Dominican Tourism Minister David Collado has declared that all beaches in the Dominican Republic are public property that must remain open to everyone.
The stance from the Ministry of Tourism, known as Mitur, follows growing social media anger over private resorts and security guards blocking local residents and visitors from reaching the coastline.
Collado emphasised that while private property rights must be respected, no five-star hotel or private security team has the legal right to prevent people from sunbathing on public shores. He said existing legislation clearly guarantees public beach access across the Caribbean nation.
However, the minister noted that public rights become meaningless if beachfront properties fail to preserve mandatory public walkways. Without enforced access routes, members of the public are left unable to reach the sand unless they arrive by boat, paraglider, or a two-kilometre walk carrying children and beach chairs.
Resort disputes and local vendor protests
Tensions over beach rights have escalated across several popular tourist destinations. In Juan Dolio, an artist recently confronted a hotel security guard and a military officer who barred entry to a resort beach. In Bayahíbe, a small business owner reported that security personnel were preventing her customers from accessing the shore, while a tourist in the north reported booking a stay at a hotel advertising a private beach.
The Dominican Republic, located in the Greater Antilles, is one of the most visited destinations in the Caribbean. Popular coastal towns such as Juan Dolio on the southern shore and Bayahíbe in the southeast rely heavily on a combination of international resorts, local businesses, and public beach access.
The controversy over beach access forms part of a wider discussion surrounding coastal regulations and public space. Protests have also erupted over high prices charged by local vendors in beach towns such as Boca Chica and Guayacanes, highlighting friction between residents, small traders, and major hotel operators.
Collado said the ministry had intervened to redirect the conversation toward peaceful coexistence between local citizens and tourists, stressing that written regulations and civic courtesy must govern shared coastal areas.
