This is the easiest beach to reach from Santo Domingo (the capital of the Dominican Republic) and probably the safest and child friendliest beach in the island.  It lies inside a reef cove with gently sloping sand and shallow water where you can wade out at a low tide to a tiny offshore island, build sandcastles and snorkel.  Boca Chica is an energetic and unpretentious place, verging on the raucous at weekends when thousands of people escape from the capital to swim and listen to music.  During the week it’s a lot quieter but even then there’s no shortage of bars and restaurants.  There are a number of hotels and guesthouses but without doubt the main draw is the beach.