Playa Frontón

Frontón sits at the far northeastern corner of the Samaná peninsula, a short crescent of coarse sand at the foot of a limestone cliff that rises well over two hundred metres straight behind it, streaked with vegetation and full of caves and nesting birds. There is no road: you either take a boat from Las Galeras or walk a steep, hot and often muddy trail for well over an hour each way. The reward is the best snorkelling on this coast, with reef beginning within a few metres of the sand and dropping away quickly, and a beach that on a weekday can be entirely empty. The cliff is also used by rock climbers.

The landscape

• The cliff - over two hundred metres of limestone directly behind the sand.
• The reef - coral and fish within a few metres of the beach.
• The caves - openings in the cliff face above the beach.
• The emptiness - often nobody else on a weekday.

When to go

December to April is drier and the sea calmer, which matters because boats are the practical access and are cancelled in swell. Mornings have the best visibility for snorkelling. The walk in is best started early before the heat.

Practical notes

There is nothing here: no shade beyond the cliff at certain hours, no water, no food, no facility of any kind, so everything comes with you. The walking route is steep, slippery and easy to lose; take a guide. Boats cannot land in swell and trips are cancelled often. The sand is coarse and the entry rocky in places.

Nearby

Playa Madama is next along; Las Galeras and Playa Rincón are the base.

Key facts