Hispaniola Island
Insider Tips to Visit Punta Cana
Punta Cana has resorts to cater all to all travellers needs and lifestyles. The place that you choose will definitely depend on your own personal style and type of vacation you are looking for. One of the best experiences and one which is best value for your budget is an all-inclusive resort. Even if you consider yourself a backpacker or a traveller that like to experience local culture like myself. I suggest a resort as you will get the most for your money. Yet still be able to see all the aspects of Punta Cana.
Where to Stay in Punta Cana
In these resorts you already have all that you can eat and drink included. This makes them handy if you are trying to stick to a holiday budget. Of course, you may want to venture out of the resort, especially if you are used to adventure. There are definitely many ways of exploring Punta Cana if that is your case.
If you are traveling with children there are resorts that created with families in mind. If you are traveling with your significant other, I definitely suggest an adults-only resort such as Lopesan Costa Bávaro.
Here are my top choices depending on your type of travel:
- Budget Traveler Resorts: Sunscape Bavaro Beach or IFA Villas Bavaro
- For all the family: Nickelodeon Resort or Memories Splash
- Best option for adults and couples: Lopesan Costa Bávaro
Your perfect stay will depends on your expectations of the trip and your budget. Choosing wisely will help you to enjoy Punta Cana in a different way. If you ask me which one would be my choice, it will all depend on the people I am traveling with.
Typical Food in Punta Cana
Food is an important part of your visit Punta Cana. Dominicans take pride in their regional dishes. So they love it when visitors want to try them. When you visit the Dominican Republic, these are the most typical dishes to taste:
- Mangú: The typical Dominican breakfast that I’m totally sure you will be able to find in any resort you stay. The Mangu is mashed plantain and is often served with a side of salami, fried cheese and egg. This whole dish is also known as “Los Tres Golpes”, and, if you don’t try that while visiting Punta Cana, then you’re missing everything!
- Sancocho: Sancocho or “7 meat stew” as it says, contain all the meats possible mixed with root vegetables in order to make the stew pretty rich and thick. I am sure that this is something that you will also be able to try in your resort.
- Habichuelas con Dulce: This is the ultimate Dominican dessert. If you ever thought that a bean based dessert was the weirdest thing ever, think twice and don’t miss the chance to try these beans and cream dessert.
Things to Do in Punta Cana
As Punta Cana is a popular beach destination and most people´s main reason for travelling to the country. However there are many other activities you can do beyond lying on the beach.
Some suggestions are:
Water Sports
Beach sports such as volleyball or kayaking. Punta Cana offer the best beaches to make your stay amazing. Not visiting the beach in Punta Cana would be a sin!
Zipline Canopy Adventure
There are several parks where you can go on canopy tours. One of the most famous Canopy Experiences in the area is Runners Adventure.
Adventure Buggies
Many people come to this area of the Dominican Republic to enjoy a safari and buggy tours. This is a fun day out to plan when you visit Punta Cana.
Ecological Park and Reserve
The Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve is definitely a place you should see if you love contact with nature. This Ecological Reserve has twelve freshwater lagoons. Five of them are open to visitors, so you can swim in them.
If you are looking to do something a bit different from the beach experience, this one has to be your choice.
Brenda from Traveleira
This guest post has been written by Brenda at Traveleira.com
I met Brenda in Barcelona last year. Born in Puerto Rico, (which is the neighbouring country) Brenda is a female solo traveller. Clearly she knows the Caribbean really well. So I thought it would be a great post. I am always ready to learn about other Spanish speaking countries around the world.
It´s always fun to meet up with other bloggers on my travels especially when we have so much in common. Both speaking Spanish and English we had become Instagram buddies before meeting up in person.
I agree with everything you share in this post, Dominican Republic is one of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean. With its turquoise blue beaches in the east, dark blue in the southern part and crystalline in the north are perfect for yachtin.
When I visited many tourist areas loaded with culture and history, I was delighted with everything including its gastronomy and I recommend it without hesitation.