The entire beach is essentially open to the public as there aren't any large resorts or even very many buildings right on the beach. The water is a little rough with a lot of waves and there are undertow hazards at a few places, so swimming is limited. Surfing and body boarding, however, are very popular and cheap to rent. There is supposidly a "famous" wave here. The surfer/rasta culture is strong and many people are willing to give cheap lessons. I also saw sea kayakers riding the waves. Just north of town is a black sand beach, formed by the abundant volcanic ash. It's very pretty but not many people go in the water here - the ash is finer than sand and is thus very hard to get out of your hair and swimsuit! No pretty sunsets because the sun sets in the west, but the jungles surrounding the beach are a unique experience.