Juan Dolio is the nearest beach resort to San Pedro, about 25 kilometres west along the coast, and makes an easy half-day excursion. It's not the most spectacular Caribbean beach — the sand is narrower and more golden-brown than the powder-white beaches of the north — but the water is calm and warm, there are several small restaurants serving fresh seafood, and the resort strip is low-key enough to feel like a real place rather than a tourist compound.
The stretch of coast between Juan Dolio and Guayacanes has a concentration of small family-run comedores and seafood shacks that are far better value than anything in the hotels. Order the fresh catch of the day with fried plantains and a Presidente and watch the boats come in.