Lívingston has some acceptable beaches nearby, though the ones adjacent to town are generally not the cleanest and have had some security issues in the past. Locals insist the group perpetrating past robberies has been caught.

Playa Quehueche

The nicest beach close to town is Playa Quehueche, about two kilometers northwest along Bahía de Amatique. There are a couple of comfortable hotels here, allowing you the opportunity to stay right on the beach. Both have nice wooden docks for swimming in the placid Caribbean waters. Playa Quehueche becomes Playa Bariques as you get closer to town. A standout among the beaches bordering Lívingston is Playa Capitanía, on the town’s southeast fringes.

The beaches in and around Lívingston are of white ot grayish-brown sand, unlike the volcanic sands on the Pacific Coast. It’s not the talcum-powder white typically found on Caribbean shores elsewhere and the water is not turquoise as in the Belize cayes, mostly because silt from the surrounding jungle rivers flowing into the bay conspires to keep the waters a greenish-brown color. But they’re still perfectly nice for swimming. A boat ride from Lívingston to Playa Quehueche costs about $4.

Playa Blanca

Another 12 kilometers or so northwest is the area’s nicest beach, Playa Blanca (entrance $1.50), with a pretty stretch of white sand and palm trees along a tranquil stretch of the Caribbean Sea. The private beach is under the same ownership as the Villa Caribe and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a hotel here within the next five years. For now, it remains pleasantly quiet, though it’s becoming increasingly popular as a day trip from Lívingston. There are bathrooms and showers here.

Several outfitters including La Casa Rosada, Happy Fish, and Exotic Travel do trips to Playa Blanca for $13 per person with a six-person minimum and including a box lunch. The Exotic Travel tour stops at the waterfalls of Siete Altares and the Río Cocolí along the way.

The river is a pleasant side stream suitable for swimming with a small sliver of beach along the bay. Trips leave around 9 a.m. and return in the afternoon around 5 p.m. If you’re looking to hook up with a group, try Exotic Travel first, as it seems to be the popular favorite and might have a group already going out.