New Member Intro & Seeking Info

Hola!  I just joined.  I am a widowed female looking to retire in Las Terrenas, DR.  Originally from Santure, PR, I moved to NYC when I was young and have spent a lot of time in very rural settings.  I still have family in PR, but think I would prefer to retire to the DR.  My Spanish is rusty, but I will be brushing up.  I am looking for feedback from anyone familiar with the lifestyle in PR and/or DR.  I am leaning toward the DR because PR has so many socio-economic issues and an uncertain future.  The healthcare is not the best, either.  I have friends and relatives from the DR and it seems there are a lot of similarities in the lifestyle.  My attraction is not just the climate, beaches and tropical rainforests, but also the food, dress, music, dance and some cultural/historical overlap.  That is mi alma y corazon.  I want a quieter lifestyle with access to some good places to eat, shops/boutiques, some art and sports (hiking, cycling, kayaking, maybe refresh my HobieCat skills.)  I am familiar and ok with bad roads, crazy drivers, shoddy internet, spotty electric/water service and hurricanes.  I plan to keep a house on the mainland to escape to for Cat 4+ storms. 

I am torn between a FINCA because I would love the privacy, views (hills/mountains), cafe colada on the terrace, fresh fruit and to raise chickens.  I wonder about the safety of the relative isolation?  I have 3 large Mastiff guard dogs.  Can I have guns in the DR? I wonder about access to town (don't expect much from roads) and internet.  I plan on a backup power (solar) system, bottled gas and water and I am ok with that.  On the other end of the spectrum, I am comparing to a gated beach community.  Presumably for the safety, on-site security, and better utilities, plus access to town (bicycle in for shopping?  Is it safe?)  Obviously, in a gated community, the lifestyle would be different...   more "luxuries" like better utilities, while chickens would be out and possibly the dogs, as well. 

I welcome thoughts and feedback from ExPats living in Las Terrenas, but please be specific, as I am pretty familiar with the generic differences and challenges of  island living vs the "cushy" USA lifestyle.  I've not yet been to the DR and will probably wait until after hurricane season to make my first trip down.  I am somewhat familiar with life in PR, however - personal experience is dated, but I do go back to visit family.