We played tourist these last 2 weeks, my parents having come over to visit.
The rest of the time I am not a beach person, and my wife even less : itchy sand, itchy salt, sand flies, stray dogs, dirty sand, loud people, fish copulate in the water even, etc..... what is there not to like ??
Some beaches were ruled out after past day trips ( last time they visited, 2 years ago ), and didnt pass the " parent test " :
Sosua, far too everything : pricey, loud, tacky, you name it, Sosua beach has it.
Cabarete, a bit too far for a day trip, + you have to leave your car and walk to it.
Cofresi, kind of OK, but no beach " services" , + the road works on the POP road arema PITA.
We revisited other beaches that had passed the " parent test ", well 2 of them, the 3d was a new discovery.
Ok, so we went twice to each beach. Once in tourist mode, once in dominican mode.
Tourist mode : we go with the bare minimum and eat at a beach restaurant, rent beach beds, buy drinks, etc.... once we get there.
Dominican mode : we bring everything with us, drinks, food, beds, table, etc......
El castillo, la Isabella, and not Villa Isabella.
You can park your car right on the beach which is a plus for " dominican mode ".
Has the greatest fried fish at the restaurant, right at the entrance ( well only one restaurant, + 2 or 3 beach huts-----ok for drinks and beach beds but i d prefer not to test the cuisine ). Cheap as well. 4 fried fish lunches, with french fries and tostones, 6 cokes, 8 coffees, 1.8k pesos...... a bargain.
Beach is calm and quiet BUT the sea is rocky ( as opppsed to sand underfoot ) and has sand banks with sealife ( and sea weed ). So great to swim with a mask and tuba to see fish and whatnot....... less so for ball games, etc......
100 pesos per day for a beach bed.
La ensenada, past Villa Isabella.
Has turned very touristy in the not-so-good-way. Rows and rows of beach huts and tables. Not so cheap. 2 parkings. 100 pesos/day.
Best beach/sea, colour, landscape wise. Some say in the whole dr. Shallow sea, so great for kids. Sand underfoot. Not much to see with a mask and tuba, unless you move away from the beach limits.
A bunch of banana boats and the like. 150 pesos/person, but you can just take the whole boat to yourself for 400 pesos for a 15 mn ride. ( i took my 5 year old nephew on a ride, to the surprise of my parents who couldnt believe it, nor could they believe i had to sign off on 13 insurance forms-------they must of thought we were on holiday in the US, lol ).
Not croweded per see, but a mix of tourists and dominicans.
Not cheap to eat. 13 lb of fried fish ( yeah we went overboard ), fries and tostones, 8 cokes, 4 beers, 6 coffees, 4 beach beds: 5.5k pesos.
Cambiaso.
Difficult access, dirt road.
BEAUTIFUL beach. Sand underfoot. Deserted. No beach beds-----bring your own.
Ok-ish fried fish served to us on the beach. Cheapish. Fried fish and tostones for 4, 8 kola real ( beuuurk ), 8 coffees: 2.1k pesos.
The rest of the time I am not a beach person, and my wife even less : itchy sand, itchy salt, sand flies, stray dogs, dirty sand, loud people, fish copulate in the water even, etc..... what is there not to like ??
Some beaches were ruled out after past day trips ( last time they visited, 2 years ago ), and didnt pass the " parent test " :
Sosua, far too everything : pricey, loud, tacky, you name it, Sosua beach has it.
Cabarete, a bit too far for a day trip, + you have to leave your car and walk to it.
Cofresi, kind of OK, but no beach " services" , + the road works on the POP road arema PITA.
We revisited other beaches that had passed the " parent test ", well 2 of them, the 3d was a new discovery.
Ok, so we went twice to each beach. Once in tourist mode, once in dominican mode.
Tourist mode : we go with the bare minimum and eat at a beach restaurant, rent beach beds, buy drinks, etc.... once we get there.
Dominican mode : we bring everything with us, drinks, food, beds, table, etc......
El castillo, la Isabella, and not Villa Isabella.
You can park your car right on the beach which is a plus for " dominican mode ".
Has the greatest fried fish at the restaurant, right at the entrance ( well only one restaurant, + 2 or 3 beach huts-----ok for drinks and beach beds but i d prefer not to test the cuisine ). Cheap as well. 4 fried fish lunches, with french fries and tostones, 6 cokes, 8 coffees, 1.8k pesos...... a bargain.
Beach is calm and quiet BUT the sea is rocky ( as opppsed to sand underfoot ) and has sand banks with sealife ( and sea weed ). So great to swim with a mask and tuba to see fish and whatnot....... less so for ball games, etc......
100 pesos per day for a beach bed.
La ensenada, past Villa Isabella.
Has turned very touristy in the not-so-good-way. Rows and rows of beach huts and tables. Not so cheap. 2 parkings. 100 pesos/day.
Best beach/sea, colour, landscape wise. Some say in the whole dr. Shallow sea, so great for kids. Sand underfoot. Not much to see with a mask and tuba, unless you move away from the beach limits.
A bunch of banana boats and the like. 150 pesos/person, but you can just take the whole boat to yourself for 400 pesos for a 15 mn ride. ( i took my 5 year old nephew on a ride, to the surprise of my parents who couldnt believe it, nor could they believe i had to sign off on 13 insurance forms-------they must of thought we were on holiday in the US, lol ).
Not croweded per see, but a mix of tourists and dominicans.
Not cheap to eat. 13 lb of fried fish ( yeah we went overboard ), fries and tostones, 8 cokes, 4 beers, 6 coffees, 4 beach beds: 5.5k pesos.
Cambiaso.
Difficult access, dirt road.
BEAUTIFUL beach. Sand underfoot. Deserted. No beach beds-----bring your own.
Ok-ish fried fish served to us on the beach. Cheapish. Fried fish and tostones for 4, 8 kola real ( beuuurk ), 8 coffees: 2.1k pesos.
