Punta Cana activities

Activities and excursions:

There are some excellent Punta Cana activities for those wishing to leave their beach and cocktails at the all-inclusive for a while:

• Jeep safaris;
• Adventure tours-to deserted beaches etc;
• Horseback riding-with the option of riding on deserted white-sand beaches;gue
• Marinarium marine park;snorkeling with sharks and rays.
• Dolphin Island; boat ride to artificial island where you can swim with trained dolphins
• Manati Theme Park Bavaro; An amusement park focusing on nature, its animals and the history of the Dominican Republic.
• Punta Cana Ecological Reserve.
• Rancho Jonathan has caving excursions to Boca de Diablo, a large cave system south of Los Haitises
• Exciting watersports
• La Otra Banda; Caribbean architecture.

Los Haitises National Park.

Punta Cana activities [cont]

Several hotels offer excursions to Los Haitises National Park, a sanctuary for nature lovers and those interested in natural history. It is one of the cultural Punta Cana activities.

The underground rivers flow through caves replete with pre-Columbian drawings and petroglyphs, silent testimony to the Indian population who dwelled there peacefully for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. Be sure to visit the Cueva de la Linea (Ferrocarril) and the Cueva de las Arenas. The boat trip to get to these caves that are off San Lorenzo Bay will take you through the largest system of mangroves in the Caribbean.

Another option to visit and a place to have lunch in the area is the Paraiso Caño Hondo river center, a short drive from the National Park Los Haitises departure point. If you are renting a car, and consider yourself an explorer, head south from Sabana de la Mar (Los Haitises) to Miches. Discover the white sand and little frequented but very lovely Playa Miches or the further south Playa Esmeralda. Avoid Playa Esmeralda if you are not driving a four wheel vehicle as if it has rained the night before there may form a puddle in the sand road that 4 x 2 vehicles cannot pass.

Note that if you are staying in Punta Cana this will be a whole day trip. This really is a trip for those who book a stay in one of the small hotels in Sabana de la Mar.

Punta Cana activities [cont]

Boat trip to Isla Catalina

An environmental reserve located just offshore from La Romana with a coral reef perfect for diving or snorkeling and a nice beach.

Isla Saona

A larger island off the coast of La Altagracia province. It has a quiet fishing village with friendly locals who now cater to thousands of day trippers. You can go by catamaran, big tourist boat or small motor boat. The boats generally leave from Bayahibe. If you are lucky, dolphins will swim along with you. Some excursions use speed boats that take tourists to visit the village of Mano Juan and Palmilla beach with its white sands. This is the most-booked trip of tourists visiting Punta Cana but if you plan on returning to the DR, consider leaving it for a time when you stay in one of the La Romana hotels when you will be about a half hour boat trip away, instead of the almost three hours it will take to get there from Punta Cana.

Plantación Tropical.

A memorable side trip north from San Pedro de Macorís to Hato Mayor will reward the entire family with one of the largest horticultural centers in the Caribbean. Tropical Plantation displays scores of exotic species -- bromeliads, anthuriums, orchids and others along challenging labyrinthine paths. Complementing their intense colors, fragrance and beauty is an aviary with the island's native birds and a vast butterfly enclosure. It is an entertaining cross between a botanical garden, an amusement park and a working plant nursery that will captivate all for an entire morning or afternoon.

Rancho Capote and its Cueva Fun Fun

Punta Cana activities for adventure lovers! An underground excursion to the longest underground cave in the Caribbean. This is a shallow cave running seven kilometers. Experience the darkness down under,the giant corridors, the cave art, and the magic whisper of the subterranean rivers. This thrilling excursion begins with a ride on horseback, then a walk through the jungle and the cave, and ends with a well-deserved lunch. The owners of the ranch are one of the country's leading orange growers so expect delicious fresh orange juice with lunch.

Ponce de Leon House and Boca de Yuma

Located in San Rafael de Yuma, a detour south of the road that leads from Higuey to La Romana, the Ponce de Leon House was where the famous explorer of Florida lived with his wife and three daughters when he commanded the east of the country for the Spanish conquistadors back around 1505. He would set sail from Boca Chica to colonize Puerto Rico, and then Florida. Near the Ponce de Leon house is the fisherman's town of Boca de Yuma, for fresh fish and dancing bachata and salsa.

Punta Cana activities [cont]

La Romana/Altos de Chavon

Further away than Higuey [one to two hours] is the city of La Romana. This city was built and maintained by the sugar mills.

Altos de Chavón-this is the principal attraction of this area. It is a re-created 15th century Italian-Spanish village beside the mesmerizing Chavón River. At its founding in 1981, Altos de Chavón was declared ` artists village` by its creators who dedicated it to the service of the fine and applied arts. Its old world cobblestone streets and quaint architecture conceal charming shops, fine restaurants, intimate bars, artisans workshops, a church, a vast amphitheater, an archaeological museum, and a university specializing in design.

The Parson's School of Design of New York City has a branch there. It has fine architecture, restaurants with great views and international cuisine, and an excellent museum. It is adjacent to Casa de Campo.

Manati Park Bavaro.

Punta Cana activities for nature lovers. A 130,000 square meter preserve with permanent exhibits of birds, reptiles, and fish. A show with parrots, dolphins and dancing horses is included in the admission fee. Free shuttle bus to and from principal hotels in the area.

Find out more about Punta Cana

Punta Cana Ecological Reserve.

Short guided tour through tropical flora with an optional refreshing bath in a cool spring at the end. You will be walking through a real jungle. Located 15 minutes from Punta Cana International Airport.

Rancho Jonathan

Caving excursions to Boca de Diablo, a large cave system south of Los Haitises.

Punta Cana activities [cont]

Higuey

The city has no tourist attractions other than its Basilica, a large modern cathedral that honors the Virgen de la Altagracia, patron saint of the Dominican Republic.

Higüey is the Mecca of the largest pilgrimages of Our Lady of Altagracia`s followers where, every year on the 21st of January, thousands of pilgrims arrive at the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia seeking health or spiritual wellbeing.

To visit the Basilica [see left] in Higuey, you can take either a taxi or public bus.

Santo Domingo-capital of the Dominican Republic