Punta Cana: beautiful and affordable Caribbean beach vacation
After 7 hours of driving in heavy rain from Samaná, navigating through hundreds of potholes, the road slowly turned into a beautiful 4 lane highway passing through sugar cane plantations as we approached Punta Cana. Based on the most developed road infrastructure, we can feel that we were approaching a zone of mass tourism. After spending the last week cruising the remote northern part of the Dominican Republic, we were ready for a bit of civilization and luxury. The exciting and fun adventures of blowing out 2 tires, pulling a car out of a sand pit, and using our broken Spanish to get the locals to help jump start a dead battery, began to wear us down and we were ready for a break. After about 45 minutes on this pretty road, we arrived in Bavaro and were greeted with coconut palm trees, aquamarine blue water, and a gorgeous white-sand beach that rivals many of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Why go to Punta Cana?
The Bavaro/Punta Cana area is a top Caribbean beach paradise, but more affordable than most other Caribbean destinations. Ask anyone who has been to Punta Cana and they will tell you that the beaches are among the most picturesque they have ever seen. Here, tall coconut palms dot much of the shoreline, and the soft white sand invites. what’s there to do? Well, lots and lots of beautiful beaches; 35 km of continuous pristine white sand.
General description of the area (the two towns of Punta Cana and Bávaro)
At first glance, Punta Cana/Bavaro looks very similar to Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico. It is basically a mid-sized tourist town that is surrounded by a beautiful white sand beach and many all-inclusive mega-resorts that are more like cities than resorts/hotels. The area has infrastructure for mass tourism, but still has the feel of a small, low-rise town.
The main tourist area made up of Bávaro (accessible to the public) on the north side of the airport and Punta Cana (closed and tourists not staying at one of the Punta Cana resorts can only access with a day pass) on the south side . Whether they know it or not, most of the tourists who said they have been to Punta Cana actually spend their time in Bavaro, which is the main tourist center. Due to the closed area, Punta Cana is more exclusive/private (often higher end) than Bavaro; however, it is far from any city or nightlife. The Punta Cana area is pretty much a beautiful master planned community of high-end resorts and golf courses. Many tourists love this beautiful upscale feel, and many complain that it lacks the culture of the Dominican Republic, as one will not be able to tell which country one is in once inside that gated master planned community. However, you will have most of the beach just for you and that special someone. Many movie stars find their hideout here.
Bavaro has some of the most beautiful beaches in the area, closer to town, but lacks the privacy and exclusive feel of Punta Cana. Leaning palm trees, the softest white sand, and gentle waves make this area the beach perfect. All water sports activities like parasailing, windsurfing and jet skiing are available right in front of you. In our opinion, we prefer the most beautiful beaches in Bavaro and the ability to easily escape the resort to try the local food and nightlife of the city. Perhaps a better way to say it is that Punta Cana is more for couples/adults only and Bavaro is more for the family. But honestly, there’s so much white sand and turquoise blue water here that you’ll probably have your own pick of your favorite beaches.
things to do
Punta Cana and Bávaro have everything to offer for all ages.
Relax – The typical day is usually filled with resort activities such as yoga, parasailing, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing lessons, or simply soaking up the sun.
Party – Punta Cana/Bavaro has some partying and nightlife, but it is much more toned down than Cancun or Cabo. Party boats during the day or at sunset are available and can be reserved through the hotel concierge or any restaurant/vendor in town
Golf – There are so many golf courses around, especially in the closed tourist area of Punta Cana, where the courses are right on the edge of the ocean.
Beaches – Many tourists simply put the beach in front of their resort. However, if you have a rental car (highly recommended), you should venture to the many beaches along the 35 km of continuous white sand. Driving during the day is fine, but not recommended at night (lots of cars/motorbikes without lights on the road). Also, you should know that gasoline in the DR is very expensive.
excursions – Highly recommended is the excursion to Saona Island. It is a must see and is 1 hour from Punta Cana. Typical cost is $60-70 USD and $25 for transportation per person from Punta Cana. If you drive there, please ignore the $25 transportation cost. You can walk the Bayahibe port at 7:30 am in the morning and you can negotiate a deal of $40 USD. Beware, lower price may be lower quality.
Eat- Escape the resort by taxi or car to try the local food. Most of the local restaurants and nightlife are located in the oceanfront area of El Cortecito, intersection of Avenida Francia/Avenida España (Plaza Punta Cana/Plaza Bávaro), and the intersection of Avenida Estados Unidos/Avenida España (around from the Texaco gas station). Our favorite that we ate 4 times during our visit is Delicias de Bávaro (at the intersection of Avenida Francia/Avenida España), a dive full of locals.
If you’re looking for that perfect white sand beach, yet affordable Caribbean vacation, look no further as Punta Cana/Bavaro has beaches that rival some of the best in the Caribbean at half the cost.
