Plan to spend an afternoon and evening in Puerto Plata in late February (en-route to Santiago) and wondered if there are any suggestions for a good, and hopefully quiet, beach, with places to eat nearby which don't have to be fancy or catering to tourists. Thanks.
- Thread starter crenshore
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Best beach in Puerto Plata
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If you are the adventurous type, there is always Playa Bergantin. This beach is at the end of the sugar cane fields just East of the Playa Dorada complex. There is a dirt road leading into it. It's safari type ride of about 20 minutes driving carefully from the main road. You will need somebody to show you or yo will start doing circles in the sugar cane fields. I won't be there at that time, sorry, but you can find a kid on the road and ask them if they show you for a couple of pesos or an invitation to dinner there.
There are a couple of traditional Dominican wooden shacks and they do fish there and will prepare it for you. Even life lobster at times.
the only people you will see there, are ocasional visits from tour group, usually coming in on treking go-carts. The don't last much.
That's as secluded and quite and non-corporate-touristy as it gets without being completely un safe.
... J-D.
Just wondering here.....J-D
Is this place "safe" for the posters afternoon AND "evening"? Since it is fairly isolated with hardly anyone around?
Is this place "safe" for the posters afternoon AND "evening"? Since it is fairly isolated with hardly anyone around?
The place is safe during daylight time and at times also later evenings AS LONG either one of the two little "restaurant" operations are OPEN. They do at times have nightly "events" doing a fire on the beach. It's best to go there in the early afternoon and go with the flow.
It's isolated in the sense that there are no lived in buildings around. As I stated, at times a flock of go-cart tours may stop by for 30 minutes.
You can see Playa Dorada from there across a little bay and the beach can be walked all the way to or from Playa Dorada. Occasionally a hand full of tourists will do that.
On Sundays, there will be some locals and at times even a couple of Santiagueros with insider knowledge eating their espaguetti con pan on the beach... actually some fun moments when one manages to ingnore the mess the leave behind.
Still, maybe not the place to hang around naked or bear breasted... even thoug I have observed a couple of tourist girls from Playa Dorada feeling comfortable doing so, but then, they did not understand the comments the few locals present that day had about them, which ranged from admiration for the white "hookers" to contempt.
... J-D.
That's maybe a little too rustic
J D, great suggestion, sounds amazing, but I was thinking more along the lines of a nice beach with a few restaurants nearby but not one mobbed by tourists. Plus, knowing how easily I get lost, I will probably end up doing circles in the sugar cane fields. Any other ideas?
J D, great suggestion, sounds amazing, but I was thinking more along the lines of a nice beach with a few restaurants nearby but not one mobbed by tourists. Plus, knowing how easily I get lost, I will probably end up doing circles in the sugar cane fields. Any other ideas?
Malecon beach, Puerto Plata, near Cosita Rica restaurant. Malecon is the Esplanade i.e. road by the sea. Difficult to get lost there :cheeky:.
There ya go. The Malecon has several beaches, not all of them impeccable but with a lot of charm. Most foreigners you would see there are residents, heck you might even bump into me! On nice weekends it can get somewhat crowdy but with all in all a nice atmosphere. The Malecon has been recently renovated and upgraded with little bars right on the beaches run by streetvendors taken off the street and some actually serve simple food too. There is even an Italian guy doing custom pastas in the second last one going East.
As Lambada mentioned there are a few more formal restaurants all along the Malecon. Some are good, others just trying and a few are traps making a living off the few tourists dragged there by "guides".
It has become safe and more family oriented as years before. Sunday night is kiddies night, a lot of teenies on scooters coming down the avenue like in a video game. But it's safe as long there is life going on. The Malecon turns quiet after 11ish (PM) on nice evenings.
... J-D.
:ermm: If you're going to suggest the Malecon as a quiet beach why wouldn't you also suggest the beach at Costambar?
It is clean and quiet during the week maybe too busy on sundays but as far as I can tell it is safe and has lots of Restaurants/bars.
some say the water is unsafe but it's got to be better than the water at the Malecon.
Santa
It is clean and quiet during the week maybe too busy on sundays but as far as I can tell it is safe and has lots of Restaurants/bars.
some say the water is unsafe but it's got to be better than the water at the Malecon.
Santa
Because if the OP is staying in Puerto Plata as he/she says, then he/she can walk to the Malecon. The time specified was an afternoon & evening. Might not want to waste time getting taxis. Of course if OP has a car, then no problem. Unless of course their penchant for getting lost surfaces..............
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