Beaches around Las Galeras
Around eleven beaches edge Las Galeras, reached by two small roads, forest trails, and fishing boats. Nine are below, starting with the two a short walk from La Junglita.
La Playita — The calm one, a short walk away
A sheltered little bay on the west side of the village, ten to fifteen minutes from La Junglita on foot — calm, shallow water under tall palms, with beach restaurants and loungers.
Getting there: About a kilometre: 10 to 15 minutes on foot from La Junglita along Camino La Playita, or 3 to 4 minutes by car or motoconcho.
La Playita sits in a sheltered bay on the west side of Las Galeras, ten to fifteen minutes from the garden on foot. The water is calm and shallow, which makes it easy swimming — and easy with children.
Tall palms shade the sand, loungers can be rented for the day, and the beach restaurants grill fresh fish and pour cold drinks from morning to late afternoon.
It is at its best in the late afternoon, when the light turns gold behind the palms. Patches of seagrass make water shoes handy, and there is a little snorkelling at the western end when the sea is flat.
- From La Junglita: 10–15 min on foot
- Access: Walk, car or motoconcho
- Water: Calm and shallow
- Food on site: Beach restaurants
Best for: Families, easy swims, and a slow afternoon that runs into sunset. Bring: Pesos for a lounger and lunch, water shoes, and a camera for the evening light.
Playa Colorada — On the way to Rincón
The first beach on the walk towards Playa Rincón — twenty-five to thirty minutes from the guest house, on foot only.
Getting there: On foot only: 25 to 30 minutes from La Junglita along the coastal path towards Playa Rincón.
Playa Colorada is the first of the beaches on the way to Rincón, twenty-five to thirty minutes from La Junglita on foot. There is no road to it — you walk.
It works as a short outing on its own, or as the first stop if you are walking the whole way to Rincón.
- From La Junglita: 25–30 min on foot
- Access: Walking only
- Direction: Towards Rincón
Best for: A short walk and a quiet swim before lunch. Bring: Water, a hat, and shoes you can walk in.
Playa del Amor — The solitary one
A beautiful, solitary beach about forty minutes' walk from La Junglita — halfway along the path to Playa Rincón.
Getting there: On foot only: about 40 minutes from La Junglita along the coastal path towards Playa Rincón. It sits roughly halfway.
Playa del Amor is the beach halfway to Rincón: a beautiful, solitary stretch about forty minutes from the guest house on foot, and reached no other way.
If you are walking the whole way to Rincón, this is where to stop and swim before the second half.
- From La Junglita: ~40 min on foot
- Access: Walking only
- Where: Halfway to Rincón
Best for: Anyone who wants a beach to themselves and doesn't mind the walk. Bring: Water, a hat, something to eat, and shoes you can walk in.
Playa Rincón — The famous one
Two kilometres of pale sand between a headland and a coconut forest, with a cold freshwater river at the far end. Routinely named among the best beaches in the Caribbean — and still, on a weekday, almost empty.
Getting there: About 25 minutes from La Junglita by road over a picturesque track, by boat from Playa Grande, or on foot in roughly 90 minutes across six beaches.
Playa Rincón is the one the magazines photograph. It curves for roughly two kilometres beneath the green wall of Cape Cabrón, backed the whole way by coconut palms, and the water shades from clear to a deep, improbable blue.
Walk to the western end and you'll find Caño Frío — a freshwater river that runs cold out of the forest and into the sea. Locals bring lunch and sit in it. You should too.
A handful of open-air fish shacks sit at the eastern end and cook whatever came in that morning: fried snapper, tostones, cold beer, coconut water, and fruit juices. It is the single easiest day to plan from La Junglita, and the one guests come back talking about.
- From La Junglita: ~25 min
- Access: Road, boat or 90 min walk
- Length: ~2 km
- Food on site: Yes — fish shacks
Best for: A full, lazy day. Families, swimmers, and anyone who wants a beach that lives up to the photographs. Bring: Cash for lunch, a hat, and reef-safe sunscreen. There's shade under the palms if you look for it.
Caño Frío — The one we tell every guest about
A cold, clear river that slips out of the mangroves into the sea at the quiet western end of Playa Rincón — turquoise water, hills and forest on every side, and hardly anyone there.
Getting there: At the western end of Playa Rincón: walk the length of the beach, or ask your boat to drop you there.
Caño Frío is on the north coast of the Samaná peninsula, in the province of the same name — a tranquil stretch of crystal-clear water known for its natural beauty and untouched surroundings, well away from the busier tourist spots.
Hills and dense vegetation close it in on every side, which gives it an air of isolation and calm. It rarely draws a crowd, so the experience stays intimate and close to nature.
The water is a striking turquoise blue, which makes it an ideal place to swim, snorkel and spend the day in the water. If you stay at La Junglita, it is the beach you can't miss.
- Where: West end of Playa Rincón
- Water: Cold, clear, turquoise
- Crowds: Rarely
- Good for: Swimming & snorkel
Best for: Swimmers and snorkellers, and anyone who wants the water to themselves. Bring: A mask, water shoes for the river mouth, and lunch — the fish shacks are at the other end of Rincón.
Playa Frontón — The dramatic one
A short strip of sand at the foot of enormous limestone cliffs, with the clearest snorkelling anywhere near Las Galeras and a coral reef you can reach from the shore.
Getting there: Around 20 minutes by boat from Playa Grande, roughly a two-hour forest hike each way, or about one hour each way from Boca del Diablo.
Frontón is the one that makes people put their phone away. Sheer limestone cliffs rise straight out of the trees behind a narrow beach, and the reef starts close enough that you can swim to it — the best snorkelling in the area, by a wide margin.
The cliffs also make rock climbing possible for the most adventurous visitors.
Frontón has services on site: a bar, shade beyond the cliffs, and a welcoming local restaurant serving food and familiar cold drinks. It still pays to carry your own water.
- From Playa Grande: ~20 min by boat
- Access: Boat or 2 h hike
- Snorkelling: Best in the area
- Food on site: Restaurant & bar
Best for: Snorkellers, climbers, and photographers. Allow half a day; pairing it with Madama adds about 45 minutes. Bring: Water, a mask, sturdy shoes if you're hiking, and whatever helps you relax and take photos.
Playa Madama — The secret one
A small horseshoe cove hemmed in by cliffs and a cave, shallow and calm, and quiet enough that you'll often have it to yourself.
Getting there: A 45–60 minute hike from Las Galeras through the forest, or about 15 minutes by boat.
Madama is tiny — a pocket of sand tucked into a horseshoe of rock, with a cave at one end and cliffs closing in on both sides. The shallow, calm water makes it lovely for swimming and snorkelling.
The walk in is part of the appeal: a forest trail with muddy patches, exposed roots and a couple of short steep sections. Nothing technical, but wear something better than flip-flops.
Most boats combine Madama with Frontón in one trip, and the two make a natural pair — the dramatic one and the quiet one.
- Forest hike: 45–60 min each way
- Access: Hike or ~15 min boat
- Water: Calm; good snorkelling
- Food on site: Bring snacks
Best for: A quiet half-day for walkers, swimmers, snorkellers, and couples. Bring: Snacks, water, proper shoes, and a dry bag if you're arriving by boat.
Playa Grande — The one you can walk to
Las Galeras' own beach — a long, calm sweep of sand at the end of the main street, with two welcoming beach bars and the fishermen's boats that take you everywhere else.
Getting there: About a ten-minute walk from La Junglita, straight down the main street.
Playa Grande is the town beach, and it's the reason Las Galeras works as a base. Walk down the main street from the guest house and it opens up in front of you: a wide, calm bay, sand for as far as you feel like walking, and almost never a crowd.
There is a beach bar and a hotel beach bar, both good for cocktails, cold drinks, and tapas. This is also where the fishermen's boats leave from — every trip to Rincón, Frontón or Madama starts on this sand. Agree the price before you get in; a round trip typically runs in the region of US$25–35 per person, and a full three-beach day tour more.
It's also the best moonrise and sunset within walking distance, which matters more than you'd think on the evening you don't feel like driving anywhere.
- From La Junglita: ~10 min walk
- Access: On foot
- Water: Calm, swimmable
- Food on site: 2 bars — drinks & tapas
Best for: Every day you don't want to plan anything. Moonrises, sunsets, swims, and boat departures. Bring: Bring pesos if you plan to eat, drink, or arrange a boat; there are four ATMs in the village.
Playa Aceradero — Twenty minutes from Playa Grande
Twenty minutes from Playa Grande, on foot along the shore or by road — the road loops, so it takes about the same time either way.
Getting there: From Playa Grande: walk along the beach, or take the road. The road makes a wide loop, so it is about 20 minutes either way — the only one of these beaches you can reach without walking.
Aceradero is twenty minutes from Playa Grande. You can walk it along the shore, or go round by the road; the road makes a big loop, so the time is about the same.
With Playa Grande ten minutes from the guest house, that puts Aceradero about half an hour away on foot.
- From Playa Grande: ~20 min
- Access: Along the shore, or by road
- From La Junglita: ~30 min on foot
Best for: A second beach for the days you don't want to walk far. Bring: Water, a hat, and shoes you can walk in.
Getting here
- Punta Cana Airport (PUJ): A taxi, the ferry across Samaná Bay and a guagua — or about 6 hours by road
- Santo Domingo Las Américas Airport (SDQ): The bus to Samaná (4–5 hours), then a guagua
- Samaná El Catey International Airport (AZS): The closest airport: 90 minutes by taxi
- Puerto Plata Airport (POP): About 5 hours by taxi
The last guagua from Samaná to Las Galeras leaves at 6 pm. There's no airport pickup, but we can recommend a taxi — just ask us on WhatsApp.
Every way here, with prices and times.
Check availability and book direct — no platform fees, and no payment until your dates are confirmed: WhatsApp +1 (809) 376 7806, call +1 (809) 376 7806, or the booking form. Stays from 3 nights to 3 months.
Contact
Calle Sira Peguero, 32000 Las Galeras, República Dominicana. +1 (809) 376 7806 (call or WhatsApp). Front desk 09:00 – 17:00.
Also on Airbnb: The Baobab, La Casita, Le Mapou, Le Flamboyant.
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