Beach at La Playa

MommaMea

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Dec 13, 2009
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We're going to be driving from Santo Domingo back to Haiti where we live and I noticed that there's a small stretch of beach right next to the road not far from SanCristobal or San Gregorio de Nigua. (Looking at Maplandia.com) Does anybody know if we can stop and sit on the beach there, go in the water, etc.? I guess it could be walled off, dangerous in some way...just wondering...
Thanks.
 

Yayow

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I agree those are the two main beaches in that area, and you can enjoy either one of them.
 

AlterEgo

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Skip Najayo - go to Cocolandia in Palenque

I recommend you stop at the far end of Palenque [Cocolandia Beach], nice and quiet, tasty beach restaurants too. Be sure to try Cheo's Empanadas, he makes them with yuca flour and they are delicious. We have a house in Najayo Beach, but we almost never go to that beach - always loud music and tigures there. No one bothers you in Palenque and it's a nice beach.

AE
 

BPL888

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Sep 7, 2004
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Go To Cocolandia

I second AlterEgo's post. Go to Cocolandia in Palenque. Very peaceful, very swimable with a few good restaurants with chairs and tables close to the water. I make a point of staying there at the Hotel Playa Palenque every time I'm out that way. A very pleasant way to spend a day, watching the fishermen and spear fishermen.
 

Marilyn

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May 7, 2002
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Yes, definitely Cocolandia in Palenque is the place to go, and Cheo?s empanadas are the best. Najayo is too loud and definitely not recommended for tourists, most dominicans who don?t like loud music and loud people don't go there.
 

AlterEgo

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I don't know where/what Rt. 2 is?? We either come through San Cristobal or Haina. Sometimes we come off the Santo Domingo-Bani hwy and cut through Duveaux to the coast. If you follow signs/directions to the DOCIMEN Cement Factory you're right outside of Palenque - just keep going a few more miles and you're there.

AE
 

MommaMea

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Dec 13, 2009
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thanks for your help

Thanks for your input. I love this forum. We ended up staying at the Hotel Playa Palenque which was OK. We would have had to take the road along the beach to check out the "La Playa" area and we were concerned about getting to the border before it closed, so we just went with Route 2. The DR border closes at 7 pm and the Haitian border closes at the same time, but that's 6 pm Haitian time.

There were hardly any people on the beach at Playa Palenque, which was great. We were surprised because it was the Dec. 30th - 31st. We liked the fact that we could take a long walk along the beach there and just take it all in. There were lots of little treasures on the sand, like pieces of coral, interesting pebbles and shells. I like the soft sand there, but it is dark colored. But if you take the long walk down the beach, it's best to have something on your feet, and you have to go through some areas where there is some trash.

No one bothered us to sell us things, or anything like that. Some boys stared at us a little while they were swimming in front of where we were sitting, but they didn't come close. The first day there was competing, very loud music from different restaurants, but on New Years' Eve (day), there was just one source of music and it wasn't too loud.

We didn't realize that the Hotel Playa Palenque is not on the beach, but it's really close--you basically walk across the street and look for a place to walk between buildings. There's a small but nice pool. The rooms have small kitchens with good sized refrigerators, a small table w/ 4 chairs and a terrace with table and chairs too. Our kids' room was great--the air conditioner and fans worked. Unfortunately, we found out late at night that neither worked in our room and we would have like having one or the other. The owners, Pedro and his wife, are nice in general. but when we talked to Pedro about the problems with the room, he didn't want to do anything to make up for it (like free breakfast). He ended up giving us back a little money begrudgingly. Also, there was supposedly hot water, but at night it wasn't hot. The food was good for dinner, and breakfast. And the coffee was excellent. The people who work there were very courteous.

I'll have to report on our other adventures travelling to the north, but I won't do that here since the question was about the south.
 

AlterEgo

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We only stayed at the Playa Palenque Hotel once. I agree the owners are very nice - he's European [Swiss I think?] and his wife is a Dominican doctor. We had booked it for awhile, but checked out in a couple of days because - no a/c working, we turned on the TV and it blew out [never to work again] and only the refrigerator worked in the kitchen [stove+sink shut off]. But it was the ice cold showers that we couldn't abide. They use solar heating for their water, and on cloudy days forget it. If you're not up at 6 am to shower all the hot water is quickly gone. the owner was very annoyed that we left early, but we would have stayed if there was at least lukewarm water. Another time we stayed at the hotel about a mile down the road towards Najayo, I forget the name. Very small rooms, in comparison, but clean and always hot water. Same price.

This trip we're here for a month and rented an apartment in Santo Domingo through DR1 classifieds - VERY pleasantly surprised, we're content.

AE