out frequently if you use too much. Please note that they charge you for power usage, so it's best to use very little. We all wanted our a/c units running at night...but lost power for a few hours each day/night. Make sure you have detailed directions on how to find the house. We drove around lost for 2 hours. Also, breakfast isn't included on the first day with stays less than a week. After a long day of travel with two young kids, it would have been nice to have something to get us started or a list of places to grab coffee and food. All in all, I recommend this house because of the location to the beach, the pool, and the beautiful garden!

We enjoyed our stay at El Secreto. The accommodations were perfect for my family of 5. Kelvin, was there to greet us and show us around. If we had any questions he didn't hesitate to answer. The villa was great, we enjoyed the private pool (they might have to change the type of paint used for the pool walls as it rubs off on you as you come out of the pool), my husband really loves to grill and was excited to use it on our second night there. TV service was static (we didn't really watch tv, only when we were winding down for the evening), the WiFi was ok in the main house, its stronger in the bungalow (suggestion to Bibi, maybe get a WiFi extender to reach the main house). The villa does come with the very basic essentials (toilet paper, towels, linen, kitchen and eating utensils are provided). For your showering needs you'll need to come prepared with your own body wash/soap, shampoo, etc..(another suggestion for Bibi maybe replace the shower heads, seems like there's some calcium build up). The kitchen has a full size fridge, I suggest you bring groceries if you plan on staying for more than just a few days. It'll be cheaper than going to the restaurants during your stay. If not there are supermarkets near by. We ended up going to Super Pola ( a local supermarket) to get some dinner and breakfast items for our last day there. The location of the villa is perfect, we loved that the beach and restaurants are within walking distance. Bibi thanks for letting us stay and enjoy the lovely place, we hope to visit again very soon.

We had a lovely stay at at El Secreto. It was perfect for our family of 6. My daughter, her husband and two children were in the main house and my husband and I had our own little bungalow on the other side of the pool for some nice, quiet privacy. The home was spotless and the management responded quickly. The pool was clean and refreshing and location was great, with walking to a nice beach. We would highly recommended this little getaway.

We, a family of four (Kids grown-up) spent a very relaxing week at 'El Secreto'. Everything went fine, and the owners and caretaker were very helpful. Even though we spent enough time at the beach, we enjoyed our own swimming pool, as well as the nice secluded garden. On two days in a row, colibris 'visited' the garden, too!

This house is very nice and the location is also great. The only reason I gave four stars is for all the cameras located in the common areas. I understand they do this because of the security, but I and the people with me feel like we were watch 24/7. Maybe they should relocate the cameras to the property perimeters or entrance. Other than that we love the place and love Kevin, he was very helpful and always answers our call quickly.

If you are a needy 5 star all inclusive traveler this is not the place for you! But if you want a nice little villa with all the basics and a wonderful pool that's about a 150 yard saunter down a narrow gravel road to arrive on Las Bellenas Beach (the nicest beach in Las Terrenas) Book it now! We pestered poor Bibi with lots and lots of questions and changes to our plans and she was so fantastic to deal with! Her property manager Kelvin was excellent. The lock on our entrance gate broke on a Saturday and he was there first thing Monday morning with a lock installer! We almost didn't book El Secreto because the location on the VRBO map shows it at the very end of the beach up by the Golf Project Road, the confusion might be that El Secreto is actually on Ave Marico and not Calle Marico and hence it's located at a perfect spot along beach. We took full advantage of the BBQ and kitchen to cook most of our breakfasts and dinners although don't look for any deals at either of the big grocery stores Pola (our fav) or Lindo. We bought fresh fish regularly from the fresh fish market on Punta Popy Beach about a 2.5 km beach or street walk into town, look for Danny (Dominican who spent time in the US and speaks better English than I do). Again prices not cheap here either but fish was wonderful and fresh everyday! Electricity costs for 2 weeks was $76 US although we only had to run the AC one night, fans were enough. Las Terrenas the town and area! We did so much walking, our choice, exploring the area day and night (take your flashlights)! In the daytime you can't mistake the sense of security with elderly people, families and singles on the go everywhere! However at night it's a different vibe, we walked home from dinner at Chez Sandro in Punta Popy on Saturday night and it was pretty wild through town as it was the DR day off Sunday. As well the guards at most entrances of the hotels and villa complexes have guns and the places that don't have guards have guard dogs! At one of the nice villas near El Secreto on our walk that same night we literally thought 2 huge dogs were coming through the fence, they didn't and we decided to continue our walk up the beach side of the road. Speaking of dogs, if you don't like dogs Las Terrenas is not for you. Besides the guard dogs there are lots of dogs in general on the beach and streets and for the most part they are very friendly although we ran across a couple that were a little stand-offish! THANKS BIBI!

Villa el Secreto is a great place to stay for vacation. IT JUST A HOME AWAY FROM HOME!!! Millie :-)

After arriving in Las Terrenas we drove down a rough road and arrived at Villa El Secreto. This is a perfect name for this hidden gem. The yard is a well maintained oasis with beautiful gardens, birds, geckos and a clean refreshing pool. The main house has sliding doors that open the kitchen and the living room to the nature outside. The kitchen has everything you could need to prepare meals. The living room is a nice size with a tv, a small stereo and a bookcase with games and books. The bedrooms have comfortable beds and plenty of closet space so you can unpack your suitcase and feel right at home. The bathroom in the main house is huge with a big tiled shower. We were travelling with another couple and my husband and I opted to stay in the bungalow, or as we called it, the cabin. The cabin has a nice sized living room and a small kitchen area with a fridge. We cooked in the main house so we didn't really use the small kitchen but it would certainly be handy. The bedroom in the cabin is a good size with a comfy bed and plenty of closet space. The bathroom is smaller but just fine. We barbequed on the small grill provided almost every night although you have to buy charcoal at the grocery store.The yard is safe and secure with security people on the premises. We were thrilled with everything about this beautiful home and yard. There are many restaurants within walking distance of the villa. Playa Las Ballenas is literally a 3 minute stroll down Avenida Marico (a pot-holed gravel road). We chose to rent ATVs for the two weeks we were in Las Terrenas. This made it very easy to go into town for groceries (and beer). We toured from Las Terrenas to Playa Coson (to the west) and as far as Playa Moron, past El Limon (to the east). We enjoy the convenience of having our own transportation although if you don't have your own it would be about a 20 minute walk to one of the many supermercados in town. The positioning of the villa on the map on this website is incorrect. It is actually on the far west end of town. We signed up for a tour to visit Parque Nacional de Los Haistes through Flora Tours in Las Terrenas. The lady in the office, Monika, only speaks Spanish and French so we had a little bit of a language barrier but manage to convey our desire. Our tour guide, Henry, spoke English and was a lot of fun and a wealth of information. It was a great tour. I would definately recommend this property to anyone who enjoys this type of vacation.

Having always stayed in hotel chains and all-inclusives, we decided to rent our own private villa for a much deserved winter break. We selected Villa El Secreto in Las Terrenas. With pristine beaches, lush vegetation, plenty of daily activities as well as tranquil surroundings, we felt it was the perfect destination for our family to unwind . We especially liked that the property was literally a two minute stroll to Las Ballenas Beach. We loved watching the sunset and heading back to the house for a drink and dinner. The villa itself is very Zen in décor and layout. The buildings are well maintained and all the furnishings are immaculate. The main house and a guest bungalow are separated by a sparkling in-ground pool.There are lounging chairs poolside, where we played during the day and relaxed under the stars listening to the sounds of nature at night.The gardens are beautiful, well-maintained and keep the villa private and secluded. We felt instantly at home, as we had plenty of space with all the amenities necessary to feel comfortable and entertained. The main kitchen had everything we needed to cook our meals (we also hired a cook for a couple of nights), and the bungalow also has a small kitchen with a refrigerator which we kept stocked with drinks and snacks for the kids. The family room has a television and a CD player; great for movies and music, and there were plenty of games and books for the adults and the kids.The bedrooms are beautifully appointed with island décor, good size closets and incredibly comfortable beds. The owners made the rental process seamless and made sure we were well informed about the home and all the activities and destinations available nearby. A day trip to El Limon, a breathtaking waterfall that included a horseback ride mountainside, was spectacular and made our time in Las Terrenas one we will always remember. The villa is aptly named ”Villa El Secreto” (the secret) as it is an amazing value for such a beautiful, well situated and comfortable rental. We hope to go back next year!!!