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A rocky track cuts through a gap in the landmark mountain of El Morro, leading to a deserted white-sand beach. The beach is walled in by sheet cliffs, but the water is calm and protected in this spectacular cove. Sunsets are superb.

Steeped in history, as the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, this low-key stretch of sand backed by shade-giving vegetation attracts more fishermen than tourists. The freshwater Bajabonico River meets the sea at this spot, producing an interesting ecosystem that’s worth exploring.

Boats, Playa Isabela

This is probably the nearest thing to the classic image of tropical paradise. White sand meets calm turquoise sea, watched over by a stretch of coconut palms. Even the nearby hotels and guesthouses fail to intrude on the peaceful beach heaven.

Lack of easy access due to a single connecting rough road, has kept this horseshoe cove free from obtrusive development. But there are plans afoot to site a new hotel complex here. The sand is pristinely white, the sea bluer than blue, and the coconut trees sway enticingly.

A beach for exploring rather than swimming. A long, wild, deserted 6-mile (10-km) stretch, where big breakers crash onto the palm-littered sand. As part of a protected National Park, the beach has escaped development and offers nature in the wild, including mangroves, coconut groves, and hungry mosquitoes.

Only a few miles from the well-tended beaches of Bávaro and Punta Cana, this long, sweeping stretch of untamed coastline is as undeveloped as anywhere in the country. Pounding surf and a powerful undertow discourage most swimmers, but the bay at Punta Macao, with its sheltering headlands, is safer.

The gray sand may not be the finest in the Dominican Republic, but the view over the Bahía de Ocoa towards the distant sierra is breathtaking. The bay’s water is calm and inviting, and the beach itself, untroubled by tourists and home only to a few fishermen, is attractive and extremely relaxing.

Harboring one of the many small and undeveloped beaches on the coastline south of Barahona, Baoruco is more a fishing village than a tourist resort, although an all-inclusive hotel has recently opened nearby. The pretty beach has rather rough white sand, but the views into the wooded mountains are stunning.

Lying on the coastline of Parque Nacional Jaragua, Red Cape is named for the rich red seams of bauxite that once fed a now-derelict processing plant. The wildness is certainly a draw for the penguins and other birds.

As close as you can get to Haiti without crossing the border, this deserted beach overlooks a calm sea and offers great views of the Cabo Rojo headland to the south. Facilities here are minimal, but most evenings the beach comes to life when fishing boats return home to the village.