Punta Cana City Guide

The beachside resort of Punta Cana is located within the Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, which is the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic.

Punta Cana is a world famous vacation destination and is renowned for its UNESCO recognized golden sand beaches, which are enveloped by both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This beachfront resort has been a favored holiday destination since the 1970s and it accordingly offers a whole host of leisure time activities like swimming, scuba diving, hiking, kite boarding, surfing, yachting and bird watching. These activities are immensely popular with the hordes of holiday makers who choose to go for vacation here every year.

Punta Cana is located on the easternmost tip of the island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic. The beach resort of Punta Cana generally refers to series of seaside towns that are located within close proximity to each other. The beachside towns or neighborhoods that make up Punto Cana include beaches of Bávaro, Higüey, Macao and Uvero Alto.

Most visitors to Punta Cana tend to spend their vacation in the Bávaro region which is located close to the Punta Cana’s privately owned international airport. The Bávaro area has a large concentration of myriad Punta Cana Hotels which also include several all-inclusive luxury hotel properties. These Punta Cana luxury hotels are usually the choice accommodation option for visitors to this beach resort. We at Fare Buzz offer a wide array of deals for various type of hotels in Punta Cana and no matter what type of hotel you choose to stay at, we have you covered for your vacations.

Bávaro is also home to El Cortecito, which is a small fishing village that is known for its lively artisan market. The area also hosts several other popular Punta Cana attractions like Dolphin Island and Manati Park.

This nature-themed amusement park is a popular attraction in Punta Cana for it offers exciting and interactive live shows featuring a wide array of animals like sea lions, dancing horses, parrots, snakes and others. The park, additionally, offers visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins, which is always a popular attraction at this beach resort.

The Dolphin Island Park is a popular attraction in Punta Cana and offers the experience of swimming with these marine creatures in the warm clear waters of the ocean. The Dolphin Island Park and the bus ride that transports you there are both free attractions in Punta Cana. You must experience this site during your Punta Cana vacations for seeing how marine life survives.

Aside from its wondrous beaches, Punta Cana is also known for its many excellent golf courses. The Cocotal Golf and Country Club, the Cap Cana-Punta Espada and the Barcelo Bavaro Golf Course are just a few of the scenic golf courses that are located in Punta Cana and invite guest golfers to play on their greens, during vacations as well as tournaments.

The weather in Punta Cana is generally known to be warm year round and the resort experiences average highs of 70-90F all year long. The peak tourist season in Punta Cana usually extends from January to March.

During this time, the resort usually receives a huge influx of visitors who look to escape the ravages of the harsh North American winters on the sunny beaches of Punta Cana.

Hotel rates during these months are typically quite high, but if you choose to make your hotel booking with us, you have no cause for worry for we can assure you of cheap hotel rooms at all times of the year, even during peak season times.

Punta Cana like many other Mexican-Caribbean destinations also experiences a hurricane season which generally lasts from June to November and therefore it is advisable that vacations to Punta Cana be avoided durnig this time.

Punta Cana is well connected by air flights with US, Canada, Europe and Latin America. Therefore, getting to Punta Cana by air would not be a difficult ask. Fare Buzz makes it even easier. We offer a plethora of cheap air tickets and air flight deals that help you save time and money while traveling.

Punta Cana is equipped with a public transport system that comprises of public buses that are known as guaguas and taxis. Guaguas provide a cheap albeit crowded mode of transport on the island and if you are not averse to interacting with the inquisitive but friendly local population of Punta Cana then traveling in a ‘guagua’ offers an extremely reasonable way to traverse Punta Cana. However, these guaguas don’t really stick to a schedule though they can be flagged down easily in the street. Besides these local buses, Punta Cana is also equipped with various other bus companies which offer air-conditioned long distance services to neighboring towns and cities.

Two types of taxis operate in Punta Cana: tourist taxis and city taxis. The recently introduced tourist taxis are definitely the most reliable vehicles that ply on the road in Punta Cana. However, their fares are almost double what the city taxis charge for their somewhat older cars. As is the norm in other resort towns, it is wise to fix the fare with the cab driver before you embark on your taxi journey during Punta Cana vacations. If you don’t want the driver to stop and pick up additional passengers on the way as is the tradition in Punta Cana then you must tell him as soon as you get into the taxi.

Car rentals in Punta Cana are usually not worth it as they tend to be way more expensive than renting at home and most visitors tend to use taxis extensively when vacationing at Punta Cana.

The beach resort, Punta Cana is not really known for its shopping options but visitors still manage to pick up popular Caribbean souvenirs like larimar (Dominican turquoise), ‘silver’ jewelry, pottery made by the Taíno Indians, Dominican cigars and coffee, amber fossils and a locally produced herbal liqueur called Mamajuana, believed to have medicinal properties.

Popular spots for shopping in Punta Cana include locales like Plaza Punta Cana located opposite the Occidental Flamenco, Plaza Bavaro and Palma Real Shopping Center (both located in Bavaro) and the Punta Cana Village in Higüey. Many resorts in Punta Cana are also equipped with gift shops, though prices at these stores are naturally higher than at the shopping plazas and beachside kiosks.

For truly authentic ‘Made in Dominican Republic’ souvenirs do visit the Artesany Center in Fruisa-Melia. Here you have the chance to view local artisans fashion their crafts while you shop for souvenirs like woodcarvings, hand-woven hammocks, Taino pottery and more.

A few pointers for shopping in Punta Cana, vendors and retailers readily accept US dollars and Euros so you don’t really have to exchange currency to acquire Dominican Pesos. Bargaining and haggling are accepted norms at markets and you don’t necessarily have to pay the price you are asked at first. Also when shopping for silver jewelry, be cautious for much fake silver abounds especially at beachside kiosks.

Most visitors to Punta Cana tend to book all-inclusive holidays and hence usually have their meals at the resorts that they stay in. However, if you rather step out of your hotel to explore the local culinary scene, you will not be disappointed. Punta Cana in fact offers an adequately diverse culinary landscape featuring both high-end and low-end eateries offering a variety of local and international eats.

Recommended restaurants in Punta Cana include eateries like Akai Lounge and Sushi Bar, La Yola (Dominican fare), Noir Beach Lounge, Captain Cook, the Jellyfish (all beachside restaurants offering seafood and other delights), Cafeteria Las Leñas (local bakery known for its delectable baked goods) and Taqueria el Burrito (Mexican cuisine).

Like its dining scene, Punta Cana’s nightlife is also largely concentrated on its various beach resorts. Punta Cana’s many resorts host multiple bars, casinos, beach parties and various other forms of entertainment. However, if you would rather venture out of your resort, you should plan to stay out late as most Punta Cana nightclubs don’t start going until mid-night. Additionally d you should also arrange transport to get back through your resort concierge as getting a cab on the streets of Punta Cana is not an option. Some popular nightlife haunts in Punta Cana include hotspots like Soles Chill Out Bar, Steve’s Corner Bar, Una Mas, Liquidos, Areito Disco, Mangu Disco, Imagine and Oro Nightclub (located within the Hard Rock hotel).