Photo Essay: Sosua Beach, Dominican Republic

Last year, when I was in Mexico, I discovered a new world. A mysterious and colorful world, hidden from every day sight. When I went snorkeling for the first time, I had no idea how fast and hard I would fall in love with it. The colors, the fish, the splashing in the water. What’s not to love about snorkeling?!? So when I was invited on a Fathom Cruise to the Dominican Republic, I knew that I had to make some time for my snorkeling obsession. I scheduled my impact activities, so I would have 1 full day in the Dominican Republic to go and explore, find a beach, put on my fins and hop into the water.  

My requirements were this: It had to be reasonably close to Amber Cove on the north side of the Dominican Republic, where our ship was docked. I also wanted to be able to snorkel from the beach and not rely on a boat to take me out. After a bit of research, I found a place that fit the bill: Sosua Beach, Dominican Republic. 

There are so many things to do in the Dominican Republic. I really wish we could have added at least another week or two to go and explore this beautiful island. Fingers crossed we can return one day. 

So on our free day, the husband and I hopped into a Publicar and were on our way to explore the underwater world of the Dominican Republic. Sosua Beach is a little resort town about 45 minutes to the east of Amber Cove. We shared our ride with an elderly lady and ended up paying less than $10 for both of us. The driver stopped at the side of the road, we paid and jumped out to get to the water as quickly as possible. We walked down a shady back alley under a cover of lush vegetation. Ferrel cats and dogs hushed across our path. People sat on plastic chairs, laughing, chitchatting and going about their daily lives. The dirt alley turned into sand and suddenly we were standing under palm trees and looking at the clear, turquoise water of Sosua Beach. 

We rented some beach chairs and an umbrella and set up our home base for the day. Miguel, our waiter, made sure we had everything we needed and took great care of us. We found our little place of heaven in the Dominican Republic. But see for yourself. Isn’t Sosua Beach simply stunning? 

The water at Sosua Beach was so clear that you could see the rocks and fish beneath the surface, even without snorkeling. The ocean was calm and perfect for splashing around and cooling us down in the midday heat. Another reason why I wanted to go snorkeling in the Dominican Republic, was so I could try out our new toy: The GoPro Hero4 silver, which we had gifted ourselves for Christmas last year. We had some technical difficulties at first, but the husband managed to get some decent footage. So if you like, check out our first under water video 🙂

Snorkeling as Sosua Beach: 

Local Food at Sosua Beach: 

Fun in the sun, as we all know, lets you build up an appetite, so when we saw Jackie, the fruit guy walk by again, we hailed him down and he started cutting up some of the most delicious tropical fruits for us. We gorged on sweet and succulent mango and quenched our thirst with cool coconut water. 

And our fruity appetizer was followed up by some grilled fish, rice and beans and a cool Presidente Beer.

The rest of the day was filled with a whole lot of nothing. Just like a day at the beach should be. Sosua Beach is perfect for that. If you like, you can take a boat out to a reef and a more exciting snorkeling opportunity. You can ride on a banana boat or get a massage on the beach, have your hair braided and enjoy a few cocktails and some delicious food. We felt safe and while you still need to keep your wits about yourself (just like in any other touristy place), we had a great time. I do want to make you aware that prostitution is legal in the Dominican Republic and we saw a few girls approach some of the men with an offer they apparently couldn’t refuse. However, it wasn’t very obvious and we only saw it, because we love to people watch and so we noticed it. 

Sunset at Sosua Beach

As this picture perfect Beach day at Sosua Beach came to an end, we were rewarded with one more highlight. Just as the sun was setting, a few clouds appeared on the horizon and turned the sunset into an explosion of colors, texture and a little bit of miracle.

After this beautiful sunset, we said goodbye to Miguel, exchanged phone numbers to stay in touch and met his buddies, who were playing Dominos at the beach. We made our way back up the deserted and dark alley, found another Publicar and negotiated a fare to Amber Cove. 

What a fun and relaxing day at the beach. It has been a long time that the husband and I have done something like this. Usually, when we go on vacation, we tend to go-go-go and try to fit in as many experiences as possible. Slowing down and taking a rest day like this makes the whole trip so much more relaxing and enjoyable. It gives you time to reflect and digest all the impressions and experiences you’ve had on your trip and take it all in. I don’t think I could do a two week resort vacation any time soon, but I will make sure to include a day of rest and relaxation here and there from now on in our trips. 

What is your favorite beach in the world? 

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