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BEACHES
The beaches I keep going back to (and the ones I skip)
Everyone asks me which beach is “the best” in the Dominican Republic. Honest answer: I haven’t been to all of them — but the ones I know, I know well. Here’s my real list.
Selçuk Değer
21 June 2024 · 4 min read
Let me say this upfront: I skip Punta Cana. Nothing against it, but all-inclusive resort land is not what Al Ritmo is about — and honestly, it’s not the Dominican Republic I fell for. So you won’t find it below.
Samaná: Las Terrenas and beyond
When people say Samaná, let’s be honest — most of the time we’re talking about the beaches around Las Terrenas. Playa Bonita is the lounge one: beach clubs, a slower pace, that end-of-the-afternoon feeling. But my favorite spot there is the point itself — Punta Bonita, really at the corner. The beach widens out, the sun goes down late, and you get this wide-open view across the other beaches. I can sit there for hours.
Playa Las Ballenas is a fine, wide beach — nothing wrong with it, but to me nothing special either. My actual favorite around Las Terrenas is Playa El Anclón: small, very calm, hardly anyone there — and completely tropical, trees all around you right up to the sand. The kind of beach where you hear the palms more than the people.
And still in Samaná, on the far side of the peninsula: Playa Rincón. Beautiful — one of my favorites in the whole country, with that view across the bay to Cabo Cabrón. My only gripe: someone wanted to charge me just to reach the beach. I honestly can’t remember if I paid.
Samaná in three frames — Las Terrenas and out toward Rincón.
Bayahibe and Isla Saona
Playa Bayahibe itself is small, but fun — I like watching the boats come and go. The real prize is the boat ride out: Isla Saona is just beautiful. I loved every minute of it. Playa Dominicus I passed mainly on the way to Cueva del Puente — as a beach it didn’t do much for me, but the cave is worth the detour.
Isla Saona — worth the boat ride, every time.
The north coast
Cabarete is the kite-surf capital — impressive to watch, but the water is full of kiters, prices run a bit higher, and you need to pay attention to where you swim. Sosúa I like, especially the row of little shops along the back of the beach — great for a slow walk.
“The best beach is the one where you lose track of time. For me that’s Punta Bonita, at the corner, late sun, nowhere to be.”
And here’s the thing — I’m comparing favorites, not complaining. This is a tropical Caribbean island with the beaches to match: you can barely go wrong. Wherever you end up, it’ll probably be the best beach day you’ve had in a while.
ON THE TRIP
Beach days, done right
On our trips we plan beach days around the good ones, not the famous ones — the quiet point at Punta Bonita instead of the crowded stretch, the boat to Saona on the right day. Dance in the evening, recover on the sand.
