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Bavaro
/ Punta Cana
The
Punta Cana destination is made up of the areas
(going from south to north) of Juanillo, Punta
Cana, Cabeza de Toro, Bavaro, El Cortecito,
Macao and Uvero Alto.
Today,
the East Coast beach strip is one of the best
choices for those seeking the perfect beach
and R&R (rest and relaxation) vacation.
Bill and Hillary Clinton in April 2001 chose
Punta Cana for their first sojourn after leaving
the White House. Punta Cana is that perfect
place for a honeymoon.
This
is a place for vegging out… miles
of silky-fine white sand, deserted beaches
with coconut palms. Unless you rent a
car or purchase an excursion, don’t
expect much sightseeing or outstanding
shopping opportunities nearby.
This
area is made up almost completely of large
all-inclusive resorts populated mostly by
couples or families. Some resorts in the
area cater to sports-minded people, others
are couples only. But most resorts focus
on family entertainment. The exception is
spring break time when groups of university
students fly down from Canada and the US.
The better hotels for this crowd are the
larger complexes, where night time entertainment
is more lively.
If
you don't mind losing a day at your all-inclusive,
Punta Cana can also be for explorers.
If you rent a 4x4, venture out to discover
a magnificent world of caves, mangroves,
private beaches in the nearby Hato Mayor
and El Seibo provinces. Or drive west
on to Altos de Chavon, Bayahibe, and even
to Saona near La Romana. These are at
least two hour’s drive away. |
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What
else is nearby
The
Punta Cana area lends itself more to those looking
for the type of vacation where the resort has
everything and one never has to go outside the
gates. Note the nearest city, Higuey, is about
a 40 minute drive away. Beyond the resorts is
mostly empty countryside. You can literally
walk for miles along the beach without seeing
anything but an occasional unfinished construction
project or the next hotel.
El
Cortecito, located between Punta Cana-Bavaro
and Macao, is the closest thing to a little
beach town in the area. Juanillo is a perfect
swimming pool of a beach south of Punta Cana.
Nearby is Manatee Park, a wildlife ecological/adventure
site, and the Ponce de Leon house is near Boca
de Yuma. Bavaro Plaza is the largest shopping
complex in the area.
How
to get there
The
best airport to land at is the Punta Cana International
Airport, at most a half hour drive from the
hotels. Some resorts are barely 10 minutes away
from the thatch-roofed airport. The second best
airport for this destination is the La Romana
Airport, which is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours drive
away from your hotel. If you land at Las Americas
International (Santo Domingo) you will be a
four hour drive away. From Santo Domingo, a
taxi cab trip can be negotiated for about US$100,
the domestic air flight is around US$60 per
person. The cheapest way to get to and from
Santo Domingo is by commuter minibus. This will
cost about US$8 but could take you almost a
whole day as you make numerous bus changes.
Getting
around
Tourists
arriving to Punta Cana will spend most of their
vacation at their hotel. 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 Juanillo, a beach south of Punta Cana. To
visit the Basilica in Higuey, you can take either
a taxi or public bus.
Rent
A Car
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.
-
Rent
your car online >>
Attractions/Excursions
The
beach is the No. 1 attraction in the Punta Cana
area, stretching an amazing 50 kilometers.
But here are more activities to consider:
Manatí
Park Bavaro
|
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 US$22 admission fee.
Optional possibility of swimming with
the dolphins for an extra fee. Reservations
should be made as soon as you arrive in
the country if you want to swim with the
dolphins.
Free shuttle bus to and from principal
hotels in the area. |
Address:
Higüey Punta Cana Road
Tel:
221-9444
Fax 221-9282
Open 9:00am - 6:30pm
www.manatipark.com
4
x 4 motorbike tour
The
Punta Cana equivalent to a "city tour"
is this 4-wheel motor bike tour that will take
you up the Punta Cana-Bavaro beach with a view
of the many resorts that dot the eastern coastline.
It is a full day, but most say it is worth it.
The excursion includes a visit to the Pozo Azul
caverns with a dive off rocks into the cavern's
clear blue waters. Bring swim suit, sunscreen
and sunglasses to shield eyes from bright reflective
sand and water.
 |
Ecological
Walk
... at the Punta Cana Beach Resort, which
ends in a refreshing bath in a cool spring.
You will be walking through a real jungle.
Bring long sleeves and bug repellent. |
Boat
trips
... to
Juanillo and El Cortecito.
 |
Safari
Tour
Open jeep takes tourists to visit a rural
school, a colmado (country store), sugar
cane fields, tropical fruit groves, plus
you’ll take a dip in a river and ride
horseback on virgin beach after lunch.
Operated by Bavaro Runners. |
Rancho
Jonathan
...
has caving excursions to Boca de Diablo, a large
cave system south of Los Haitises.
La
Otra Banda
If
you take the Saona, Catalina, Altos de Chavón,
Higuey or Santo Domingo excursions, on your
way west ask your guide to point out the small
town of La Otra Banda, with its pretty little
houses, right out of a Caribbean architecture
book and perfect for picture-taking.
 |
Higüey
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.
If you wind up in Higüey with time
to spare, take a walk down the small streets,
look at the local businesses, eat the local
cheese, go into a colmado (grocery shop)
and buy a Presidente beer or a Coca Cola,
go to the local market and buy some local
fruit, change your dollars in the banks
or exchange houses (next to the central
park), try to communicate with the locals,
have your shoes shined for 5 or 10 pesos
by a small child, give the child a few sweets
and your best smile. |
Visit
the largest supermarket in Higuey and purchase
Bon Marmalade, Santo Domingo coffee in a can,
top of the line Brugal, Bermudez or Barcelo
rum, or stop by a Bon ice cream shop for tropical
sherbets.
Place
to stay in Higüey:
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Hotel El Naranjo, Av La Altagracia 23 (554-3400,
fax 554-5455)
-
Hotel Topacio, Calles Cambronal & Duarte
(554-5892)
- Hotel El
Millon, Av de la Libertad
Basilica
de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia.
Open Mon-Sat 8:00am - 6:00pm Sun 8:00am - 8:00pm
Events:
January 21
One
to two hours away
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La
Romana/Altos de Chavon
Past expansive fields of shoulder-high sugar
cane, visitors will come to La Romana, a
city built and maintained by the sugar mills.
The incessant production of sugar fills
the air with the sweet smell of molasses.
But the principal attraction of the region
is Altos de Chavón, a re-created
15th century Italian-Spanish village beside
the mesmerizing Chavón River.
At its founding in 1981, Altos de Chavón
was declared “an 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 right here. Lovely
architecture, restaurants with great views and
international cuisine, and a small but superb
museum. It’s adjacent to Casa de Campo,
one of the most famous and expensive resorts
in the Caribbean.
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Altos de Chavon Website >>
 |
Los
Haitises National Park
Several hotels offer excursions to Los Haitises
National Park, a sanctuary for nature lovers
and those interested in natural history.
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.
Isla
Catalina
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. |
Hato
Mayor
Also
in Hato Mayor, adventure lovers may book an
underground excursion to the Rancho Capote and
its Cueva Fun Fun, that is 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.
Four
hours away
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Santo
Domingo
If you don't think you will ever make
it back to the Dominican Republic, then
definitely take the Santo Domingo city
tour, in spite of the distance.
It is the first city in the New World
settled by the Europeans, and boasts a
charming colonial zone and some of the
best nightlife and dining in the Caribbean.
Note that this city of over 3 million
people will host the Pan American Games
in year 2003. |
There
are about 18,000 hotel rooms in East Coast hotels.
Not all are created equal. They may offer similar-sounding
all inclusive plans, but there are major variations.
When booking your hotel, check out what is included
in the plan. Note that many hotels will not
include premium liquors in their price package.
Some offer better sports packages than others.
Some have better plans for the family while
others cater to couples.
Some are smaller operations, others are large
and better options for those seeking to mingle
with lots of people. This is important especially
regarding night life entertainment for those
who will not be traveling as a couple.
If
rest and relaxation are important to you, request
a room away from the night show area or the
pool area where some hotels keep their guests
energized with what many may otherwise feel
is too loud music.
For a listing of Punta Cana hotels, see the
Hotel Directory in the search engine box
-
Book your hotel in Bavaro
/ Punta Cana >>
Dining
outside the hotel
Punta
Cana is resort territory. Tourists staying at
resorts that are partnered with other hotels
can enjoy more dining options at the sister
properties than those staying at independent
hotels. Of course, this will depend on your
hotel plan. Either way, the hotels will feature
an ample variety of food, with menus that change
daily and are not duplicated for 14 days straight!
Outside
of the resorts, dining establishments can be
found in the El Cortecito area and close to
Bavaro Plaza.
Places
to shop
Bavaro
Plaza is the largest shopping area in Punta
Cana. But each hotel features stores where arts
and crafts can be purchased.
Golf
There
are three 18-hole golf courses and one 9-hole
course in operation the area: El Golf de Bavaro
(Barcelo hotels), Cocotal (Melia hotels), Punta
Cana Golf (Club Med, Punta Cana Beach Resort,
Marina, Corales hotels), and Catalonia Golf
course. For more information on these, see our
Golf Page
Snorkeling
Punta
Cana features the longest coral reef in the
whole island - about 30 kilometers long.
Snorkeling is so-so from shore, decent out at
select areas near the reef.
200 meters from the coast there are corals and
colorful fish at the 1-2 meter depth. (One of
the best places for snorkeling is near the Rio
Taino hotel.)
An excursion will take you to the corals just
off the Cabeza de Toro yacht club.
If
you are planning on snorkeling, find one of
the locals on the beach with their own boat.
They will take you snorkeling for about $US10-15
for about 1 hour. Or conveniently book an excursion,
more expensive, at your hotel.
Scuba
Diving
Diving
is good, not great, because right off shore
from the Punta Cana side the water is riddled
with barrier reefs. The area though is most
appropriate for beginning divers. It is a great
place to learn since the waters, even far out,
are so shallow. Excursions will take you to
discover a shipwreck and lots of nice coral
formations, channels and tunnels. Not a large
variety of fish, due to the spear fishermen
you pass on the way out. Water temp 75 F.
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 unsurpassed
and 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 the Cabeza
de Toro Yacht Club or Punta Cana Marina for
a full day or half day of fishing. The Cabeza
de Toro Yacht Club is the site of the World
Light Tackle Tournament.
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. |
