Getting to Las Terrenas from the airports

<p>Six Dominican airports can get you to Las Terrenas. Only for El Catey (AZS) did we find a distance and a journey time from official sources; for the others, the time is <strong>to be confirmed</strong>, and our team confirms it with you before you travel.</p> <p>A quick reminder of how it works: you send a request (only your WhatsApp number is required), and our team messages you on WhatsApp to confirm the price and whether a carrier is available. A request is not a confirmed booking; see <a href="/en/how-it-works/" rel="noopener">how it works</a>.</p> <h2>The six airports at a glance</h2> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Airport</th> <th>IATA</th> <th>Main option</th> <th>Indicative time</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>El Catey (Samaná)</td> <td>AZS</td> <td>Private transfer or taxi</td> <td>About 30 min (official tourism site)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Las Américas (Santo Domingo)</td> <td>SDQ</td> <td>Private transfer or public transport</td> <td>To be confirmed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>La Isabela (Santo Domingo Norte)</td> <td>JBQ</td> <td>Private transfer or public transport</td> <td>To be confirmed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Punta Cana</td> <td>PUJ</td> <td>Private transfer</td> <td>To be confirmed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Puerto Plata (Gregorio Luperón)</td> <td>POP</td> <td>Private transfer</td> <td>To be confirmed</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Santiago (Cibao)</td> <td>STI</td> <td>Private transfer</td> <td>To be confirmed</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>El Catey (AZS): the peninsula's own airport</h2> <p>According to its operator, Aerodom, the official name is Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Juan Bosch, in Samaná province. It is better known as El Catey, and Wikipedia places it near that village, about 8 km west of Sánchez.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Distance:</strong> about 23 km to Las Terrenas, according to Aerodom (which doesn't say whether that is by road or as the crow flies).</li> <li><strong>Time:</strong> about 30 minutes, according to the official Dominican Republic tourism site.</li> <li><strong>How:</strong> a <a href="/en/airport-transfers-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">private transfer</a> or a taxi requested in advance. We found no official information on public transport from the terminal.</li> <li><strong>Toll:</strong> RD Vial charges RD$400 at its El Catey toll station (category 1, checked on October 4, 2026, and subject to change), but no official source confirms that the airport–Las Terrenas trip goes through it. Ask whether the price includes tolls.</li> </ul> <p>See the <a href="/en/samana-airport-transfer-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">El Catey – Las Terrenas</a> route.</p> <h2>Santo Domingo: Las Américas (SDQ) and La Isabela (JBQ)</h2> <p>According to Aerodom, the first is Aeropuerto Internacional de Las Américas José Francisco Peña Gómez (about 30 km southeast of the city, per Wikipedia); the second is Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Dr. Joaquín Balaguer in Santo Domingo Norte, also known as El Higüero or La Isabela.</p> <p>There is no official journey time from either airport, and sources disagree on the time from the city itself: <strong>to be confirmed</strong>. The official tourism site says Route 7 (the Santo Domingo–Samaná highway) links the capital with the peninsula, and the Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico (Route 133) leads on towards Las Terrenas.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Private transfer:</strong> the direct option. See <a href="/en/las-americas-airport-sdq-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">Las Américas – Las Terrenas</a>, <a href="/en/la-isabela-airport-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">La Isabela – Las Terrenas</a> and <a href="/en/santo-domingo-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">Santo Domingo – Las Terrenas</a>.</li> <li><strong>Public transport:</strong> expect changes. Guaguas are privately run minibuses with daily routes between towns (official tourism site), and Rough Guides describes Sánchez as a guagua hub for Las Terrenas and Samaná. We found no official timetables or fares for the whole journey: check the <a href="/en/bus-guagua-schedules/" rel="noopener">bus and guagua schedules</a>.</li> </ul> <h3>Tolls on the Autopista del Nordeste</h3> <p>Per-passage fares published by RD Vial for category 1 (two-axle vehicles), checked on October 4, 2026:</p> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Toll station</th> <th>Location</th> <th>Category 1</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Marbella</td> <td>km 10, Santo Domingo Este (start of the motorway)</td> <td>RD$100</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Guaraguao</td> <td>km 69</td> <td>RD$200</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Naranjal</td> <td>km 145</td> <td>RD$200</td> </tr> <tr> <td>El Catey</td> <td>km 225, Samaná province (fourth and last)</td> <td>RD$400</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Marbella went up from RD$60 to RD$100 on January 15, 2025, according to El Caribe. Fares may change. We don't add them up, because the stations you pass depend on the route. Ask whether the price includes tolls.</p> <h2>Punta Cana (PUJ)</h2> <p>For Aeropuerto Internacional de Punta Cana (PUJ), the name Wikipedia gives, we found no reliable road time to Las Terrenas: <strong>to be confirmed</strong>.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Long-distance private transfer:</strong> see <a href="/en/punta-cana-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">Punta Cana – Las Terrenas</a>.</li> <li><strong>Tolls:</strong> RD Vial lists stations on the Autopista El Coral (Coral 1 and Coral 2) and the Autopista Las Américas, at RD$100 each for category 1 (checked on October 4, 2026, and subject to change). No official source says which of them a trip to Las Terrenas passes, or what other toll roads on the way cost.</li> <li><strong>Public transport:</strong> several changes, with no verified official timetables.</li> </ul> <h2>Puerto Plata (POP) and Santiago (STI)</h2> <p>Aeropuerto Internacional Gregorio Luperón (POP), run by Aerodom, is 20 minutes from the city of Puerto Plata and close to Sosúa and Cabarete, according to the official tourism site. Aeropuerto Internacional del Cibao (STI; official name per Wikipedia) is 15 minutes from Santiago, according to the same site. For neither airport did we find a reliable distance, time or list of tolls to Las Terrenas: <strong>to be confirmed</strong>.</p> <p>See <a href="/en/puerto-plata-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">Puerto Plata – Las Terrenas</a>, <a href="/en/santiago-airport-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">Santiago – Las Terrenas</a> and <a href="/en/long-distance-rides-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">long-distance rides</a>.</p> <h2>What to put in your request</h2> <p>If you can, include in your <a href="/en/request/" rel="noopener">request</a>:</p> <ul> <li>the airport, date, <strong>flight number</strong> and scheduled arrival time (Las Terrenas time);</li> <li>where you are staying in Las Terrenas: area or approximate address;</li> <li>the number of adults and children, and whether you need a <strong>child seat</strong>;</li> <li><strong>luggage</strong>: number of suitcases and bulky items (surf or kite boards, bikes, stroller);</li> <li>one way or round trip, and your preferred vehicle if you are carrying a lot.</li> </ul> <p>Our team handles requests during its working hours and cannot guarantee an immediate pick-up, so send yours ahead of time. Travelling with kids or boards? Read our guides on <a href="/en/guides/travelling-with-children-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">travelling with children</a> and <a href="/en/guides/travelling-with-surf-and-kite-gear-to-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">surf and kite gear</a>.</p> <h2>Arrival tips</h2> <ul> <li>Make sure WhatsApp will work when you land: that's how we contact you.</li> <li>Keep the agreed price in writing, with its unit (per vehicle or per person), whether tolls are included and the meeting point.</li> <li>In high season, December to April according to the official tourism site, allow more lead time.</li> <li>Observed prices and the exchange rate: see <a href="/en/guides/usual-transport-prices-las-terrenas/" rel="noopener">usual transport prices</a>.</li> <li>In an emergency, call 911: this site and its form are not an emergency service.</li> </ul> <h2>Coming to stay?</h2> <p>For long-term rentals, see <a href="https://casaterrenas.com/" rel="noopener">casaterrenas.com</a>. To buy, sell or settle in the Dominican Republic, there is the <a href="https://www.republique-dominicaine.com" rel="noopener">THERD real-estate agency</a>, which is not a transport service.</p>