Amanera: Clifftop Caribbean sanctuary on Playa Grande with 25 casitas, championship golf, and private beach club

Perched dramatically atop 60-foot oceanfront cliffs overlooking the golden sands of Playa Grande on the Dominican Republic’s pristine north coast, Amanera opened in November 2015 as Aman’s Caribbean clifftop sanctuary. Designed by architect John Heah, the resort is set within 2,000 acres of protected coastal jungle framed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Cordillera Septentrional mountain range. Twenty-five standalone casitas with flat bio-diverse green roofs blend seamlessly into the coastal forest, offering unobstructed ocean vistas and direct access to one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated beaches.

Arrival at the open-air Casa Grande pavilion offers immediate panoramic ocean vistas. Day-one logistics focus on planning Caribbean adventures: tee times on the newly renovated 18-hole championship Playa Grande Golf Course (redesigned by Rees Jones with 10 clifftop ocean holes), guided jungle treks through coastal nature reserves, kiteboarding in nearby Cabarete, and reserving a beachfront cabana at the private Amanera Beach Club.

Resort amenities balance championship golf with serene wellness. The Casa Grande infinity swimming pool appears to merge directly with the sea, complemented by the clifftop Aman Spa, tennis courts, and fitness center. Dining spans Caribbean-influenced Mediterranean cuisine at Casa Grande, fresh ceviches and wood-fired pizzas at the Beach Club, and bespoke cigar and rum tastings in the lounge.

Accommodations comprise 25 casitas (77 square metres of indoor living plus expansive outdoor verandas) and the two-bedroom 244-square-metre Amanera Casita. Thirteen casitas feature their own private 10-metre outdoor swimming pools. Each casita features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, warm teak and indigenous stone, deep freestanding soaking tubs, and wide shaded outdoor dining daybeds.

Golfers, beach connoisseurs, and couples seeking dramatic clifftop architecture, world-class golf, and untouched golden beaches should book Amanera without hesitation. Travelers seeking crowded mega-resort casinos or all-night clubs should look elsewhere. Grounded review consensus confirms exceptional standing with a 4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor across 260 reviews and a 4.8 out of 5 on Google across 190 reviews.