Privatizing beaches.

canadian bob

Bronze
Jan 16, 2002
641
0
0
91
I have been able to observe all aspects of life in Costambar for 20 years. At no time ever have the Costambar beaches been privatized. The beaches have always been open to both Dominican and all others not living in Costambar. I challenge anyone to deny the fact that the beaches are "public."
The only restriction is for bus access and it is only a short walk to the beach.
The reason to restrict bus access is that in the recent past, on certain hollidays, such as Semana Santa, as many as 65 large heavy buses have been counted by me and others on occasion entering Costambar, adversely affecting the road conditions and creating chaotic parking at the beach. There is no restriction for access by cars on such holidays, or pedestrians either. Costambar Beach is not privatized! Canadian Bob.
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
0
0
Coalici?n de Defensa del Medio Ambiente

Today's DiarioLibre lists 30 beaches unlawfully restricted to the public, according to the above Ong.

http://www.diariolibre.com/app/article.aspx?id=32755

Here's the list:

Playa Rogelio, R?o San Juan
East Coast: Uvero Alto, Arena Gorda (occupied by Sol de Plata), Cortecito (occupied by several hotels), B?varo, Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Enga?o, Punta Cana, Juanillo, Bayah?be, Casa de Campo (restricting access to beaches in Catalina island), and Guayacanes...

North Coast: Costambar, Cofres?, Bah?a Maim?n (occupied by a hotel chain), Bah?a Luper?n (Casa del Mar), Playa Dorada, Bah?a Principe.

South Coast:La Playita, en Azua.
 

ggn420

Brain Doner
Apr 21, 2005
534
0
0
Restricted Beaches

My heart goes out to the poor Dominican. As I see it , the government is on a power trip, sideing with the hotel chains. Could tax revenue come in the picture here. Back in the seventies when the AI boom came to Cabezza de Toro and Bavaro areas, It was determined by the government that the little fishing village of Corticeito would remain enchanged, and left for the Dominican people who lost their rights to all beaches south to Juanillo. The resorts DON'T OWN THE BEACH!!! They lock the deal up tight by making access difficult, or impossible by posting security guards at both ends. Some changes need to be made, so what will be next..........there self respect???? GGN420
 

canadian bob

Bronze
Jan 16, 2002
641
0
0
91
Mirador said:
Today's DiarioLibre lists 30 beaches unlawfully restricted to the public, according to the above Ong.

http://www.diariolibre.com/app/article.aspx?id=32755

Here's the list:

Playa Rogelio, R?o San Juan
East Coast: Uvero Alto, Arena Gorda (occupied by Sol de Plata), Cortecito (occupied by several hotels), B?varo, Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Enga?o, Punta Cana, Juanillo, Bayah?be, Casa de Campo (restricting access to beaches in Catalina island), and Guayacanes...

North Coast: Costambar, Cofres?, Bah?a Maim?n (occupied by a hotel chain), Bah?a Luper?n (Casa del Mar), Playa Dorada, Bah?a Principe. South Coast:La Playita, en Azua Quote.

Hi Mirador, thank you for quoting the list of beaches alleged to be "closed" to Dominicans. That was the reason for my post. Costambar beach is not and never has been closed to Dominicans. Check it out on most weekends (unless it is raining) and all holidays. You will find hundreds of cars, often parked four deep and innumerable Dominicans. I respect the fact that all beaches are public, so please don't quote Costambar beach is restricted to Dominicans, this just isn't so. Canadian Bob
 

Conchman

Silver
Jul 3, 2002
4,586
160
63
57
www.oceanworld.net
this may or may not pertain to Costambar, but on another beach on the north coast, everyone expects private companies to clean up the beach after Dominicans trash it on sundays and holidays, but when those companies financing the clean up want to enact some reasonable restrictions, everybody goes up in arms.
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
7,716
6
0
www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
Conchman said:
this may or may not pertain to Costambar, but on another beach on the north coast, everyone expects private companies to clean up the beach after Dominicans trash it on sundays and holidays, but when those companies financing the clean up want to enact some reasonable restrictions, everybody goes up in arms.
I have seen the same thing with the trash and comment on it often. I don't know what the answer should be though.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
People are all up in arms about this privatization of beaches.

Ok, maybe Hideaway Resort in Cabarete should not act as if it owns that strip of road that leads to the beach, but if you noticed, Dominican beaches are the most beautiful, cleanest, and in best shape when a resort is behind the sands nestled among the palm trees.

I don't find anything wrong (besides being illegal, for now at least) that certain stretches of beaches to be privatized. It's for the benefit of the tourist industry because of a clash of cultures.

The well heeled foreigners compared to locals come here for many things, the beach being a relaxation spot. Lower class Dominicans use the beaches for bonches (ie. parties). If you have been to any beach that gets inundated by lower class Dominicans, you will not be able to even hear the surf crash because of all the merengue and bachata blasting at ear splitting volume as if they want God to hear how much fun they are having while they develop titinus in their ears (btw, titinus is a continuous non stoping ring. Once you get this, your hearing goes down hill from there).

It's just a culture clash, and quite frankly we have to find a common ground with catering to poor locals and wealthier locals and foreigners who are a bit more sensitive to the needs of others as oppose to just blasting your music with no regard of your neighbors well being.

I don't see a major problem in privatizing sections of beaches, as long that there are sections that still remain public. Boca Chica is a good example.

I hear that a similar thing occured in Miami, though it had nothing to do with privatization, however anybody who has been to Miami Beach knows there are sections that are privatized and sections that are public. Anyways, the problem was with European women sunbathing topless and the much more conservative Americans feeling offensive at such scene, especially in the presence of minors. Miami city ordinances apparently fixed that by designating certain areas as topless and other areas as non-topless.

We can do something similar here, though it will be one area for quite and relaxation and the other area for pure carnality.
 

cj7

Newbie
Mar 12, 2017
2
11
3
Your commentary points out that you assume that the beaches of this country are meant to be catered towards foreigners, and not by the local people themselves. Dominicans have absolute right to enjoy their own natural resources instead of them being blocked off for the benefit of a small priviledged class and foreigners looking to relax, for the sake of "investment". If a foreigner wants to visit, it includes respecting the inhabitants rights to enjoy their own natural resources. If you want a desolated beach with no noise, then a 3rd world country with a population of around 11-12 million and a moderately high density is not the exact place to do that. Go to Bermuda or Cayman instead, or just anywhere where it is naturally silent without the need to strip off people of their own resources.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
I love it when people revive 12 year old threads!:rolleyes:

especially when there are no new developments. i mean, if the thread was about cell phones, and the thread last discussed the Motorola flip phone, i can see someone riviving the thread to discuss the Samsung Galaxy 7 and IPhone whatever..

this is odd..
 

Expat13

Silver
Jun 7, 2008
3,255
50
48
Since post reopened- I always thought the same thing about these hotels staking claims to a public beach so others cannot use. I still think it's wrong but after 7 years of visiting these beaches, it seems like most if not all Public beaches are treated with the same respect as the allies behind Burger King or barrio colmados. If all beaches were open to the public I would guess tourism never would have amounted to much here. Garbage everywhere isn't the right message- embarrassing!
 

oriole100

Bronze
Oct 9, 2005
807
18
0
All I know is that in Caberete there are hotels on the beach and the beach is open to everyone. There doesn't seem to be a problem. There doesn't seem to be much trash. Most take theirs with them.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
All I know is that in Caberete there are hotels on the beach and the beach is open to everyone. There doesn't seem to be a problem. There doesn't seem to be much trash. Most take theirs with them.

i might be wrong on this, but i believe that a part of the reason why Cabarete is slightly different is because the beach is not right up against the street. in Costambar, for example, people can drive right up to the beach, and that is where problems start. they park their cars, take out the food containers and beer coolers, blast the beach with noise pollution, and throw garbage where they sit. in Cabarete, you walk in from the street with very little, and certainly not a speaker cabinet the size of a short skyscraper.
 

Expat13

Silver
Jun 7, 2008
3,255
50
48
that has been tried. people steal them.

Awesome!! Blame the government! Yes they have some blame here but the problems are far deeper, its a "respect thing" which I hate to say it but the a very high majority here are not akin to this character trait. You see it everywhere from noisy neighbors, driving on the streets, inline at the supermercado, the public service sector, even with dead bodies on the street after a fatal crash. (Wallets,watches,stolen). You can argue against this but that wont solve the problem- I wish it would because it's a serious black mark against a beautiful Country.
 

KITTU

Member
May 13, 2015
212
9
18
Today we were walking along the Juanillo beach with our puppy by the water and the security of the new Secrets came up to us telling that we cannot bring dogs to the beach, we were no where near the hotel, walking by the water. We politely sent back the the security from where he came, that beaches cannot be privatised and it doesn't belong to the hotel. it's ridiculous!!!