Punta Cana is an easy beach holiday of white sand, resort pools and boat trips to Saona Island, with golf, caves and Santo Domingo's colonial zone within reach. Winter is dry; hurricane season peaks in September.
Good to know
- Resort drinks and food are included, but tipping staff a few dollars is appreciated.
- Book Saona Island excursions on a catamaran for fewer crowds than the speedboat tours.
- Avoid tap water, including ice outside the resorts; stick to bottled.
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Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Wide white sand and calm turquoise water backed by coconut palms, with plenty of loungers and beach bars.
Massages, hydrotherapy circuits and a eucalyptus steam room, ideal for a rest day between excursions.
Grilled lobster, shrimp and local fish at tables set on the sand under torchlight.
Walk to a freshwater sinkhole of vivid turquoise water at the base of a limestone cliff and swim in it.
Jack Nicklaus-designed course with ocean holes on dramatic cliffs, among the best in the Caribbean.
Catamaran trip to a protected island with a natural starfish pool, lunch on the beach and snorkeling stops.
Snorkel with stingrays and nurse sharks, then float in a shallow natural pool with a drink in hand.
Dolphin and sea lion encounters in a lagoon setting, popular with families and children.
UNESCO old city with the first cathedral and fortress in the Americas, about two hours by road.
Muddy buggy ride through sugarcane fields to a cenote and a beach with surf, a good half-day adventure.
Modern arched basilica and national pilgrimage site, 45 minutes inland, with sweeping views from the front steps.