RIO SAN JUAN, Dominican Republic.- The Playa Grande tourism association will soon cut the ribbon for public infrastructure facilities, including beach access as part of a sustainable development project that seeks to reconcile private investment with interest.
Playa Grande’s announcement departs from the hoteliers’ traditional behavior of halting access to the beaches, where they post armed guards who menace Dominicans and foreigners alike.
In a statement, the hotel company said the project is part of a joint venture with its companies Playa Grande Holdings and North Shore Land Holdings, which guarantees public access to the beaches Playa Grande and Playa Preciosa.
It said the land set aside for public facilities include a wide access road for vehicles, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, which takes visitors from the coastal road’s exit to the structures located along the beach area.
Among the facilities available figure access to beaches, new booths for food vendors, bathrooms, a arts and crafts plaza, a surfing hut, a bar and two roofed gazebos.
Written by: synapse, 11 Feb 2013 1:15 PM
From: United States
God help them! It will look like the beach slum of Boca Chica in no time if they invite the parasites.
Written by: rokete, 11 Feb 2013 1:16 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo
Excellent !!
Beautiful Playa Grande, is one of the top beaches in the country.
Beaches in our nation are public land according to the law, with free access for everyone.
I hope they organize vendors properly, and place the appropriate methods of control, to avoid the beach from being spoiled, or being unsafe.
In Semana Santa, once again, Playa Grande here I come !!!
Written by: JoséJosé, 11 Feb 2013 2:32 PM
From: Dominican Republic
It’s all government happy talk (pure B.S.). They are blocking off ¾ of the beach and where the old road was, that entire area is being broken up into streets & lots with a future of very high end homes overlooking the Playa Grande beach. The public will only have access to the very end of the beach.
Written by: Tomas, 11 Feb 2013 3:14 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Jose, you are not correct, but close!
We were there yesterday.
Unless you like walking, you are limited to maybe 2% of Playa Grande.
Unless you arrive early to park, you are left with a half KM or more
walk (DOWNHILL) to the beach.
I fear it's just a matter of time before the armed guards show up.
Leaving the owners of the very pricey condos & homes soon to be built
with 98% of the beautiful beach.
Also, the access road from the west end is already closed.
We were NOT impressed.
Written by: Diego, 11 Feb 2013 5:02 PM
From: Dominican Republic
I was there as well yesterday, what’s described as a “wide access road for vehicles” is a tiny road barely wide enough for 2 cars; on top of that it is very curvy
Parking for about 40 cars, if that many. I have been going to that beach with family and friends for over 20 years and I am now looking to find another where I don’t have to walk ½ mile or more to get to the water. I guess what’s happening there is progress
Written by: Tomas, 11 Feb 2013 5:35 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Yes, it's progress for a very select few individuals.
I discovered it about 8 years ago.
Wonderful place until about a month ago.
Oh well.
They sure spent a lot of dinero there!
Written by: DRmaker, 11 Feb 2013 7:15 PM
From: Canada
I went to Playa Grande in 2004. It was part of an excursion I went on while I was staying at Playa Dorada. Beautiful awesome beach. I bought a wood carving of a dolphin from a vendor on the beach.
Let's hope it remains accesible to the public. All beaches in the DR supposedly are public, but that is not always the case.
In Sosua, while staying at the resort Sosua by the Sea in 2007, I walked to the next beach which was in front of an abondoned hotel. I don't know the name of it, but it is a beautiful beach with reef coves.
A couple of years later I tried to go back to that beach, but new apartments were built in front of the beach called Infinit Blu. I asked the guard at IBl if I could access the beach and he would not let me go to the beach, saying it was only for IB residents.
Last month I was walking on the street in front of IB and asked a guy selling running shoes across the street how I could get on to the beach.
Written by: DRmaker, 11 Feb 2013 7:20 PM
From: Canada
He told me the beach is public and to tell the guard at IB that I want access to the beach.
So, when I go back to Sosua next month I am going to ask the guard at IB to let me onto the beach. If that approach doesn't work...................I will slip him a 100 peso note, LOL.
From: Dominican Republic, calle A.Portes
It is one of the most dangerous beaches here ,,,much of it was closed off for a while ..does anyone know what part is now opened ,,,I assume closest to Cabrera
Written by: Tomas, 12 Feb 2013 8:05 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Yes, the xtreme east end of it, about 150 yards of it.
Written by: jasfalon, 12 Feb 2013 8:38 AM
From: United States
The beach is basically GONE to locals.
Does anybody know if this is part of the Boykin Curry project?
I hope not, as he had explained that he was going to be the SAVIOR of the area, with his created community.
Written by: Tomas, 12 Feb 2013 9:18 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Playa Grande Golf course, etc. is behind it.
It is still there for the locals.
Read all the posts.
From: Dominican Republic, calle A.Portes
Yes Tomas ,,you used to go down steep steps to the beach from the now destroyed hotel but then the beach went for miles towards Cabrera and was wonderfully attractive but there was a huge under tow ,,I suppose you can still swim there atyour own peril ..Between the steps from the golf course towards Cabrera is the small dirty car park and evenpast that area you could swim ...but then the beach eventually petered out and there were the large clifftop homes that were always being robbed.
Written by: Tomas, 12 Feb 2013 7:13 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Ahhh. the good old days!
Well, I only found Playa grande 4-5 years ago.
It was always reasonably clean with good food available.
COLD cervasa as well.
Friendly locals & maybe 20% Blanco touristas.
Imi Novia told me of the undertows.
I have seen people out half a km swimming.
Anyway the clifftop homes are gone.
At the extreme East end is the new development.
The smaller beach (Precisio) around the corner is still accesable for now.
They are also rebuilding the course, why, I don't know. It was in great shape.
Written by: Escott, 13 Feb 2013 11:50 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a 2 days a month for payday
Most days all the spots are not taken close to the beach at playa grande. Only Sundays there is a problem with parking. Before a SUV with outrageous sized stereo and speakers would park next to you on a Sunday and blow your ear drums or a stupid person with a motorcycle would drive past you and get stuck in the sand and spin the tires showering you with sand.
Now it is beautiful and not an eyesore. Yes they moved the entrance a few hundred yards towards Cabrera but it is still nice to walk along the beach. The undertoe is not severe 90% of the time and there is always a fresh breeze coming in from the ocean so even on the hottest days you get fresh air.
They did a good job and are spending a fortune developing the land. The golf course had not been in great shape before. Don't know exactly what they are doing there so can't comment. There is a lot of work being done though.
From: Dominican Republic
jasfalon: this IS the Boykin Curry project...his group sold the golf course and the rest of the land and kept the beachfront for private development.
Written by: Tomas, 14 Feb 2013 9:25 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
Really!
Wow.
There goes the neighbourhood!
Written by: jasfalon, 14 Feb 2013 11:32 AM
From: United States
GringoinDR
What happened to the clinic, library, etc. that he said he was going to build for the local communities?
Written by: Tomas, 14 Feb 2013 12:09 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera
The back 9 is being rebuilt as we speak.
The front 9 is open for $50/round cart Inc.
It we be rebuilt too.
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God help them! It will look like the beach slum of Boca Chica in no time if they invite the parasites.
Excellent !!
Beautiful Playa Grande, is one of the top beaches in the country.
Beaches in our nation are public land according to the law, with free access for everyone.
I hope they organize vendors properly, and place the appropriate methods of control, to avoid the beach from being spoiled, or being unsafe.
In Semana Santa, once again, Playa Grande here I come !!!
We were there yesterday.
Unless you like walking, you are limited to maybe 2% of Playa Grande.
Unless you arrive early to park, you are left with a half KM or more
walk (DOWNHILL) to the beach.
I fear it's just a matter of time before the armed guards show up.
Leaving the owners of the very pricey condos & homes soon to be built
with 98% of the beautiful beach.
Also, the access road from the west end is already closed.
We were NOT impressed.
Parking for about 40 cars, if that many. I have been going to that beach with family and friends for over 20 years and I am now looking to find another where I don’t have to walk ½ mile or more to get to the water. I guess what’s happening there is progress
I discovered it about 8 years ago.
Wonderful place until about a month ago.
Oh well.
They sure spent a lot of dinero there!
Let's hope it remains accesible to the public. All beaches in the DR supposedly are public, but that is not always the case.
In Sosua, while staying at the resort Sosua by the Sea in 2007, I walked to the next beach which was in front of an abondoned hotel. I don't know the name of it, but it is a beautiful beach with reef coves.
A couple of years later I tried to go back to that beach, but new apartments were built in front of the beach called Infinit Blu. I asked the guard at IBl if I could access the beach and he would not let me go to the beach, saying it was only for IB residents.
Last month I was walking on the street in front of IB and asked a guy selling running shoes across the street how I could get on to the beach.
So, when I go back to Sosua next month I am going to ask the guard at IB to let me onto the beach. If that approach doesn't work...................I will slip him a 100 peso note, LOL.
Does anybody know if this is part of the Boykin Curry project?
I hope not, as he had explained that he was going to be the SAVIOR of the area, with his created community.
It is still there for the locals.
Read all the posts.
Well, I only found Playa grande 4-5 years ago.
It was always reasonably clean with good food available.
COLD cervasa as well.
Friendly locals & maybe 20% Blanco touristas.
Imi Novia told me of the undertows.
I have seen people out half a km swimming.
Anyway the clifftop homes are gone.
At the extreme East end is the new development.
The smaller beach (Precisio) around the corner is still accesable for now.
They are also rebuilding the course, why, I don't know. It was in great shape.
Now it is beautiful and not an eyesore. Yes they moved the entrance a few hundred yards towards Cabrera but it is still nice to walk along the beach. The undertoe is not severe 90% of the time and there is always a fresh breeze coming in from the ocean so even on the hottest days you get fresh air.
They did a good job and are spending a fortune developing the land. The golf course had not been in great shape before. Don't know exactly what they are doing there so can't comment. There is a lot of work being done though.
Wow.
There goes the neighbourhood!
What happened to the clinic, library, etc. that he said he was going to build for the local communities?
The front 9 is open for $50/round cart Inc.
It we be rebuilt too.