Dominican Republic: Playing at the Nearby Playa

September 6

Hello everyone!

It quickly became evident that in order to enjoy life in Santo Domingo, we would need to…get out of Santo Domingo. Regularly. Having bought and collected a car in early September, we used it on the first weekend of the month to get out of the city. 

Freedom to explore! Within reason...

Playa Najayo

Specifically, we wanted to dip our toes in the Caribbean Sea. Santo Domingo itself is on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, but…well, you wouldn’t want to be swimming there. Nice enough to look at from the Malecon, mind.

Santo Domingo's coastline as seen from a
Malecon run I did when I visited in 2022

Playa Najayo isn't a beach affected by mass tourism

Not wanting to negotiate the traffic of crossing the city (even on a Sunday morning), we headed west for about 30 kilometres on the Palenque highway. The closest beach to Santo Domingo in this direction seemed to be a place called Playa Najayo (Na-HA-yoh).

The drive takes about one hour

It is in San Cristobal province

Driving here is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I’ve never checked my blind spot - and both lanes either side of me - so often in my life. Even then, a moto carrying two large flagons of water almost careered into us as I was doing a three-point turn from being sent the wrong way by Waze. Nonetheless, I was able to enjoy some of the scenery as we navigated west, then south, towards the beach. Mainly because there were trees and a river.

The truck ahead was filled with green plantains

We drove past a baseball game

Not soon enough, the road meandered along the coastline and we got our first glimpse of sand. I wouldn’t call it white sand: those beaches are elsewhere in the country. I wouldn’t call it soft sand, either. However, it was a beach! Nestled in a cove with cliffs at one end!

The beach had quite a few pebbles , particularly under the water

According to one website, it is the 66th best beach in the DR.
Surprised they didn't have a plaque for that.

All beaches in the DR have public access. There weren’t too many people at Playa Najayo, probably due to it being quite small, quite early on a Sunday morning, and a bit cloudy. This was perfect for us as it allowed Mini and Maxi to frolic on the sand and in the sea. Well, Maxi in the sea. Mini thought the waves were too strong.

Sand!

Sea!

They were pretty strong, with a bit of a cross current to boot. Maybe another reason why the beach was sparsely populated, save for a family of about 10 or so jumping up and down in the waves closer to the rocky cliffs marking its end. Having read about it since, Playa Najayo is “not a typical tourist destination” and “calm and uncrowded”. It had quite an authentically local vibe.

You can see the family in the middle distance in the water

The fishing boats aren't just for show: we saw
a man setting up to take his boat out

Really what you’re here for are pictures of dogs on a beach, so here you go:

Maxi loved it until being swallowed by a wave

Mini was a bit more reluctant to swim in the sea, even with her lifejacket

There are hundreds of beaches on the edges of the Dominican Republic. My guess is that beaches to the east of the capital are more frequently visited, and would have what one would stereotype as more of a ‘beach vibe’. Playa Najayo, with its quiet charm and relatively easy access from our side of Santo Domingo, doesn’t have that. For that reason, it may well be revisited.

Fishing boat at Playa Najayo

Breaks at Playa Najayo

Well-being: improved

Love you all,

Matt