Dorado

Dorado Beach

Dorado Beach covers about 1,400 acres of oceanfront with roughly three miles of shoreline. Laurance S. Rockefeller bought the property from Clara Livingston in 1955, and the first golf holes, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1958. The East Course reopened in late 2011 after a renovation led by the Robert Trent Jones II firm. Golf is now branded TPC Dorado Beach.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, was announced as the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Americas. Resort amenities include Spa Botánico, the Watermill Aquatic Park, tennis, a fitness and wellness center, and a club membership program. The two named beaches are East Beach, known for kitesurfing and windsurfing, and the calmer West Beach.

Residential enclaves

The official Dorado Beach site lists several residential offerings. Each has its own product type, HOA, and club arrangement, so the community matters as much as the house.

• Dorado Beach East. A gated community of custom single family homes with a clubhouse, pool, tennis, Livingston Park, and a family park on a historic airstrip. Listed as resale only.
• West Beach Residences. Three to five bedroom homes on a reef protected beach, marketed as Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences. Listed as resale only.
• Dorado Beach Resort Residences. The resort's current name for the residences on Plantation Drive, near the golf courses. Older materials call them Plantation Resort Residences, and listings often say Plantation Village. Confirm which building and association a unit belongs to.
• Ritz-Carlton Reserve Residences, West Point, La Cala, The Isles, and Livingston Estates. Additional offerings named by the resort.

Schools

TASIS Dorado, founded in 2002, is located in Dorado and accredited by MSA-CESS and CADIE. Families also consider the Baldwin School of Puerto Rico, an IB World School in neighboring Guaynabo.

Community guides

• Dorado Beach East
• West Beach Residences

What to verify in Dorado

• Which enclave and association the property belongs to, and the current HOA fee.
• Whether club membership is required, optional, or by invitation, plus initiation and annual dues.
• Generator coverage (whole house or partial) and fuel, and cistern capacity in gallons.
• Interior living area separately from covered and open terraces.
• Flood zone designation for oceanfront and low lying lots.
• Resale status, year built, and the age of roof, windows, and major systems.

Golf course counts and names at Dorado Beach have changed over the years and sources disagree. Confirm current course access with the club.