Santo Domingo closest beaches?

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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Has anyone found a decent beach close to the capital? Within 45mins either side? Sometimes its nice to go to the beach with your own chairs etc without being forced to hang at a beach restaurant. Juan Dolio over the years has only gotten worse. The nice public beach ?reas they harass you for having food and umbrellas.

I prefer new recommendations of alternative choices, not rants about the stupid rules and regs, we all know that exists throughout the country and is a waste of time discussing.
 

IEatTravelnCode

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Oct 29, 2014
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45 minutes away :/, That's Juan Dolio talking distance.
So sad Boca Chica has so much potential to be one of the greatest beaches in the country, but everyone knows it's downside.
You could try Guayacanes, and you if you feeling like traveling, Bayahibe.
 

dulce

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Jan 1, 2002
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I like Guayacanes public beach when I lived in Juan Dolio.

Then there is Playa Caribe : The beach Playa Caribe is located between Boca Chica and Juan Dolio is a small beach on the Caribbean coast.In fact this beach is close to Santo Domingo residents of the capital it will spend the day.Playa Caribe has neither a restaurant or bar but locals you rent chairs and umbrellas and you can prepare a small meal with drinks.The beach itself is lovely and the sea can be rough because the beach is not protected by reefs.
 

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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Really ? I really didn't see the potential, too narrow and ugly view.

It can be misleading because the first thing you see is calm turqouise blue w?ter due to the reef that breaks the tide. The downside, because of the garbage and human waste it is very dirty usually causing rashes after swimming. Based on personal experience.
 

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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................So sad Boca Chica has so much potential to be one of the greatest beaches in the country, but everyone knows it's downside.....................

Boca Chica is what it is and I doubt anything will ever change. I much prefer the far west end of Playa Boca Chica down near the fish shacks.
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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Juan Dolio (playa Juan Dolio) in front of Restaurant El sue?o. (Public)

Playa Juan Dolio - restaurant Cafe del Sol (just beware of 'erizos' (hedgehogs?). Average food, good prices and nice chair longs and beach beds.

Boca Chica - restaurants el pelicano (from the hotel). They let you use they beach of the hotel if you eat there.
 

AlterEgo

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Has anyone found a decent beach close to the capital? Within 45mins either side? Sometimes its nice to go to the beach with your own chairs etc without being forced to hang at a beach restaurant. Juan Dolio over the years has only gotten worse. The nice public beach ?reas they harass you for having food and umbrellas.

I prefer new recommendations of alternative choices, not rants about the stupid rules and regs, we all know that exists throughout the country and is a waste of time discussing.

Try heading west. The first beach is Playa Najayo, it's a big beach. In the center area are all the restaurants, frituras, tables and chairs, loud music, etc; but on the eastern end it is bare/empty and you can bring your own chairs or lay on a towel. No one will bother you. The downside to Najayo is that it gets very crowded on weekends and the class of some of the Dominicans isn't great. Very few foreigners, Euros from time to time, no "tourists".

If you keep going straight another 10 minutes past Najayo you'll come to Playa Palenque. No loud music, nice beach, decent food, no really annoying vendors, better class of Dominicans. Go to the farthest end, they call it Cocolandia. Best food is from Elidania, if you tell them Leo from Najayo recommended you, they'll take good care of you. If you order drinks/food they will not charge you for a table, chairs or a lounge chair - several of the others will gouge you for them.

PS. Down past the restaurants in Palenque you can sit or lay on the beach with your own chairs/towels. Huge area.
 
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AlterEgo

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Najayo is far from quiet but an interesting Dominican experience at weekends!!! It looked quieter at far end but didn't get there!

Far from quiet, LOL, yup! We live there.

Now they're bringing private busloads out there from SD - ay ay ay!

We drive to Palenque 99% of the time.
 

ju10prd

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Must try and get to Palenque. Tried around Easter, came off highway 2 and down new road past entrance to new power stations and into Nizao and onwards but gave up not getting to the coast and went back........only to realize when checking later I should have continued onwards and would have found Palenque.
 

AlterEgo

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Must try and get to Palenque. Tried around Easter, came off highway 2 and down new road past entrance to new power stations and into Nizao and onwards but gave up not getting to the coast and went back........only to realize when checking later I should have continued onwards and would have found Palenque.

Next time take the [closer] exit for Duveaux at the sugar mill. Once you see it, slow down and get into the right lane. [The last exit before yours will say "Yagrumo/Semana Santa", yours is right after that, almost immediately.] There is a tiny road to the right before you reach the sugar mill/cane fields. There's a tiny Provo Pollo restaurant, and then you'll see a SMALL square black sign that says "DUVEAUX - EL LIMON" at the little road.

Take the little exit road to the first intersection, and make a left turn [driving underneath the highway you just exited]. Go straight, it will look like you're going up a driveway to the sugar mill, but there's a turnoff for the mill. Continue up the road as it rises to go over the mountain, the first stretch of the road is crummy and bumpy, it's rather narrow all the way though. Take the road straight, there are no turns, it will go through a couple of little communities, then it goes down the other side of the mountain downhill, road is much better. Keep going to the end. You'll eventually see the ocean, and the road will end at a road.

Make a right to go to Palenque - a left to go to Najayo.

Otherwise, from SD you can take the malecon west, pay the toll and go forward towards San Cristobal, through Haina, Nigua, ends at the cruce to Najayo/Palenque.

Or through San Cristobal, come up over the mountain, keep going straight and you'll come to Najayo then Palenque.

If we're in DR, stop for a cup of espresso. :)
 

irishpaddy

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Sep 3, 2013
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Try heading west. The first beach is Playa Najayo, it's a big beach. In the center area are all the restaurants, frituras, tables and chairs, loud music, etc; but on the eastern end it is bare/empty and you can bring your own chairs or lay on a towel. No one will bother you. The downside to Najayo is that it gets very crowded on weekends and the class of some of the Dominicans isn't great. Very few foreigners, Euros from time to time, no "tourists".

If you keep going straight another 10 minutes past Najayo you'll come to Playa Palenque. No loud music, nice beach, decent food, no really annoying vendors, better class of Dominicans. Go to the farthest end, they call it Cocolandia. Best food is from Elidania, if you tell them Leo from Najayo recommended you, they'll take good care of you. If you order drinks/food they will not charge you for a table, chairs or a lounge chair - several of the others will gouge you for them.

PS. Down past the restaurants in Palenque you can sit or lay on the beach with your own chairs/towels. Huge area.

Palenque was nice ...the two days I went to it ...there was hardly anyone on the beach and if you walked further right away from the chairs and umberellas it was totally empty and very peacefull
 

AlterEgo

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Palenque was nice ...the two days I went to it ...there was hardly anyone on the beach and if you walked further right away from the chairs and umberellas it was totally empty and very peacefull

A couple of photos of Palenque.

This one looking west:

16knzuc.jpg


This one looking east [grandson in pic]:

n3lsow.jpg
 

chic

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Nov 20, 2013
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45 minutes away :/, That's Juan Dolio talking distance.
So sad Boca Chica has so much potential to be one of the greatest beaches in the country, but everyone knows it's downside.
You could try Guayacanes, and you if you feeling like traveling, Bayahibe.

whats the potential??? downside???what downside???? what potential???to be a great beach....please explain:bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit:
 

AlterEgo

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How can one get from SD to Palenque/Najayo with guagua+moto ?

There are buses that leave from Parque Independencia very frequently, they say PALENQUE on the front. They stop for a bit in San Cristobal first, and they also stop at Najayo, then on to Palenque. If you don't want to go all the way to the park, the buses run down Avenida Bernardo Correa y Cidron [ave. just north of Independencia] and you can wave one down anywhere along the way. The only problem with that plan is they are often full, especially on the weekends.

You don't need a moto, the stops are right at the beach.
 

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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So im thinking either Playa Caribe to the east or Palenque to the west. Any advice between the two?
 

IEatTravelnCode

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Oct 29, 2014
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whats the potential??? downside???what downside???? what potential???to be a great beach....please explain:bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit::bandit:

If you remove the trash, the vendors, and clean the beach to its natural state.
- Closest to the capital
- Turquoise Blue water
- Calm water
- Not so deep which is great if you have kids
- 3 to 4KM of beach