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Province · Samaná e Nordeste
María Trinidad Sánchez
María Trinidad Sánchez is the Atlantic coast between Cabarete and Samaná: Río San Juan and the Gri-Gri Lagoon, Playa Grande, Cabrera and the Dudú Lagoon, with Nagua, the capital, facing the sea.
In the photo: Laguna Gri-Gri, em Río San Juan (María Trinidad Sánchez)
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know María Trinidad Sánchez
María Trinidad Sánchez is a province on the north coast, facing the Atlantic, between Espaillat and Samaná. The coastal road crosses the entire province, passing coconut, cocoa and rice plantations, cliffs and golden-sand beaches, and is the scenic route between Cabarete and Las Terrenas.
Río San Juan, to the west, is a fishing village with the Gri-Gri Lagoon, a mangrove channel you take by boat to the sea, between cliffs and caves. Next to it is Playa Grande, one of the most beautiful beaches on the north coast, with golden sand, cliffs and strong blue sea, good for surfing.
Cabrera, further east, has coves like Playa Diamante, with calm, shallow water, and the Dudú Lagoon, a freshwater cenote with transparent water in the middle of the forest, with platforms for jumping and a cave for diving. Nagua, the capital, is a trading town with a long seafront malecón.
The province doesn’t feature towns in the guide, but it lies on the route between Puerto Plata, Sosúa and Cabarete and the Samaná Peninsula, and is worth stopping at.
When to go
From December to April there is less rain, but the Atlantic usually has bigger waves, which pleases surfers at Playa Grande. From May to August the sea is calmer. Hurricanes can hit the north coast between June and November, and rain can occur year-round.
Getting there
The north coast road links Cabarete to Río San Juan in about an hour and continues to Nagua and Samaná. Puerto Plata airport (POP) is about an hour and a half from Río San Juan, and El Catey (AZS), in Samaná, is just over an hour from Nagua. From Santo Domingo, the Northeast highway reaches Nagua in about two and a half hours.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about María Trinidad Sánchez
What to see in María Trinidad Sánchez?
The Laguna Gri-Gri and Playa Grande in Río San Juan; the Laguna Dudú and Playa Diamante in Cabrera; and Nagua’s malecón.
Is Playa Grande good for swimming?
It is more of a wave beach, open to the Atlantic; respect the flags. For calmer swimming, Playa Diamante in Cabrera has shallow, gentle water.
What is the Laguna Dudú?
A freshwater cenote with clear water in the middle of the forest near Cabrera, with platforms for jumping and a cave popular with divers.
Is the province on the route from Cabarete to Samaná?
Yes, the north coast road crosses the entire province, and the lagoons and beaches make for good stops.