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Boca Chica Beach

The Dominican Republic’s Boca Chica Beach is truly unique.·Lined with hotels, all-inclusive resorts, shops, restaurants, bars and cafeterias, its waters form a cove approximately 1 mile wide.· About 1/4 mile out, is a reef in the shape of a giant semi-circle that extends from end to end and just protrudes beyond the water's surface. The reef completely surrounds the cove, forming a giant natural salt-water swimming pool with depths averaging 3-4 feet.· Nevertheless, the reef has two openings: on the East side is the Boca (mouth) of Boca Chica where the cove waters meet the deep blue sea. This is where the water enters. The current flows from East to West. The west side is where the two yacht Clubs are located, also where the reef parts to enter the Caribbean Sea. The reef acts as a natural water break to the Caribbean Sea, so the cove is usually glass calm.· Inside the reef, the water is crystal clear, continuously filtered and fed by a series of natural underground springs.··It is this "swimming pool in the sea" that provides some very beautiful and distinct views because you have the deep azure blue of the Caribbean beyond the reef, contrasting with the shallow bay, which varies between a deep sky-blue and an intense blue-green, depending on the angle of the sun.”

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The water starts at the beach about ankle deep and reaches a depth of just few feet about 100 yards out, with nothing but smooth clean sand underfoot.· As one approaches the middle of the cove, there may be a short distance of 10 yards or so where the water depth reaches 6 feet but it quickly returns to just a few feet in depth and slowly shallows again until it is again ankle deep as one approaches the natural reef.

This naturally calm, clear, and shallow water makes it ideal for all sorts of water sports and swimming.· It is great for paddle boats, kayaks, water skiing and banana boat rides. Jet skis are restricted to the far end of the beach, away from the hotels and swimmers.· It is especially good and safe for small children.· The sand along the shore varies in appearance from a light colored tan to white, depending on the angle of the sun.· It is flat for easy walking and the beach varies from 40 to 100 yards wide.· One can easily find room on the beach to throw a Frisbee around any day of the week, any time of the day. There is lots of open space.

On Sundays, the Boca Chica is busier, as many Dominican families come from Santo Domingo to enjoy the beach, but by Monday morning the beach is empty and cleaned of any debris left from the Sunday crowds.· The rest of the week is generally quiet until Saturday, when the beach does see more visitors.