10 Best Beaches to Visit in the Dominican Republic

Visiting beaches in the Dominican Republic sounds like a dreamy vacation. Now, mix it up with Spanish immersion and you have the trip of a lifetime! 

The Dominican Republic is home to enchanting culture, welcoming people, delicious food, and paradisiac playas (beaches) to explore. 

The colorful island is a hidden gem awaiting intrepid travelers and language learners to discover it. 

What’s more, the amount of beaches in the Dominican Republic is ridiculously long! You’ll have a hard time deciding which one is your favorite. 

Pack your bathing suit and let’s embark on an exploration of the 10 best beaches in the Dominican Republic. 

Beaches in the Dominican Republic Are a Must

The Dominican Republic is the second-largest island in the Caribbean. Its beaches have incredible sceneries and offer a wide array of experiences for visitors. It’s an unbeatable destination for Spanish learners. 

The diverse wildlife of the Caribbean, its crystal waters, untapped ecosystem, and savory gastronomy make excellent conversation starters in all the beaches in the Dominican Republic. 

Choosing the best beach in the Dominican Republic is a tough one, as each of them has its own charm and uniqueness. 

The hustle and bustle in the beaches of the Dominican Republic offer unique engagement opportunities with locals. What’s more, mastering Dominican Spanish is also a fun challenge you’ll want to take.

Learn All About Dominican Spanish in this insightful blog post.

Discover the Best Beach in the Dominican Republic

1. Playa Rincón

Playa Rincón is an off-the-beaten-path white sand beach in the Samana Peninsula of southern Dominican. 

The beach is only a 30-minute boat ride from the town of Las Galeras. If you plan on driving, keep in mind the roads are paved but have several potholes.

Playa Rincón is considered the best beach in the Dominican Republic because of its pool-like turquoise waters.

Locals recommend visiting the left side of the beach for its soft waves. This area is ideal for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and snorkeling. 

There’s also a blowhole worth visiting known as la boca del diablo (the devil’s mouth). The coastline is 5 kilometers long.

2. Cayo Levantado

Cayo Levantado beach is located on Bacardi Island. Beachgoers consider it a hidden gem among beaches of the Dominican Republic. 

This place offers a unique calm and quiet for people seeking to relax under palm trees. The beach has facilities like bathrooms, showers, and food stalls. 

You can access this location from the port of Samana by car, or by public boat. The nearest airport is Samana El Catey International. 

Cayo Levantado is only one square kilometer in size, still, it welcomes over 50,000 visitors every year. 

The shallow waters of Cayo Levantado make it an idyllic place to sunbathe, fish, paddleboard, kayak, and indulge in exotic seafood.

3. Bavaro Beach

Bavaro beach is definitely the best beach in the Dominican Republic for resort lovers. It’s the most famous beach in Punta Cana. 

It’s 40 kilometers long and welcomes close to one million people each year. It’s certainly a touristy destination and its busy shore is ideal for families and adults. 

The peaceful waters of Bavaro beach are fantastic for swimming, parasailing, and taking a boat. There’s also a protected reef area where you can snorkel and practice scuba diving.

Playa Bavaro has dozens of hotels and all-inclusive resorts for you to choose from. It’s surrounded by shopping venues and different styled restaurants. 

It’s located only 20 minutes away from Punta Cana airport, making it one of the most accessible beaches in the Dominican Republic. 

4. Playa Dorada

Playa Dorada is among favorites when it comes to resort beaches in the Dominican Republic. It has mountain picture-perfect views, soft sand, and sparkling waters. 

It’s located in Dominicana’s Amber Coast and is the main beach in the Puerto Plata province. Unlike other beaches in the Dominican Republic, the resorts aren’t massive skyscrapers, they are smaller and respect an untapped environment.

Playa dorada offers fun activities for all visitors. Kids can go looking for seashells or build castles on the shore while adults learn how to kitesurf, windsurf or sail a catamaran. 

Its location just 10 minutes away from Puerto Plata makes it the best beach in the Dominican Republic with easy access.

5. Playa Cosón

Playa Cosón is the best beach in the Dominican Republic in the municipality of Las Terrenas in the Samaná province. It’s perfect for taking long strolls, tanning, and relaxing. 

It has a wide variety of dreamy boutique hotels along its shores. It’s perfect for honeymooners and romantic adventurers. 

There are restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues. There are well-known aquatic sports schools where you can learn how to scuba dive, kitesurf, and snorkel. 

It has surrounding islets that are also part of the Las Terrenas. Out of all the beaches in the area, playa Cosón is one of the most vivid and upbeat.

6. Kite Beach

According to the pros, Kite beach is the best beach in the Dominican Republic for aquatic sports. 

It’s home to the Master Ocean World Championship where hundreds of visitors from all over the world reunite for competing in kiteboarding, surfing, stand-up paddle, and windsurfing events. 

The coast of Kite Beach is quite long and there are several restaurants and bars in front of the beach. It’s easy to move away from the busy areas and find a chill spot to relax. 

Since the area is so popular for sports, it’s perfect for both kids and adults who want to learn a water sport.

Kite beach is in the Cabarete municipality, located only 20 minutes away from Puerto Plata International airport. It’s highly accessible and comfortable to visit. 

7. Playa Grande

If you love discovering secret spots, Playa Grande is the best beach in the Dominican Republic for you. Unlike other beaches in the Dominican Republic, this one lacks the popular all-inclusive resorts and nightlife. 

Moving away from water sports, large hotel chains, and parties, Playa Grande remains undeveloped with rustic local vibes. 

There are palm trees on the shore, food stalls, and a sense of peace you won’t find in many Dominican beaches. You can relax on the beach and lounge chairs, or go snorkeling and boogie boarding along the shore. 

The beach has easy access from Cabarete and Puerto Plata. There are other surrounding coves and beaches you can explore on the drive to Playa Grande.

8. Playa Boca Chica

Playa Boca Chica may be small but it’s a beautiful beach destination for everybody. It’s only one mile long and is located a few minutes away from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. 

The proximity to the city makes it a favorite for tourists. It has the proper infrastructure and facilities for an awesome day at the beach. 

Families love Playa Boca Chica because the crystal turquoise waters feel like a pool. It’s also shallow and with a flat sandy bottom. 

It’s ideal for kids to have fun building sandcastles and swimming around all day. Adults can enjoy playing beach volleyball, jet skiing, and riding a banana boat.

9. Playa Frontón

Playa Fronton is the best beach in the Dominican Republic for those who like adventure and uncharted places.

It’s accessible by a 4 hour round trip hike from the small town of Las Galeras in the Samana province. 

Playa Fronton has crystal clear waters, vivid palm trees, and is surrounded by majestic black cliffs. The trip there feels like forever until you discover the unique and surreal sceneries it harbors. It’s worth the effort and time.

Choosing Fronton over other beaches in the Dominican Republic guarantees you’ll have more privacy without large crowds of tourists. It’s the go-to beach for couples and for those who like a slow style of travel.

Plan a trip to another one of the Dominican Republic’s marvels of nature and learn all about The Magical Damajagua Cascade. 

10. Bahía de las Águilas

Personally, I believe the best beach in the Dominican Republic is Bahía de las Águilas. 

Its coast spans close to 5 miles and has powdered white sand and turquoise clear waters. Bahía de las Águilas is certainly remote, but that’s actually what makes it such a paradise. There aren’t any strong currents and the place feels like an infinite peaceful pool.

The beach is well taken care of and has only what you need. There’s even a place where you can get snorkeling gear for venturing into exploring the shallow ocean floors. 

Bahía de las Águilas is close to the town of Pedernales. It’s part of Jaragua National Park, a UNESCO world heritage nature reserve. Very few people make it to this stunning destination, but those who do, classify it as one of the top beaches in the Dominican Republic. 

Conquer the Beaches in the Dominican Republic

The beaches of the Dominican Republic feel out of this world. With so many to choose from, your trip to this amazing country is guaranteed to create unforgettable memories and experiences. 

People who speak Spanish enjoy traveling to the fullest. They have more independence and confidence to move around on their own, ask questions, find directions, and meet new people.

Prepare for the trip of a lifetime when you learn Spanish with our fantastic team of certified teachers from Guatemala. Sign up for a free trial class and allow them to teach you all sorts of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. 

Conversing with a native speaker is a proven working strategy for improving Spanish fluency and grammar comprehension. Explore the multiple programs we have at Homeschool Spanish Academy and choose whichever fits your needs and goals. 

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