A Travel Guide to Punta Cana

The jeep safari tour is rated as one of the best things to do in punta cana, which involves a range of experiences and activities that will keep you entertained all day. This eco-adventure tour normally lasts for 9 hours and will take you through the wild countryside of Dominican Republic through the dirt and paved roads letting you enjoy nature and the native side of the place. The safaris include driving your own four-wheel-drive jeep in the countryside and stopover at beaches to enjoy the scenery and food and even have a swim in the shallow warm waters. Additional thrills include zip lining across the forest canopy on the nearby mountains and even horseback rides on a dirt trail. The highlight of the tour includes interacting with the natives of the countryside and participating in their everyday lives in the rural areas and a visit to tobacco factories where you can roll your own Cuban cigars!

The jeep safaris are offered by a number of tour operator services and the prices can start from around $100. It is generally inclusive of all the utilities and some light beverages. You will need to pay extra for the meals you choose to have at stops and bring other necessities such as shoes, sunscreen, insect repellents, swimwear and any other consumables that you might need on the way.

As a tropical heaven, the best attraction of the island is its clear shallow beaches and opportunities for endless cruises which are usually on the top list of things to do in punta cana for most visitors and that is exactly what the marinarium snorkeling cruise is. With this cruise you experience the best of the shallow shoreline and the marine life in the sea. You are picked up from your hotel in an air-conditioned bus and taken to the cruise pick up pier where you board a catamaran cruise boat. The boarding process is quite simple and the boat has special transparent flooring between its hulls that give you a completely clear view of the ocean and the marine life below.

Onboard you will have plenty of soft drinks, food, and bottled water to keep your tropical appetite quenched, and the crew will ensure you are well attended to. Snorkelling is the first activity just off the beach on Marinarium Isle where you’re assisted by guides to experience the best of the clear shallow water, the fishes, sting-rays, sharks and coral reefs. After a couple of hours of snorkelling you will sail along the Cabeza de Toro beaches and finally make a stop at a natural pool at Bavaro to relax and chill in the water with as many drinks as you like and all the food that you can eat. The tour can last between 4-8 hours, and you can spend your time however you wish at the stops. You can either relax and laze around in the shallow waters or go snorkelling with the guides and explore the corals and marine life and learn all about them and their ecosystems.

Scape park is a natural theme park with a range of thrilling activities that include zip lining, cave diving, snorkelling and more things to do in punta cana that are perfect for families, couples or solo travellers. The highlights of the experience include discovering a hidden cenote and swimming in its turquoise waters, zip lining over a canopy of trees and exploring underwater cave systems and admiring the stunning geological formations. You can enjoy a full day of adventure and fun at Scape park by picking great deals on activities that you find useful or combinations that give you the best value. The park opens by 9am, and you get to indulge a full 7 hour day in activities of your choice. A full-day admission ticket features all the eight top attractions offered by the park.

The top attractions at the park include Zip Line Eco Splash where you get to fly over the forest canopy starting from a naturally high cliff and splashing into a water pool in the end. The Hoyo Azul Eco Tour takes you for a swim in a beautiful cavern and also enjoy brilliant views of Farallon Cliff while you learn about the local plants and ecosystems. The Truck Eco Expedition which is a safari-styled tour takes you through some of the rocky areas around Cape San Rafael, where you get to take in some fantastic scenery and enjoy a cascade.

The Ojos Indigenas is an ecological park and reserve that is located inside the Puntacana Resort & Club complex. Spanning an area of 1500 acres, this nature reserve is accessible to the public to explore its system of rainforests, lakes, and other attractions such as a petting zoo with all the native animals in the region. Since it is privately owned and maintained by the Grupo Puntacana Foundation there is an entrance fee for outside visitors, while guests from The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club and Tortuga Bay as well as the residents at the Resort get to visit for free. The reserve is a research facility and conservation area for the native species of endangered animals and a recreational place for the guests.

The 1500 acres comprises of lush tropical vegetation and 12 freshwater lagoons, which give a habitat for the range of reptiles, birds, and insects that live in the region. The clear waters of the lagoons are swimmable and are a major attraction of the park as they have crystal clear waters and beautiful scenery around. A swim here should be on the list of things to do in punta cana for all visitors to the reserve. The most popular among them even has a wooden deck and a diving platform for those who wish to have a fun time in the water. There are numerous exhibits for the guests to check out and enjoy, which include a sugarcane exhibit and an iguana exhibit where you can see these lizards up close and even interact with them safely.

Of all the fun things to do in punta cana there is, a visit to the Bavaro adventure park should be on your list if you wish to see all that island has to offer. Created in 2011 as an adventure-entertainment centre for the tourists visiting punta cana, the park has over 15 attractions that will suit the taste of every visitor. Whether it is zip lining, trampolines, buggy tours, horse riding, bungee jumping or shooting games, you can find it all in here. Activity packages to the park involve transport from your resort and landing straight into the middle of all the fun. The top attractions include zip lining regular, splash and pro with varying degrees of fun and ending, horseback riding across a trail with great natural scenery and bungee jumping with trampoline for the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Other popular attractions include the Waterfall Pool, Dinosaur World Jurassic Adventure, mountain biking, flight simulator, rock climbing, eco tour and paint ball. Since you won’t have the time to do it all, you can choose combos and passes which give you the best value for money on your time spent on the adventures. Photos, gifts, food and beverages and souvenirs cost extra. To have a great time at the park all you need to take with you is your sense of adventure, sunscreen, comfortable clothing, bathing gear and a pair of good sports shoes. Children will have to be a minimum of 6 years old to take up the buggy tours and you will need to show your licence and ID to drive the vehicles.

While most of the island has fun things to do in punta cana, for those interested in the natives, their culture and their home-made products, there’s no better place than Aromas Museum to explore it all. Since the history and development of the Dominican Republic is strongly tied with its farm produce such as cacao, tobacco and coffee, this museum is a tribute to these products and an excellent chance for the visitors and children to learn all about it. Although it is a lot less fun than the beaches and the theme park, it gives a more soulful experience of the country’s people and culture.

The museum’s highlight includes a taste of the authentic produce of the island and a chance to touch and feel the products and process. What’s more? You can also buy some top-quality cigars!

While the museum’s tour might take up anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, there are plenty of other places around for you to visit next. The Congo Bongo Punta Cana is one of the most happening nightspots on the island and a must-visit for every music enthusiast. The Onno’s Bavaro Punta Cana is an excellent place for dining that offers a multi cuisine menu. If you wish to chill at the beach after a great meal, visit the Playa El Cortecito beach to relax and enjoy the weather. For a crazy disco experience visit the Imagine Punta Cana Disco which is a nightclub inside a cave with the best parties in town.

Listed by Unesco as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, the Maco Beach, and its long white-sand shorelines is an incredible sight and an even better place to have fun swimming in its clear waters. The beach located on the east coast of Hispaniola has plenty of things to do in punta cana such as surfing, snorkelling, and adventure water sports. It is 1.2km north-east of El Macao and is quite a secluded beach for all of its splendid shoreline. The beach is a long expanse of white sand lined with tall coconut trees on the land and clear blue water as far as the eye can see on the ocean side, and then there are cliffs to the right side. It’s ideal for a laid back day to soak up the beach atmosphere and laze around on the warm sand or go for a swim in the water.

Macao Beach lies closer to the rural Hispaniola, and hence all the popular night clubs and discos are at least 7km away. However, there are some great restaurants on the RD-105 Carretera Playa Macao route such as El Morro, Restaurant La Uva, Restaurant Playa MACAO Excelente and more.

Punta Cana’s 63km long stretch of coastline has some of the best beaches of any tropical islands on the planet, and the Bavaro Beach is no exception. This stunning white-sand beach with clear shallow water is perfect for anyone who comes to the island looking for the best beach experience. Being one of the Blue Flag Beaches in Punta Cana, the Bavaro Beach meets stringent standards for quality of water, safe swimming areas, and zero pollution on the beach. So while you’re here you can be assured you are on one of the best on the planet!

Other than your usual stroll or relaxation on the sands, there are plenty of things to do in Punta Cana beaches that applies to bavaro beach as well. On any clear day you would find people jogging, swimming off at a distance, playing volleyball, snorkelling and many other activities. You could also get massages and visit some of the beach side bars. When you get hungry, all you need to do is head to the Hoyo 19 Restaurante just a little off the beach for some fantastic Dominican fare or the La Brisa – Mediterranean Restaurant.

Located 20 km south of the Dominican Republic, this 110 square kilometre island with pristine coastlines and lush greenery is nothing short of paradise straight out of a postcard. The island is mostly untouched with little development, which adds to its charm and attracts boatloads of visitors every day who come here on catamarans or speedboats. The tours to this island start from Punta Cana and can last for a few hours with all the pick-ups in between. If you can, you can quickly take a bus to the village of Bayahibe and stay over for the night and leave for Saona Island in the morning.

If you go on a tour package, you will be taken on a catamaran boat cruise to the island and land on one of its pristine, wait-deep beaches. The parties here are plenty of fun, and you also get served drinks and cocktails while you have a great time in the water. One of the most popular spots here is the Natural Pool Bayahibe, which is famous for its sting rays, shallow water fishes, and starfishes, which you can find effortlessly in the water. And while you’re here try not to pick up the starfishes on the bottom of the beach as this is a protected area, it’s essential that you respect the wildlife.

Having visited all the major attractions, if you’re running out of things to do in Punta Cana and need a bit of a breather from the east coast, the Altos de Chavon is one of the most magnificent tourist spots you can find on the south side of the island. It is basically a village built-in 1976 to reflect a medieval Mediterranean European style architecture with fantastic views of the Caribbean Sea and Chavon River. At a distance of about 75km from punta cana, it an hour’s drive to get to the village, or you can book a package tour with the Altos de Chavon included in the places to visit. Sculpted almost entirely out of stone the village is a visual treat that will take you back in time to a place that evokes a deep sense of nostalgia. The village also has plenty of things to see and do with its range of stores selling souvenirs, clothing, cigars, jewellery, and art. There are also a number of great restaurants for fine dining or a quick meal. Some of them include La Cantina, The Livingroom, Onno’s Altos De Chavon, Cafe Marietta, La Piazzetta.

Punta Cana is a fantastic tropical get away that can be visited during any season for a great holiday. If you plan to visit during the summer when the tourist season peaks, it’s best to book your flight tickets along with the accommodation as early as possible to get cheap deals. Booking months prior to your vacation will fetch you early bird offers so you can plan the perfect vacation to the Dominican Republic. What’s more, you get to choose the best hotels closest to the places of interest and book it at a cheap price so you can get the best deals on both travel and accommodation.