The Dominican Republic’s new hot tourist spot, Punta Cana sits on the easternmost tip of that country, drawing visitors with its twenty-five miles of pure white, sandy beaches, soft breezes, tall coconut trees and dancing palms. Punta Cana, within the province of Altagracia is about 1 thousand acres, and borders both the Caribbean and the Atlantic Oceans. It is filled with accommodations, of all types, sizes and shapes, but by law none can be taller than a nearby coconut tree.
Punta Cana’s most beautiful beaches include Playa de Arena Gorda, Playa Bavaro, which has a town that is more like a village, Uvero Alto and Playa de El Cortecito. It also shares its borders with Cabo Engano, Cabeza de Toro and Juanillo, which is a bit further. Punta Cana’s specialty is the all-inclusive hotel, which is often very large and spread out like a small city. Because of its proximity to the water, and because most hotel grounds are tropical, filled with lagoons and palm trees, wildlife are plentiful everywhere, including flamingos, peacocks, ducks, parrots and other birds. Some of the bigger resorts offer golf carts and trams for guests to use to get around these huge distances more easily.
Punta Cana is a water enthusiasts dream location. There is golf, swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling, fishing, windsailing, afternoon cruises, speedboat rides, yachting, excellent dining, spa treatments, beautiful relaxation areas, children’s programs and more. Land-lovers have plenty to do as well, including horse riding on the beach, truck safaris to the Dominican Republic’s interior, where you will see local villages, walk through jungles and skirt rivers, or even visit the nation’s money-making enterprises including the sugar cane and coffee fields.
The United States Center for Disease Control – CDC – warns that the entire province of La Altagracia, including resorts within Punta Cana are at some risk for malaria. However, the medical community does not advise travelers to take chloroquine or primaquine, the two medicines used to treat it, with them on their vacations. But all tourists, as a precaution against malaria, are asked to use a mosquito repellent containing DEET, especially when going outside at dawn or dusk.
If you suspect you are ill, here are medical facilities within Punta Cana to contact. The Centro Medico Punta Cana is near [ ... ]
(Read More)
The popularity of Golfing has hit Punta Cana. So far, five all-inclusive hotels have their own golf courses and offer golf package holidays. Punta Cana boasts the first Jack Nicklaus golf course built in at the Punta Espada Golf Course, Cap Cana. The course combines ocean and bluff-side golf holes with spectacular views of the sea. Other golf courses include Golf de Bavaro, Cabeza de Toro Golf Club, Cocotal Golf & Country Club, Punta Cana Golf Club, White Sands Golf.
Punta Cana Corales Golf Course View
Punta Espada Golf Course in Punta Cana
(Read More)
Marinarium
A water park where you will get an opportunity to snorkel with nurse sharks and sting rays. Some travelers have voiced concern that the animals seem caged in nets in a very small area to give the impression that people are swimming with them. But others call it a very enjoyable experience, including the dip in the waist-deep natural sea pool at the end.
Aquatic Tours
They supply you with your very own mini two-seater speed boat, blazing trails as you follow the leader along the beaches of Bavaro. The journey ends with a snorkeling experience, where you dive into the clear [ ... ]
(Read More)
Santo Domingo
A bit longer than a three hour drive from Punta Cana, is the capital of the Dominican Republic and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is one of the busiest and most populated Caribbean cities, combining modern sophistication and old world charm with the Latin lifestyle. This is where Christopher Columbus founded the first settlement in the Americas. It can boast of having the first cathedral in the Western Hemisphere, the first monastery, the first hospital, the first university and the first court of law. Known as the Colonial City it still has cobblestone streets and 16th-century buildings.
Altos de [ ... ]
(Read More)
The Bamboo Bar
Next door to the Bamboo Restaurant in the Punta Cana Resort & Club in Higuely, within the Tortuga Bay area. This bar, open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. offers a restful atmosphere where you can try some of the famous Dominican rums and other exotic cocktails. It also has a wide variety of worldwide coffees and teas. The toll-free telephone from the U.S. and Canada is 1-888-442-2262.
The Mangu Night Club
Called the happening place in Punta Cana. It’s located at the entrance of The Occidental Grand Punta Cana Resort, but everyone is welcome. The Mangu has two levels; [ ... ]
(Read More)
Staying at any of the all-inclusive resorts within Punta Cana will present you with tons of free food, included in the overall price. Most resorts have several different types of restaurants. But food standards within the Dominican Republic are not the same as in America or Europe. If you think something doesn’t taste right or smell good, steer clear of eating it.
Captain Cook Restaurant in Cortecito
This restaurant sits right on the beach, or the Playa El Cortecito, specializing in seafood. You can choose your meal right out of their barrels of freshly caught fish and they will prepare it in [ ... ]
(Read More)
Riu Hotels operates resorts throughout the world, and five are in Punta Cana. All are on or near the Arena Gorda Beach. Most of the Riu Punta Cana hotels share restaurants and facilities between them with the exception of the Riu Palace Macao and the Riu Palace Punta Cana. And all hotels have access to the casino and the Pacha night club.
Riu Bambu
The all-inclusive Riu Bambu was renovated in the spring of 2010. It offers two swimming pools, one with an adjoining Jacuzzi, a third children’s pool, complimentary towels, umbrellas and lounge chairs on the beach. There’s RiuLand kids club [ ... ]
(Read More)
You can combine shopping with beach combing as each resort in Punta Cana offers a variety of shops along its beachfront. Locals in the area own and operate these shops, so they are important sources of revenue for most. Some tourists find it annoying, but when you walk on the beach, shopkeepers from the beach stores often come to you and ask you to buy something. They may even keep pestering you. But travel experts advise that all you have to do is thank them and tell them you are not interested, and keep on walking. The very best thing [ ... ]
(Read More)
Residents of the Dominican Republic speak Spanish, although its schools offer bilingual education so English is the secondary language. The country’s ties with the United States, tourism and the infiltration of America’s pop culture including music, television and the Internet, have resulted in many English-speaking Dominicans. French is also the language of choice for some. At many of the resorts and restaurants, bars and shopping centers you will find people who can speak English. But knowing at least some Spanish will go a long way towards enhancing your vacation.
If you walk outside your resort to the city/area Internet cafes will [ ... ]
(Read More)
The peso is the national Dominican currency. Coins consist of 1 and 5 pesos, and bills, known as RD are for 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 2,000. US dollars are an easily exchanged foreign currency into the local Dominican Republic currency. Many tourism destinations like hotels, restaurants and businesses advertise their prices in US dollars as well as in Pesos, preferring to be paid in dollars, since they are worth more than the Peso. You will get the best rate of exchange from banks and independent money exchanges. Airports, hotels/resorts, restaurants, and other businesses usually offer a slightly [ ... ]
(Read More)
Punta Cana’s Airport has a thatched roof and is built in an open-air design, which means that several areas of it are not air-conditioned. This is one of the busiest and best-connected airports in the region. It sometimes has more flights than Santo Domingo’s airport, the Aeropuerto International de Las Américas, three hours away.
When you arrive at Punta Cana Airport, you will be asked to buy a $10 tourist card before going through immigration. This is usually included in the documentation you get before departing, or is issued to you on the flight. After picking up your luggage and clearing [ ... ]
(Read More)
The peak season to visit Punta Cana runs from December to April, when prices in both airfare and hotels rise dramatically, while dropping in the summer and early fall months. The odds of a getting hit by a hurricane in Punta Cana are remote, but it’s probably a good idea to avoid the dedicated hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 to November 30, although weather experts say the peak really seems to be August and September. The last two hurricanes that hit the Dominican Republic were Georges, a category three in September 1998 and Jeanne, a category one [ ... ]
(Read More)
