Playa Madama

Playa Madama was one of my favorite beaches I visited in the Dominican Republic. It is near Las Galeras, a small town just outside of Samana. Playa Madama is an absolutely stunning beach with bright blue waters, a snorkeling reef, and caves to explore. It is also more secluded than other beaches in the area. A perfect getaway spot for the day!

It’s best to get directions from a local. But if that’s not possible, I’ll write out the directions on how to get there from Las Galeras.

 

*Travel Tip* Make sure you download Maps.Me as it works a lot better than Google Maps. Just pre-download the Dominican Republic map when you have good wifi and you can access it without wifi after that. 

How to get to Playa Madama:

If you’re coming from Las Galeras, you can either take a motorbike or walk from the main town area. 

Go past Playa del Aserradero. This beach was right near where I stayed, so I would come here every morning.

At Playa del Aserradero, you’ll see a sign like this:

Follow the Playa Madama sign. You’ll end up on a narrow paved road. Continue going straight.

Straight ahead, you’ll see a steep road. Go straight up it and you’ll drive past a sign for “Beer Garden Las Flores.” This beer garden is awesome! Be sure to hit it up on your way back from Playa Madama.

 Take the road straight ahead past the beer garden.

The road isn’t the best, but if you have a dirtbike, you should be fine. Hiking is another good option. I wouldn’t recommend trying to go up this road in a rental car. We saw a Kia get stuck and eventually turn around. Not fun.

Keep going on this road until you reach a fork in the road. There will be a sign with Playa Madama pointing to the right and left.

Take the road on the left. This is a more direct route. Just after you take this road, if you are on a motorbike, you will probably need to park and walk from this point. The hike is super easy and accessible. 

We saw a ton of interesting wildlife while taking this hike! Iguanas, snakes (yes, just a few), and some really cool plants. There might be the occasional horse trekkers on the path, so keep an ear out for that. It’s about a 15 minute walk before you reach the beach.

Once you get there, you can check out the caves which would be to your left (if you’re facing the beach). I managed to climb a tree and crack open a coconut with my superior coconut-opening skills. 

Don’t forget your snorkeling gear and some water shoes. There are a lot of sea urchins and sharp rocks to climb, so I highly recommend some water shoes. 

 

If I Could Do It Again

I would definitely bring water shoes! And sunscreen. Yes, I underestimated how much time we would actually spend there, so I figured I didn’t need to bring any. I would also love to bring a drone to this area and get some shots of the beach. It really is a breathtaking, beautiful secluded beach. A perfect day trip from Las Galeras or Samana!

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