Help me choose from these 7 non-touristy beaches?

euromike

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I’ve been asking around for “low-key” beaches and beach towns, i.e. places which are beautiful but don’t have the levels of (over-) development of Punta Cana or similar. I really want to avoid multi-storey chain hotels, fake “themed” restaurants or Starbucks shops…
I collected 7 recommendations, which I list from south-west anti-clockwise below.

How would you rate them, in terms of sheer physical beauty? 10/10 for me would be the finest Carribean (or Thai) beaches: turquoise, shallow, reef-protected water; wide stretches of white sand; palm trees; some chilled-out bars on the beach. I guess some of the really best beaches in the country are seeing thousands of tourists and cruise ship passengers daily, so I’m trying to strike the right balance. Sosua (last on the list) for example, or Caberete both look ok in terms of how laid-back they seem, but they’re not as pretty as the finest I’ve seen in the Carribean…


Your views? Thanks!

Bahia de las Aguilas
Barahona
Miches and beaches nearby
Las Galeras and playa Rincon
Cabrera
Caberete
Sosua
 

Matilda

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Bahia de las Aguilas. Amazing water, beach itself not so amazing, hard to get to, no real beach town present so best for a day trip unless you want to camp nearby - http://ecodelmar.com.do/
Barahona - good choice some lovely and mid priced hotels. Two beaches are San rafael and Los Patos, locals, beach bars, grilled fish on beach - river flowing into the sea, very beautiful but stony beaches not sand.
Miches - great beach to the right of Miches town. Not been recently so no idea re hotels and beach bars

Other places to consider Punta Rucia and Playa Ensenada - guest houses, posh hotel, beach bars, nice beach and paradise island off the coast for great snorkelling

Guayacanes - nice beach, good safe swimming, loads of beach bars and restaurants on the beach, not many tourists, plenty of accommodation options.

Bayahibe. Good beach, bars, restaurants, few more tourists though.

Matilda
 

cobraboy

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Bahia de las Aguilas. Amazing water, beach itself not so amazing, hard to get to, no real beach town present so best for a day trip unless you want to camp nearby - http://ecodelmar.com.do/
Barahona - good choice some lovely and mid priced hotels. Two beaches are San rafael and Los Patos, locals, beach bars, grilled fish on beach - river flowing into the sea, very beautiful but stony beaches not sand.
Miches - great beach to the right of Miches town. Not been recently so no idea re hotels and beach bars

Other places to consider Punta Rucia and Playa Ensenada - guest houses, posh hotel, beach bars, nice beach and paradise island off the coast for great snorkelling

Guayacanes - nice beach, good safe swimming, loads of beach bars and restaurants on the beach, not many tourists, plenty of accommodation options.

Bayahibe. Good beach, bars, restaurants, few more tourists though.

Matilda
None of the beaches in the SW are what people think of as an "ideal, perfect Caribbean beach." They are nice and different, but the region reminds one more of New Mexico than Gilligan's Island.
 

euromike

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thanks both for replies. Cobraboy, you say none of the beaches in SW are ideal/perfect. Where ARE the perfect beaches then, or at least, best in the country?
 

jd426

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We had a whole THREAD on " vote for your favorite beach, or best Beach in the DR" something along those lines..
not too long ago.. maybe a year ?

if someone can find the Link

Start there, it was a pretty good thread ..
 

Matilda

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Of course Las Terrenas and the Samana peninsula would meet all the requirements - but more tourists. Don't have to stay in big hotels though.
 

cobraboy

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in terms of natural beauty.
There are several. One favorite is Playa Rincon at the tip of the Samana peninsula. Another is La Entrade near Cabrera, but can be a bit windy. Monte Cristi has some nice spots, but a tad arid. Cabarete and Sosua define "commercialism." Las Terrenas is nice, but touristy.

Most of the truly cosmic beaches have been developed. The days of that pristine, hidden beach with an inexpensive boutique hotel and gourmet restaurant is pretty much a fantasy.
 

euromike

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thanks for the link! so one thing is confusing - from that thread ".the beaches on the south side, the caribbean, have mainly very flat but clear water " which is EXACTLY what I'm after (flat, shallow water). But then overwhelming majority of posts in the thread is for Samana peninsula, which is one of the locations I was considering (Rincon beach, and stay nearby - I heard good things about the relaxed vibe of Las Galeras). Samana isn't in the south / on the Carribean coast, right? Confused..
 

Timotero

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Samana

thanks for the link! so one thing is confusing - from that thread ".the beaches on the south side, the caribbean, have mainly very flat but clear water " which is EXACTLY what I'm after (flat, shallow water). But then overwhelming majority of posts in the thread is for Samana peninsula, which is one of the locations I was considering (Rincon beach, and stay nearby - I heard good things about the relaxed vibe of Las Galeras). Samana isn't in the south / on the Carribean coast, right? Confused..



If you look at a map (old style, or online) you’ll see that the Samana peninsula is in the northeast part of the DR surrounded by the Atlantic. (Samana Bay on the south - but still the Atlantic.)

Personally, I really like Las Galeras.  Close enough to go to Playa Rincon for the day. No hotels there on the beach, but several “rustic” food and drink spots on the western end. Same on the eastern end, just a little fancier. You can drive there, but a more interesting way to go is by boat or horseback along the beach. Both easily arranged from Las Galeras.

And if your going to be there January- March, the whale watching is usually very good. Bigger boat trips depart from Samana City (on Samana Bay). But plenty of smaller boats available (for a more reasonable cost) right in Las Galeras.  (And the skippers tell me that the boats from Samana all cruise over to the Las Galeras area anyway to find the whales.). 

Enjoy your visit wherever you go.  
 

Salsafan

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Of course Las Terrenas and the Samana peninsula would meet all the requirements - but more tourists. Don't have to stay in big hotels though.

Was just two weeks in Las Terrenas. During the week had the beaches almost for me alone. On the other side: also Bodega on some nights.
 

euromike

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There are several. One favorite is Playa Rincon at the tip of the Samana peninsula. Another is La Entrade near Cabrera, but can be a bit windy. Monte Cristi has some nice spots, but a tad arid. Cabarete and Sosua define "commercialism." Las Terrenas is nice, but touristy.

Most of the truly cosmic beaches have been developed. The days of that pristine, hidden beach with an inexpensive boutique hotel and gourmet restaurant is pretty much a fantasy.

sure, I'm not naive. I'm not expecting 10/10 beach without ANY tourists. To give you an example though; I went to Tulum in Mexico a few years ago, the beach was stunning and all accommodation was in single-storey bungalows - some mid-range, some more upmarket, but no chain hotels or ugly concrete buildings. Then I went to Playa del Carmen and while the beach was 9/10, again, it was difficult to find a restaurant without tri-lingual menus and dudes in sombreros trying to entertain guests with "traditional Mexican" signing. There were Zara and H&M stores, Starbucks and rent-a-Segway stands. I hated it.

So it doesn't have to be completely undeveloped, I just don't want kitsch and fake, you know?
 

reilleyp

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Dec 12, 2006
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sure, I'm not naive. I'm not expecting 10/10 beach without ANY tourists. To give you an example though; I went to Tulum in Mexico a few years ago, the beach was stunning and all accommodation was in single-storey bungalows - some mid-range, some more upmarket, but no chain hotels or ugly concrete buildings. Then I went to Playa del Carmen and while the beach was 9/10, again, it was difficult to find a restaurant without tri-lingual menus and dudes in sombreros trying to entertain guests with "traditional Mexican" signing. There were Zara and H&M stores, Starbucks and rent-a-Segway stands. I hated it.

So it doesn't have to be completely undeveloped, I just don't want kitsch and fake, you know?

I agree with the other posters. Bahia de las Aguilas is beautiful, but it is a long drive, the beaches in that area are kind of pebbly, and there is not much shade. It is more on the dry side. That is a great trip if you have a few extra days to just enjoy the drive down there and make a few stops along the way.

As others have said, PC and the north coast beaches have more amenities, but they are also more commercialized. Samana has what you are looking for. I put together a website which has a wealth of information about Samana and the beaches. www.samanarentals.com I have not been to Miches' beaches but I plan to go this winter and I can offer more information and photos afterward.
 

ju10prd

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Playa Coson has everything for every day. It is a long beach and sheltered in places with an unforgetable backdrop of the Samana hills and wonderful golden clean sand. Great when the surf is up too. Wildly romantic and quiet at the western end. A sand dollar haunt. A spectacle when viewed from above. Those tall coconut palms swaying over and the small fresh water streams flowing in from the hills add to the appeal........and then Luis's!

Unspoilt, peaceful and a truly Caribbean paradise experience.

And then the wild, rugged, beautifully sited and escapist beach.....Playa El Valle...or should it be two? Divide by the rock.
 

LTSteve

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I’ve been asking around for “low-key” beaches and beach towns, i.e. places which are beautiful but don’t have the levels of (over-) development of Punta Cana or similar. I really want to avoid multi-storey chain hotels, fake “themed” restaurants or Starbucks shops…
I collected 7 recommendations, which I list from south-west anti-clockwise below.

How would you rate them, in terms of sheer physical beauty? 10/10 for me would be the finest Carribean (or Thai) beaches: turquoise, shallow, reef-protected water; wide stretches of white sand; palm trees; some chilled-out bars on the beach. I guess some of the really best beaches in the country are seeing thousands of tourists and cruise ship passengers daily, so I’m trying to strike the right balance. Sosua (last on the list) for example, or Caberete both look ok in terms of how laid-back they seem, but they’re not as pretty as the finest I’ve seen in the Carribean…


Your views? Thanks!

Bahia de las Aguilas
Barahona
Miches and beaches nearby
Las Galeras and playa Rincon
Cabrera
Caberete
Sosua

I would consider Playa Las Ballenas, Las Terrenas, also Play Bonita or Playa Coson in the same area. Unless it is the weekend or a holiday these beaches are generally quiet. Also close proximity to beach bars and restaurants. No all inclusives here. Las Terrenas is a beach town but not over run by tourists. Where are you coming from? Good luck and good travels.
 

cbmitch9

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You can also try Salinas in Peravia Province if you are looking for low-key underdeveloped nice beaches. Palmar de Ocoa has some nice clear water but somewhat deep and it's also underdeveloped and low-key. But if you are in the north coast, those two beaches are considered far. They are both located in fishing communities.
 

Dolores1

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Check out Playa Colorada, Playa La Playita in Las Galeras, Samana (go on a weekday), also walk the extension of Playa Rincon, both sides, I prefer the eastern side. Consider hiring a boat captain to do beach tripping in Las Galeras.

In Sosua, Puerto Plata make lots of time for Playa Alicia. While it's smack in the center of town, it draws less people because this crystal clear pool in the ocean is deep. Three of my favorite beaches.