Playa Grande and Río San Juan

Playa Grande is a wide arc of pale sand between headlands of eroded limestone on the north coast, with a shore break heavy enough to make it one of the few beaches in the country with genuine surf, and enough space that it never feels full. Above it sits a golf course laid out along the clifftops. A few minutes east, Playa Preciosa is smaller and wilder with stronger currents. The village of Río San Juan has the Laguna Gri-Gri, a mangrove lagoon where small boats run out through a tunnel of roots to the coast, past a cave and a swimming spot in a sheltered cove.

What you actually see

• The beach - a wide arc between limestone headlands with real surf.
• Playa Preciosa - the wilder beach next door, for looking rather than swimming.
• Laguna Gri-Gri - the mangrove lagoon boat trip from the village.
• The clifftop - eroded limestone above the sand.

When to go

December to April is drier, with the biggest surf in the winter months. The sea here is rougher than the sheltered south, so calm days are better for swimming with children. Weekends bring local crowds and food vendors.

Honest expectations

The shore break at Playa Grande is powerful and there have been drownings; it is not a gentle swimming beach, and Playa Preciosa next door is more dangerous still with rip currents. Lifeguard cover is limited. The Gri-Gri lagoon trip is short and has become tired, with pressure to tip at each stop.

Nearby

Cabarete is an hour west; Cabo Francés Viejo is on the headland east.