Best beach close to ship

[Cigar Dude]

Looking for a great, beautiful beach close to the ship. Drinks and food close by would be nice. Mainly want a beautiful view.

 

Wherever you recommend I'd like to know cab rates to get there and back to the ship.

 

Thanks for your help in advance!

[lifesabeach123]

Playa Minitas: 10 minutes drive from port. Tickets available at the booth on the dock (estimated price $45 pp, info from another post, food and drinks at extra cost) This is the private beach for residents and guests at Casa de Campo. The beach is clean with good facilities - showers, clean bathrooms, bar and restaurant. Nice quality sunloungers and parasols. The beach area is small (0.2 miles long). It's surrounded by a breakwater to keep the water calm. The view is straight out to sea with luxury private coastal villas to the far left. Nothing else around within walking distance. No beach vendors or gift shops on this beach.

GoogleEarth coords: 18°24'10.34"N 68°55'3.69"W

Do a google image search for "Playa Minitas Casa de Campo".

 

Bayahibe Public Beach: 15 minutes drive from port. Port Taxis (minibuses) charge around $US60 round trip per minivan for 1-5 passengers, extra passengers at $US10 pp max usually 9. Taxis can be shared, driver usually waits at port until van is full before setting off. Driver will wait at beach for you. Pay driver on return trip.

 

Bayahibe Public beach is right next to Dreams La Romana resort's beach. Facilities are rustic (bathroom is inside a corrugated tin hut, bring your own toilet paper/paper napkins). Sunloungers for rent, bring your own towels. At back of beach there is a row of beach vendor's gift shacks and a small place selling drinks and food.

Plenty of natural shade. Water is turquoise, clear and calm all year round. Beautiful views with Dreams to the right and small boats docked to the far left. You can walk 5 minutes along beach past a row of colourful wooden beach homes into the marina and the village (perfectly safe). There is another bay on other side of the public beach bay. Several inexpensive restaurants and bars around the bays (with clean bathrooms). Fairly clean larger bathrooms also on the main bus car park. See map below.

Good snorkeling by Dreams jetty. Their beach is private with security guards but you can walk in the water past it as they don't own the sea and can't stop you! So walk in water past boat channel and duck under the swim zone rope to walk in shallow water or swim to jetty (see map) bring your own masks - be careful crossing the boat channel and avoid snorkeling in front of public beach as there may be boats coming in and out.

GoogleEarth coords: 18°22'24.81"N 68°50'35.97"W

 

Bayahibe public beach photos

 

Bayahibe photos

"

 

Bayahibe map http://bayahibesup.com/bayahibe-map/

 

Dominicus Public Beach: 20 minute from port. Same price as above. A longer beach to walk on with several AI resorts along the way. This part of the coast is more exposed than Bayahibe so water be slightly rougher with a small playful shorebreak. Water is turquoise and clear. One beach restaurant with bathroom behind public beach area. Sunloungers and parasols for rent (no natural shade here). A row of gift shacks to the left.

Google earth coords: 18°20'42.27"N 68°49'34.34"W

Dominicus beach photos

[Cigar Dude]

Bayahibe looks like it would be nice except for the toilet situation! But we may be able to work with that.

 

The pictures make it look nice too.

[neptuno]

Hello lifesabeach, and thank you for the local knowledge. Please tell us if we could catch a bus (gwa-gwa?) to Bayahibe or another public beach and local town you might recommend. I speak Spanish and we like an adventure, and have spent a month travelling the DR about 15 years ago in a rental car. Thanks.

[lifesabeach123]

Hello lifesabeach, and thank you for the local knowledge. Please tell us if we could catch a bus (gwa-gwa?) to Bayahibe or another public beach and local town you might recommend. I speak Spanish and we like an adventure, and have spent a month travelling the DR about 15 years ago in a rental car. Thanks.

 

The nicest beach by far is in Bayahibe. There is a local one in La Romana town but it's very dirty and really not scenic at all.

 

Speaking Spanish will definitely help when taking guaguas. You can catch them from the main road outside of the port. You just stand at the side of the road, extend your arm and point in the direction you want to go. There are no designated bus stops. They look like minivans and usually have quite battered bodywork. They don't have destination signs so it's trial and error whether you hail down the right one or not! The cobrador (guy who takes the fare) usually hangs out the side of them. Have the right money on you as change may be an issue.

 

NOTE: before getting onboard make sure the guagua is going to Bayahibe and NOT Higuey. The fare should be no more than 80pesos ($US2) one way per person.

 

Ask the cobrador to let you know when you get to your destination. The guagua will drop you in central Bayahibe either in the main bus carpark or by the supermarket (see my Bayahibe map in my previous post).

 

For the return trip catch the guagua from near the supermarket. Allow at least 40 minutes for the trip as the guagua might pass by Dominicus before heading to La Romana. Ask the cobrador to let you off on the main road near the port (also known as El Muelle). If you recognise your drop off point then either shout "deja me por favor!" or bang the roof or side of the guagua a couple of times, this lets the driver and cobrador know when to stop. Note, the guagua will stop immediately.

 

Guaguas between La Romana and Bayahibe run approx. every 20 minutes - there is no official schedule.

 

It is polite to greet everyone on the guagua when you get in, with a simple buenos dias / buenos tardes. Dominicans are very friendly and will likely engage you in conversation. Riding on the guagua is an experience for sure! One time on the north coast I shared my seat with a goat (unlikely to happen in La Romana)

 

Enjoy your adventure!

 

[neptuno]

Thanks lifesabeach, I read in Fodor's that there were "complementary" shuttles to Altos de Chavon and Casa dC Marina from the cruise docks. Are these free of charge?

[neptuno]

And thanks for the maps. Would you recommend a hike to Playa Mayagan east of Bayahibe? If so, how's the snorkelling, looks like a little reef there?

[lifesabeach123]

Thanks lifesabeach, I read in Fodor's that there were "complementary" shuttles to Altos de Chavon and Casa dC Marina from the cruise docks. Are these free of charge?

 

There is a shuttle bus at the port to Altos de Chavon. I think they charge $US7 round trip. Tickets are sold at a booth in port.

[lifesabeach123]

And thanks for the maps. Would you recommend a hike to Playa Mayagan east of Bayahibe? If so, how's the snorkelling, looks like a little reef there?

 

Playa Mayagan is a very small, wild-natural beach in a small bay. There are no toilet facilities - infact no facilities there at all! You can snorkel there, you'll have to bring your own gear, watch out for sea urchins underfoot! It's a 15 minute stroll from central Bayahibe.

[lifesabeach123]

OK I stand corrected! In a previous post I said that the beach in La Romana town (Playa Caleta) was dirty (it was early last year when I visited) and not scenic. However, I've just seen photos from friends who visited yesterday. Looks like they've cleaned it up! It is a very nice little beach. Not as nice as in Bayahibe, but nice. The water is rougher than in Bayahibe too. There are a couple of rustic restaurants for some real Dominican food and of course, Presidente beer and rum.

 

Playa Caleta is a great spot for those adventurous cruisers looking for an authentic Dominican experience away from crowds of tourists (it'll help if you can speak Spanish). As a tourist you may well be "bugged" by persistent beach sellers BUT, if you can handle that - no problemo!

 

Sorry, really not sure how to get there by public bus (guagua). It's 15 to 20 minutes to the west of port. Any port taxi will know where Playa Caleta is.

 

GoogleEarth coordinates: 18°24'6.68"N 68°59'43.05"W

[lifesabeach123]

Here are some videos of Playa Caleta in La Romana town

 

shows road going there and what's behind the beach roadside.

 

eating fresh fish in Playa Caleta

 

shows the rocky/stoney part of the beach

 

more sandy part at end of this vid

 

reviews and photos of Playa Caleta on Trip Advisor (note photos 13,14 & 15 are not Playa Caleta)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147292-d2306847-Reviews-Playa_Caleta_La_Romana-La_Romana_La_Romana_Province_Dominican_Republic.html

[neptuno]

Playa Mayagan is a very small, wild-natural beach in a small bay. There are no toilet facilities - infact no facilities there at all! You can snorkel there, you'll have to bring your own gear, watch out for sea urchins underfoot! It's a 15 minute stroll from central Bayahibe.

 

Just returned from Playa Mayagan. It is a short stroll from the bus stop in Bayahibe. There were tank divers diving right from the beach, they said it was good diving, but that day the wind was from the south and it was not good visibility. btw, we took the guagua from La Romana, it's 60DRpesos or $1.50usd, $2 if you dont have change, each way. I do not recommend flagging it down on the road, because they fill it before leaving La Romana, at the stop just west of the river bridge near the cruise dock. It's worth the walk, but you have to walk out through the taxi gates. Not far, maybe 10 minutes. But you have to wait until it's full, about 15 or 20 minutes. Coming back was the same, wait until filled, so it takes at least 45 minutes each way with wait.

[lifesabeach123]

...I do not recommend flagging it down on the road, because they fill it before leaving La Romana, at the stop just west of the river bridge near the cruise dock. It's worth the walk, but you have to walk out through the taxi gates. Not far, maybe 10 minutes. But you have to wait until it's full, about 15 or 20 minutes. Coming back was the same, wait until filled, so it takes at least 45 minutes each way with wait.

 

Good point Neptuno! - it's a popular route so best to catch guagua from the stop you mentioned.

[karena1]

The nicest beach by far is in Bayahibe. There is a local one in La Romana town but it's very dirty and really not scenic at all.

 

Speaking Spanish will definitely help when taking guaguas. You can catch them from the main road outside of the port. You just stand at the side of the road, extend your arm and point in the direction you want to go. There are no designated bus stops. They look like minivans and usually have quite battered bodywork. They don't have destination signs so it's trial and error whether you hail down the right one or not! The cobrador (guy who takes the fare) usually hangs out the side of them. Have the right money on you as change may be an issue.

 

NOTE: before getting onboard make sure the guagua is going to Bayahibe and NOT Higuey. The fare should be no more than 80pesos ($US2) one way per person.

 

Ask the cobrador to let you know when you get to your destination. The guagua will drop you in central Bayahibe either in the main bus carpark or by the supermarket (see my Bayahibe map in my previous post).

 

For the return trip catch the guagua from near the supermarket. Allow at least 40 minutes for the trip as the guagua might pass by Dominicus before heading to La Romana. Ask the cobrador to let you off on the main road near the port (also known as El Muelle). If you recognise your drop off point then either shout "deja me por favor!" or bang the roof or side of the guagua a couple of times, this lets the driver and cobrador know when to stop. Note, the guagua will stop immediately.

 

Guaguas between La Romana and Bayahibe run approx. every 20 minutes - there is no official schedule.

 

It is polite to greet everyone on the guagua when you get in, with a simple buenos dias / buenos tardes. Dominicans are very friendly and will likely engage you in conversation. Riding on the guagua is an experience for sure! One time on the north coast I shared my seat with a goat (unlikely to happen in La Romana)

 

Enjoy your adventure!

 

 

 

This is not in Samana, right?

[lifesabeach123]

No, it's La Romana port on the south coast. Samana is 5hrs away on the north east of the island.