The Dominican Republic will always be a good place to enjoy its paradisiacal beaches and rivers, and every Dominican knows the reasons why. Being a Caribbean country, with a tropical climate, its beaches and rivers are an attraction for both local and international tourists.
Each area of the country has its own charms. There are those who prefer the river for a ‘cocinao’ and others prefer the beach to get a tan and savor the famous yaniqueques of the area. For Dominicans, any day is ideal to enjoy a dip, with weekends and holidays such as Easter Week attracting more vacationers to the various resorts and beaches.
But, beware of those that will be closed as of Holy Thursday!
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) and the Civil Defense announced that 232 resorts and beaches will be closed and around 800 will be closed from Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday, as part of the preventive measures for Easter Week 2022.
With the closure of beaches and resorts, they seek to prevent accidents, suffocation by immersion and alcohol and food intoxication, variables in which more than 20 institutions involved will work, according to the director of the COE, Juan Manuel Méndez.
During this week, an estimated four million people are expected to be mobilized, the usual number that usually travel on this date, so Méndez called on the population to behave prudently and help reduce the number of victims that result during the religious holiday.
Operation conscience for life
This year “Conscience for Life” will have 3,175 aid stations, 165 ambulances, 41 mobile workshops, 57 tow truck stations, 9 regional command centers, 3 helicopters, 19 boats, 43 buses from the Metropolitan Bus Services Office, 1,525 immediate response units and 15 road assistance devices.
Beaches free of restrictions
As the sea is part of the vacationer’s life, among the beaches that will be open we recommend: Boca Chica, a coastal municipality located 26 kilometers from Santo Domingo. Also Juan Dolio and Guayacanes, very popular beaches in San Pedro de Macorís. The Caribbean beach, unlike Juan Dolio and Guayacanes, has strong waves, which are used by many Petromacorisans for surfing.
In La Romana, Cumayasa and Catalina Island will be available.
While in La Altagracia, Higüey, the Costa del Coco, a long stretch of beaches. On this coast are the beaches of Macao, Bávaro, Punta Cana, Cabo Engaño, Cabeza de Toro, Punta Juanillo, Puerto Escondido and Bayahíbe.
In El Seibo, El Limon beach and in Hato Mayor, Sabana de la Mar, located in the fishing village of the same name. Likewise, the tourist city considered as the most important of the North zone, Puerto Plata, has the following beaches: Cabarete, which enchants for its wind conditions and coastline used for windsurfing; Sosúa, Cofresí, Cabo Isabela, Cambiaso and Playa Dorada.
Visitors to the province of Montecristi can choose Punta Rucia, El Manantial and El Morro (a large hill on the coast that protects the city’s port), with reddish sand and strong waves.
Among the most attractive beaches that will be open to the public in the province of Samaná are Playa Rincón, Bonita, Las Terrenas and Las Galeras.
Southern Provinces
In the province of the salt mines, located less than an hour from Santo Domingo, Peravia, Baní, vacationers have the option of Nizao, Salinas and Monte Río beaches.
In San Cristóbal, Najayo and Palenque, which are characterized by gray or dark sand.
Azua has beaches of great natural beauty such as Palmar de Ocoa and Monte Río. Palmar de Ocoa is located in Ocoa Bay.
Barahona is a province that in recent years has had a great tourist development. Its beaches are characterized by fresh water jets and dark sand. Among the suggested beaches are Playa Saladilla and Playa Barahona. Although its main beaches are Los Patos and Playa San Rafael, avoid them, because they entered the list of closed beaches during this Semana Mayor.
In Pedernales there is a great extension of beaches, among them Bahía de las Águilas, Cabo Rojo and Playa Larga, which are out of the red alert.
Suggested rivers
Among the rivers authorized for the Holy Week holiday are El Salto del Higüero in El Seibo; El Cachón de la Rubia, Santo Domingo; Las Marías, Independencia; El Cachón, Barahona; Comate, Monte Plata; and La Confluencia, in Jarabacoa.
Beaches and rivers closed for Holy Week
The Civil Defense and the COE, as preventive actions for this Holy Week, have blacklisted 232 beaches and resorts, among which are: San Souci Beach, also known as Punta Torrecilla (Santo Domingo East); Charco Manoguayabo (Santo Domingo West); North Isabela River (Santo Domingo North); Güibia Beach (National District);
In Monseñor Nouel, Masipedro /part of the cascasa; Fula 3, El Peñón; Río Jima, lower part Salto de Jimenoa (La Vega); Playa el Caletón de el Amor (Nagua); El Francés and El Valle beaches (Samaná); El Derrumbao/de Salinas (Peravia); Playa San Rafael, Los Patos, Playa Río Caños, in Barahona, etc.
Also El Caney beach (Azua); El Chapuzón de Pimentel (Duarte); Tabara Abajo Dam (Azua); Los Bambues Beach (Sánchez Ramírez); Hawaii Beach (San Pedro De Macorís); La Represa de Santana (Bahoruco); among others.
