Playa El Limón

Looking for a wide, sunny beach with turquoise blue water, rolling waves and complete solitude? There’s a good chance you’ll find all that and more at Playa El Limón, just east of La Barbacoa between Las Terrenas and El Limón. Playa El Limón may get a few visitors from time to time but you can easily find a stretch of beach to claim for yourself. Just be sure to bring a cooler with your drinks and snacks since there are no services at the beach. 

Playa El Limon looking east

Playa El Limón is a cove surrounding by pasture and farm land. There is only one development slowly being built by the road down to the beach but the majority of land beyond the beach is home to cattle and coconut trees. At the east end of the beach, there is a river that has lots of small crabs and fish. You may find some interesting shells there and you’ll sometimes find locals gathering crabs for food.

The river is on the east end of the beach on the right side of this view.

The coconut trees are set back from the sand and you may have to scout a little bit to find a patch of shade. On the east end of the beach, you will find a grassy stretch where you can unpack your things and spread out under the palm fronds. You can walk there from the main road or pass through the gate on your right before the end of the road to the beach and drive your car through a pasture to park in the shade.


The cayo off the beach at Playa El Limon

The waves at Playa El Limón can be strong but most of the time they are great for floating along the shore. There is a small cayo (island) off the coast and you will occasionally see fishermen in their small motorboats making their way around the island as they fish. The beach is long and you may find a few shells if you walk the distance out to the sandy end to the west. Usually, a breeze blows along Playa El Limón so you don’t have to worry about bugs. I never experienced any sand fleas on this beach either – despite the remoteness of the beach.

Playa El Limon looking west

The only drawback you will sometimes encounter at Playa El Limón is plastic trash. The tidal patterns in the area cause bottles and bags to wash onto the beaches. Without a hotel or homes to monitor the trash and keep the beach clean, you may have to wander a little to find a place free of litter. In addition, you will need to pack your trash out since there are no facilities on the beach for garbage.