My Trip Down to Playa Grande
Alright, so I finally got around to visiting Playa Grande down in the Dominican Republic. Been meaning to check it out for a while, heard good things, you know, the usual buzz about a nice beach. Didn’t really plan much, just sort of decided it was time for some sun and booked a flight.
Getting there was pretty standard stuff. Flew into Puerto Plata, I think it was Gregorio Luperón International Airport, or POP as they call it. Grabbed my bag, went through the motions. Finding transport wasn’t too hard, negotiated a taxi ride. It’s a bit of a drive from the airport, maybe an hour and a half, something like that. The drive itself was interesting, got to see a bit of the countryside pass by the window. Lots of green.
Settling In and Beach Time
Found a place to stay not far from the beach. Wasn’t anything fancy, just a simple room, clean enough, which is all I really needed. Dropped my stuff and immediately headed for the main reason I came: the beach itself.
And yeah, Playa Grande lives up to the name. It’s big. A long stretch of golden sand. First thing I did was just walk. Walked from one end to the other, just taking it in. The waves were pretty strong that first day, saw some folks trying to surf, looked like fun but maybe a bit much for me right then. The water color was that classic Caribbean blue-green. Beautiful.
My days fell into a simple rhythm:
- Wake up, grab some coffee.
- Head to the beach, find a spot.
- Swim a bit, watch the waves, walk around.
- Grab lunch at one of the little shacks right there on the sand.
- Maybe read a bit, maybe just sit.
- More beach time, maybe another swim.
- Watch the sunset.
Food and Just Being There
The food was straightforward, mostly fresh seafood. Had some amazing grilled fish, served with rice and beans, fried plantains (tostones). Simple, but incredibly tasty. Found this one spot, can’t remember the name, just a little setup under some palm trees, best snapper I had the whole trip. Ate there a couple of times.
Didn’t do a whole lot else, honestly. Wasn’t really looking for excursions or big activities. The goal was just to unwind, disconnect a bit. Spent hours just watching the ocean, listening to the waves crash. It’s amazing how therapeutic that can be. Talked to a few locals here and there, mostly small talk when ordering food or buying a bottle of water. Everyone seemed pretty laid back.
Wrapping Up
So, yeah, that was my time at Playa Grande. It wasn’t about ticking off sights from a list. It was about slowing down, feeling the sun, swimming in the ocean, and eating good food. Just a simple, proper beach trip. Left feeling recharged, which was exactly what I needed. Definitely a place to just be. Got what I came for. Good spot.