Dominican Republic Best Beaches (with photos)
Narrowing down the list of best beaches in the Dominican Republic is not an easy task. With so many beautiful beaches, each having its own character it truly depends on personal likes and preferences of each tourist. I’m pretty sure than no matter which beach you go to, you will enjoy yourself to no end. Following beaches are recognized by international travel authorities as Dominican Republic Best Beaches and that fact is also confirmed by number of independent tourists who flock to these in large numbers. If we were to take these simple criteria to form a list of Dominican Republic best beaches, it would contain the following:
Cabarete Beach
Cabarete is one of world’s top 5 windsurfing and kiteboarding destinations and the beach is definitely the best beach in the Dominican Republic. The feel of sand under your bare feet is heavenly – it’s so fine, it literally feels as though you were walking on a cloud. Besides a phenomenal beach, Cabarete also attracts many young people and no matter which day of the year it is, you will see the sky above the beach filled with hundreds of kites of all colors. Passionate amateurs share the waters of Cabarete beach with pro riders in one of the most extraordinary experiences on Dominican Republic’s best beach.
Dominican Republic Best Beach Photo - Cabarete, Photo by Space Ritual, Flickr
Playa Cofresi
Located just minutes west of popular tourist town and the capital of the north – Puerto Plata – lies one of the Dominican Republic’s most breathtaking beaches. Named after famous Caribbean pirate Roberto Cofresi, Playa Cofresi is the home to the largest marine theme park in the Dominican Republic. That’s where you can swim with dolphins, explore artificial reef or feed stingrays. No list of Dominican Republic’s best beaches can be without an honorable mention of Playa Cofresi.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photo - Playa Cofresi, Photo by Pam I Am, Flickr
Playa Dorada
Playa Dorada is Puerto Plata’s own beach resort. Thanks to absolutely stunning beach, Playa Dorada area has grown to become world’s largest resort complex for all inclusive guests. Because of that the beach is overrun with tourists who are used to getting everything delivered into their mouth. Despite the fact that it’s so “all inclusive”-ish, it’s still one of the best beaches in the Dominican Republic with nice warm water for enjoyable swimming. If you are not guest in ny of the resorts (you do not have the wristband) you may need to pay for a day pass. It’s possible to get in without paying though. I’ve done it many times. It’s truly an awesome beach.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photos - Playa Dorada, Photo by Space Ritual, Flickr
Playa Grande
Playa Grande, an impressive beach close to Luperon that stretches between Rio San Juan and Cabrera stays true to its name – the beach is 1.5 miles long. Breathtaking golf course was built on the cliffs overlooking Atlantic Ocean along the western part of Playa Grande, offering magnificent views dubbed with tranquil atmosphere that anyone can enjoy. Definitely one of the best beaches in the Dominican Republic with plenty of room for everyone to find their own peaceful spot.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photo - Playa Grande, Photo by missmareck, Flickr
Playa Punta Rucia
Playa Punta Rucia is an exact opposite of Playa Dorada – it’s off the beaten path where all inclusive tourists hardly ever get (basically never). It’s popular among divers and snorkelers, due to a large coral reef located not far from the beach. Its rich birdlife within a peaceful lagoon is great for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers. It’s a not to be missed beach that not many visitors to the Dominican Republic get to visit.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photos - Playa Punta Rucia, Photo by K@mphuis, Flickr
Sosua Beach
That’s a big one. If you’re looking for a postcard perfect beach, Sosua Beach is a must. It’s one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, not just the Dominican Republic and rightly so. Surrounded by picturesque rocky cliffs, Sosua Beach is located on a crescent shaped bay lined with dozens of small shops with local flavor. Overall popularity of the beach makes it a bit busy most of the time, but clear, calm water makes for highly enjoyable swim which easily makes up for the crowds. To fully appreciate clear, turquoise water of Sosua Beach, you could go on a glass bottom boat tour which is an amazing experience whether you are a seasoned visitor of first time in the Dominican Republic. The beach is also close to Gregorio Luperón International Airport which serves Puerto Plata and most of the north coast, so you can see the planes landing and taking off as you swim in calm warm water of one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photos - Sosua Beach, Photo by muckster, Flickr
Playa Rincon
This is one of my personal favorites. It’s on the Samana peninsula and little bit hard to find and definitely hard to get to, but well worth the visit. One could say it’s the Dominican Republic’s best kept secret. River flows into the sea right on the beach so you can swim in the mixture of fresh and salty water. Water in the river is so clean you can see all the way to the bottom. There are trees looming over it so if you’re a climber, you can get up and take a dive from there. You’ll see locals enjoying themselves by engaging in this type of activities.
Dominican Republic Best Beaches Photos - Playa Rincon, Photo by azure elixir, Flickr
There is a really, really bad road that leads to Playa Rincon which is really, really tough even if you drive an SUV. I got there on Honda Civic, but I’m a good driver. it was a challenging experience never the less. Perhaps the easiest way to get to Playa Rincon is to drive up to Las Galeras and take a motor-boat ride with one of the locals. Since it’s not a heavily touristy area, it’s easy to negotiate good price and get there quickly and without hassles of driving on bad and unlabelled roads. To me, Playa Rincon is THE best beach in the Dominican Republic. I prefer quieter beaches – I like some people there, but not too many. I like to have lots of room for myself and the ability to go anywhere without having many eyes follow me. I like impressive scenery and the feeling that I have gone through extra efforts to deserve this breathtaking view. You may not find Playa Rincon on the map of the Dominican Republic and that’s definitely one of top reasons why it’s the Best Beach in the country.
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