Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
PLAYA RINCÓN
For connoisseurs of such things, Playa Rincón is a pitch-perfect beach. Stretching uninterrupted for al-
most 3km, it offers nearly white, soft sand for stretching out on and multicolored water that's good for
swimming - there's even a small stream at the far western end for a quick freshwater dip at the end of
a long, sunny day. A thick palm forest provides the backdrop. Some historians claim that it's here, not
Playa las Flechas, where Columbus and his crew landed. One downside: an awful lot of flotsam and
jetsam lies uncollected along the sands.
Several small restaurants serve mostly seafood dishes and rent beach chairs, making this a great
place to spend the entire day. Most people arrive by boat; the standard option is to leave Las Galeras
around 9am and be picked up at 4pm - it's around 20 minutes each way.
Asociación de Lancheros de
Las Galeras
( 809-916-7591) runs fixed-price return boat trips for RD$2000 (RD$600 per person
with four or more people).
All but the last 2km of the road to the beach have been recently resurfaced, but even the unpaved
section is passable in any vehicle, except after particularly heavy rain. The turnoff to Playa Rincón is
7km south of Las Galeras on the road to Samaná. A round-trip taxi to Rincón, including wait time
(9am to 5pm), is RD$1500.
Sights
Las Galeras has a number of natural attractions that can be visited by boat, foot, car or
horseback. All can be reached on your own, provided you're in decent shape or have a
sturdy vehicle.
Playas Frontón & Madama
Preferred by some locals over Playa Rincón, Playa Frontón boasts some of the area's best
snorkeling. Apparently it's also popular with drug smugglers, Dominicans braving the
Mona Passage on their way to Puerto Rico, and reality show contestants - in 2002
Expedi-
ción Robinson,
Colombia's version of the reality show
Survivor,
was filmed here. Playa
Madama is a small beach framed by high bluffs; keep in mind there's not much sunlight
here in the afternoon.
Trails lead to both beaches but it's easy to get lost, so hire a local guide (contact Karin
at La Hacienda Hostel (
Click here
)
or, preferably, get to them by boat. Asociación de
Lancheros de Las Galeras have now installed fixed prices: RD$2200 to Playa Madama
(RD$700 per person with four or more people) and RD$2500 to Playa Frontón (RD$800
per person with four or more). A full-day boat excursion to all the beaches, including
Rincón, is RD$5000 (RD$1500 per person with four or more). All prices are roundtrip.
BEACH
