The world is full of beautiful beaches, each with its own unique features. However, if you’re looking for one of the best, then look no further. The world’s 50 has placed a beach in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean as the 20th best beach in the world.
The world is full of beautiful beaches, each with its own unique features. However, if you’re looking for one of the best, then look no further. The world’s 50 has placed a beach in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean as the 20th best beach in the world.
Tucked away on the southernmost tip of Saona Island in the Dominican Republic, Canto de la Playa has officially claimed its title as one of the best beaches in the world—precisely because it remains completely untouched by modern tourism.
You’ll find this magnificent, raw beach in the heavily protected boundaries of Cotubanamá National Park. Thanks to its location, Canto de la Playa remains isolated. To reach its shores, you must commit to a choppy, exhilarating journey by speedboat or a specialised small motor vessel.
The perfect beach for relaxation
The many Caribbean beaches in the region are popular, and with good reason. However, if you’re looking to get away from the crowds and enjoy a hidden gem to wash your worries away with beautiful turquoise waters, then you should head to Canto de la Playa.
What makes this beach unique is the blend of colours. The sand is blindingly white with a subtle pink undertone, created over millennia from the offshore coral barrier reef. The sea itself is shallow and picture-perfect, with neon-turquoise shining in the Caribbean sun.
Canto de la Playa has banned commercial motorised water sports to protect the area; the local marine life and ecosystem thrive below the surface, making this stretch of coast perfect for snorkelling. Swim alongside schools of vibrant parrotfish, subtle stingrays, and massive, protected cushion starfish.
This remote beach is perfect for travellers who love to immerse themselves in nature. On Canto de la Playa, the beach isn’t surrounded by luxury hotels; instead, you’ll find an untamed jungle of leaning coconut palms that creates a natural green wall that blocks out the rest of the world.
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Exploring the untamed landscape
Exploring one of the world’s best beaches isn’t a simple task. As Canto de la Playa is completely wild, you won’t find any infrastructure. This means no public restrooms, no umbrellas, and no vendors selling water. If you’re planning a trip to this secluded beach, be sure to pack everything you need, from food to plenty of water.
The only structure on the entire beach is a lone, weathered gray house built in the 1970s by a prominent local family, which was grandfathered in just before the island was fully expropriated by the government for conservation.
If you want to avoid large crowds, instead of taking the midday premium speedboats; instead, look for specialised eco-tours that run a "reversed itinerary," arriving early in the morning when the beach is empty. Most high-end tours bundle a stop at Canto de la Playa with a visit to Mano Juan, a tiny, colourful fishing village of just 300 residents that hosts a local sea turtle sanctuary.
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