Playa Bayahibe (right in the town of Bayahibe), with its small sand stretch, has restaurants, services, boat captains, and food stands overlooking the beach, so you don’t have to go far for anything. Sure, Playa Bayahibe isn’t the postcard photo of a relaxing beach vacation you’ve traveled across the globe for, but if you go three miles east to Playa Dominicus you will find that photo-op. It is the first beach in the Dominican Republic to achieve the Blue Flag Beach status.

This coveted eco-label gives high honors for a beach’s commitment to sustainable development. It’s the powdered sugar sand and crystal clear water you’ve been looking for. No heavy undertow makes it safer for swimming or snorkeling, too. The beach lies along the coast called Dominicus Americanus and has a free public parking lot; you can rent beach chairs.

The easiest way to get between the two beaches is by taxi, which you can hail in the center of Bayahibe or outside the resorts of Dominicas Americanus (or call from your resort’s front desk).