Help choosing a beach in the north!

Hello everyone. I want to make a comparison on beaches.
We want to go to a Beach in the north because it'll be closer to us to get to since we'll be in Santiago and Puerto Plata for our upcoming trip. Would Cabrera and Playa Grande be somewhat easy to get to? What about Samana?

If this belongs in the getting around section please move it. I don't see an option to do so.

Thanks

Hi!
Thanks for the great information about distances.
We're going with the entire family. So it's a family trip. We want a place were we can relax. It's 6 of us 3 adults, 3 teens. However, my fiancee and I are also going and we're in our late twenties. He's actually turning 30 and that's part of the reason for this trip... so we want to also have restaurants and places we can go at night, if possible. I'm Dominican so language won't be a problem, he's American his second time in DR. The first time he went was only for an extended weekend, he went with a friend to Puerto Plata, Playa Dorada.
We'll be visiting family in Santiago, Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo over the course of two weeks. So we want to take maybe 3 days to just relax while there. I would rather not go to the Puerto Plata beaches if we can find other beaches because we want something new..
We want white sand if at all possible, but I was told that's basically non-existent in the north. Except for Playa Rucia, but I can't seem to find much information on that beach either. How would we get to Playa Grande? I don't think 1 1/2 hours is terribly bad! We're already taking other trips that take that long and we're ok with it...

DMV123 said:

From Santiago Samana is quite a ways! I am thinking 4 hours or so.

From Puerto Plata - Sosua Bay Beach is 25minutes, Cabarete beach is 40 minutes, Playa Grande about 1 1/2 hours, samana 3 hours plus.

Tell us what you are looking for in a beach and we can give you more feedback. Deserted, good snorkelling, great windsurfing, access to restaurants/bars etc etc.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll read that other thread.
I looked at the Map and Punta Rucia/Ensanada is in Monte Cristi? If that's the case it looks like our best be would be to go there via Santiago. Does anyone know of a place to stay there? Again, it's so isolated it looks like getting a rental for 6 might be a bit challenging...

DMV, thanks for mentioning Cabarete, my cousins down in DR love Cabarete. I'm keeping the beaches in the Puerto Plata area on our list. We just don't want to end up in a crowded beach, you know. We would love for it to quieter, relaxing with a nightlife. Maybe asking for too much...hehe

Thanks AE,
Sounds like Punta Rucia is indeed only a day trip choice for us. I'm used to the no hot water scenario when we go see Grandma in the Cordillera Septentrional area (little rural town deep in mountain) but I think we don't want to have to boil water while on the beach trip as well!

Cabarete keeps coming up from everyone here. We have relatives in Sosua that can probably help us get around, etc... We should at least check it out. I really wanted to go to Samana, but it's far and I can almost hear our backseat drivers!! Well, maybe we can do Samana if we find the best way to get there....

AlterEgo said:

gf, Punta Rucia is beautiful for a day trip. Good restaurants on the beach [we like Elsa's], BUT I didn't see any evidence that there is a night life of any consequence there. We found 2 hotels, both were about 1200 pesos a night, and neither had hot water. They would bring you a bucket of hot water if you wanted it, ahem... We ended up staying in Montecristi.

I think you need to head east a bit - Cabarete sounds ideal for your group.

AE

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on Playa Caleton. Do we need to rent a car to get there?

windeguy said:

If you want to see a very special little beach on a day trip, head east about 50Km from Cabarete to Playa Caleton. You can have inexpensive ocean front dining for lunch. A nice place to swim. It is bit remote and hard to find the turn off for the entrance since the sign is very small where you make the turn from the main highway.

Click to expand...

Thanks HB,
The trip is in late August but since it's so many of us I've been the designated trip planner. I would totally love the directions. I'll send you a PM once the dates get closer about that because we plan to be in Santiago for about 50% of the time we're there. A day trip maybe on my fiancee's birthday so we can celebrate on the beach might just be what the doctor ordered(his birthday is the day before we leave from STI back home). Aside from finding a place where we'll spend 3-4 days on the beach earlier in the trip.
What's the best way to get from Cabarete to Playa Caleton? Do we need a rental car or a taxi would do?

Thanks, and it's great to hear that they have paved the roads to Punta Rucia that's great news, as it would make for a nice day trip.

Hillbilly said:

GF1015:
With the family, you do need accomodations with some sort of comfort. Therefore, let's nix the Punta Rucia for overnight, but do make it a day trip, because the food and the water are truly worth the effort and with the newly paved roads all the way to the Ensenada it is easy to drive. (It is in POP province BTW, at the most western tip of POP!

For fun nightlife, Cabarete is your destination. EOS. You have a Nicky Beach and lots and lots of other places to go. The beach activitiy is quite impressive.

You have the quiet option of Playa Caleton, a bit further to the east. And that is a fine option, but the water is sometimes kinda rough..but it it private and nice.

Do have fun and if you decide to go west to Punta Rucia I would be more than happy to give you detailed directions...

HB

Click to expand...

I drove in Santiago for a little bit on a previous visit a few years ago. It was a bit challenging, so I know what you mean. I'll say this much, I wouldn't like to drive in Santo Domingo, that's an animal I'm not ready to tackle. Sorry off topic, since the driving would be in Puerto Plata...

I'll look Wilson up to have the contact ready.
It's looking like we're going to end up in Cabarete for a few days and visit Caleton and also go to Punta Rucia for a day trip. Not bad for our big entourage!

Hillbilly said:

While I am sure that there is "public" transportation (guaguas) I would say that you need to rent a car for your beach journies... OR, since we do not like newbies driving on our roads (beacuse of the inate danger), you could arrange for a car and driver...
I do believe that Wilson would be good for this sort of a trip...(Search for car-driver-Wilson on this board)

HB

Click to expand...

Thanks everybody for all your suggestions. We're still considering Samana as well so any information on Samana would be awesome too.

Thanks!!
We do want nightlife but we're actually OK with a bar or club maybe two or 3 nights on our 2 weeks there.
Thanks for the info, I'll save it.
I'm really looking into las Terrenas as an option it now depends on what we all think is the best option for the whole group. As most big groups, getting everyone to agree can be a challenge.
I'll do a report after we come back, the trip wont be for another 7 months or so, but I'll post pics for you guys on DR1! :cheeky:

windeguy said:

Playa Caleton is off the main highway running from Puerto Plata to the Samana and about 50 to 60 Km east of Cabarete on the way to Samana. If you go to the Semana peninsula area, Las Terranas is a preferred location, but don't expect the night life of Cabarete.

Click to expand...