Punta Cana Dominican Republic

Punta cana

Punta Cana was where I booked my first holiday in the Dominican Republic. It is located on the Eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic. Many Dominicans refer to it as the `coast of the coconuts` due to the hundreds of coconut palms along 30 miles of beautiful white sand.

If you want a typical Caribbean paradise with the white sands, palm trees, turquoise sea, warm weather and blue skies, read on.

The Punta Cana area

This area is made up of mainly large all-inclusive resorts and mainly caters for couples or families. Cap Cana features 3 golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus. The fact that the plan for this area is to become an enclave for millionaires is a testimoney to the natural beauty of this area.

As well as providing a fine range of hotels, the area boasts many activities including scuba diving, sports fishing, watersports and superb golf.

This area of resorts is perhaps the most popular destination for vacations in the Dominican Republic.

The Punta Cana area of coastline

This destination is made up of the areas (going from south to north) of Cap Cana (Juanillo), Punta Cana, Cabeza de Toro, Bavaro, El Cortecito, Arena Gorda, Macao and Uvero Alto.

Beaches

The beaches of Punta Cana, Bavaro, Cap Cana, Cabeza de Toro, El Cortecito, Arena Gorda, Macao and Uvero Alto, are unquestionably some of the best in the world. It is no surprise that the beach is the No. 1 attraction in the East Coast area, stretching an amazing 50 kilometers.

In Dominican law beaches are public and you can freely stroll the beach strip going from one hotel's beach front to another, especially in the Cortecito, Bavaro and Cabeza de Toro areas. There are public beach entries at El Cortecito and Cabeza de Toro.

Beyond the resorts is mostly empty countryside and many people decide to spend all their holiday within the confines of their resorts. There are however, oportunities to get out and about. If you do go off and explore my advice is to take a 4x4. Some of the minor roads have seen better days!

El Cortecito, located between Punta Cana-Bavaro and Macao, is the closest thing to a little beach town in the area. Nearby is Manatee Park, a wildlife ecological/adventure site and the Ponce de Leon house is near Boca de Yuma, a choice for fresh fish lunches by the seaside. Handicraft vendors rotate offering market day at the different hotels. There are several souvenir shops located right on the different beach stretches.

If you are the adventurous type, consider seeking out the caves, mangroves and private beaches in Hato Mayor and El Seibo. Another option is to go west to Altos de Chavon, Bayahibe, or Saona. Click here for full details about Punta Cana excursions

Punta Cana Golf

When you think of the Dominican republic you do not necessarily think of it as a golf destination. Well not at least until you have played there.

The DR has some of the most stunning courses in the world as well as the weather in which to play all year round. Ok you may get the odd down pour but it soon dries up ! Click here for more info.

The easiest way to visit the other hotels is to take a stroll along the beach. Or take the beach taxi to El Cortecito or to the Cabeza de Toro area.

Weddings

Punta Cana is that perfect place for a wedding or honeymoon.

Dining outside the hotel

Outside of the resorts, dining establishments can be found in the Bavaro commercial areas, in Cabeza de Toro, El Cortecito and Punta Cana shopping mall, as well as at the Punta Cana Resort and Club's La Yola and Cocoloba restaurants (reservations required).

Most hotels will feature staff-produced evening shows, with guests having the option to dance until the wee hours in the hotel discos. Nightlife will be slightly livelier at the larger hotel clusters. Bavaro Beach Resort disco is, for instance, the main dance bar among the five large Barcelo Bavaro hotels. The disco opens at 11pm and usually becomes packed after midnight. With this exception, nightlife at most resorts has been described as "fairly dull" if you are looking for a party atmosphere. Most discos are small and won't attract more than 40-70 people in the evenings, mostly couples. The discos will play current dance music so you can bring your own CDs, gather a group of people and turn a small hotel disco into your own personal party.

If you will be staying in the area of Iberostar or Riu hotels, Disco Pachá is the place. They charge admission for those not staying at Riu hotels.

Areito disco caters to Ocean Resorts and is open to the public, as is the Mangu Discotehque at the Occidental Flamenco Hotel with its giant screen for following important spectator sports events.

Bars outside the hotel

There are bars in Plaza Bavaro (near Barcelo and Melia hotels). At the Punta Cana shopping centre is the Marant disco-lounge-bar.

Shows

The only big show in town is Tropicalissimo, staged at the Barcelo Bavaro Casino in the style of the old Tropicana of Cuba.

Beach party live entertainment is provided on full moon nights at the Jelly Fish Restaurant on Bavaro Beach.

Punta Cana's shopping center is situated opposite the airport,and features the country's newest world-class bowling alley.

Bavaro Plaza is the largest shopping area in Punta Cana, albeit some items are higher priced.

Each hotel features stores where arts and crafts can be purchased and handicraft vendors rotate at the hotels bringing their wares from the creators right to the tourist. Some hotels will have an evening `market` when local vendors bring in their products.

You should always barter for your purchases. This is an accepted mode of purchase in the DR, and the vendors will expect you to haggle. A good rule of thumb is to go in at a quarter of the original asking price, and then attempt to acquire the item at between a third and a half of the asking price. Recognised jewellers and of course the hotel shops themselves will be more difficult to knock down.

Casino`s

There are four casinos in the area: Riu Palace, Barcelo Bavaro Casino, Paradisus Casino, the Catalonia Casino and the newest and largest Bavaro Princess casino.

Water sports

The array of water sports options is plentiful including catamaran boat rides, double-decker party boats, restaurant dining at sunset on the sea, parasailing, glass bottom boats for marine life observation, sports fishing, diving, snorkeling, flying boats, speed boats, water-skiing and banana boat rides. The boat taxis can take you from one hotel to another via the beach. There is also kayaking, windsurfing, sailing and beach volleyball. More details below:

Snorkeling

Punta Cana features the longest coral reef in the whole island - about 30 kilometers long. Snorkeling is OK from the shore, particularly if like me you don`t do it often ! For more advanced snorkellers there are good areas near the reef and you can get snorkeling excursions. Dive boats take groups out to The Aquarium (east of Club Med) and towards the reef off El Cortecito beach or to the area near the Riu Taino hotel.

Scuba Diving

Diving is good, not great, because just off shore from the Punta Cana side the water is riddled with barrier reefs. The area is most appropriate for new divers. It is a great place to learn to dive as the waters are shallow even when quite far out. Excursions will take you to discover a shipwreck and lots of nice coral formations, channels and tunnels. Due to the spear fishermen you pass on the way out, there is not a huge variety of fish and some of the larger species have largely been fished out of the shallower waters surrounding the DR. Further off shore however, there is good big game fishing to be had.

If you are serious about scuba diving, but still want to vacation in the Punta Cana area you may participate in dive excursions to Catalina and Saona islands, a two hour drive away. These dives are attractive to both beginners and advanced scuba divers.

Fishing

In this region, big game fishing is good and annual tournaments draw international participants in the summer. You can look forward to catching blue marlin, barracuda, and dorado among others. Best fishing is in the summer. Arrangements can be made at hotel front desks or at Cabeza de Toro beach area.

Windsurfing and parasailing

At the point where the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans meet, the winds are powerful so this is a good area for windsurfing and parasailing.

Which airport to get to the Punta Cana area?

Definitely the best choice is to fly into Punta Cana International Airport. This is a pleasant see side airport and will leave you a transfer of between 10-40 minutes to most hotels. If for any reason you can`t fly into Punta Cana, try La Romana instead, this will leave a transfer of 2 hours.

You can fly into Punta Cana from the UK, USA, Canada, Holland, France, Germany, Spain and Latin America. Check out flying to Punta Cana

You may be interested in looking at Bayahibe to the West

Or Cabarete in the North

Or Santo Domingo-the Dominican capital

Or merengue dancing!

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