At the far eastern tip of the Dominican Republic you’ll find Punta Cana, which is known for white sandy beaches lined with large resorts. This is an extremely international crowd during the high season, with certain resorts catering to a certain country’s crowd.
Spanish is obviously the main local language, but English is also common, especially at the resorts catering to Americans, Canadians, and Brits. With such a large crowd coming each winter you can be sure that there are a wide variety of activities, often involving water sports, but most people come to just hang around by the beach or pool during the day.
Punta Cana is mostly a mid-market to up-market destination, with very little in the way of budget resorts like you’d find in the Puerto Plata area. There is very good value here to be sure, but not many options for the lowest of budgets. There are many things to do in Punta Cana, most of which are on or near water.
| Population | 330,000 |
| Area | 330,000 |
| Timezone | UTC-4 |
| Currency | Dominican Peso |
| Airports | Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) |
Due to the large size and long list of resort amenities at pretty much every Punta Cana resort, most guests to the area choose to spend the majority, if not all, of their time on the property or in the ocean directly extending from the resort.
Ocean adventures, land based truck and horse back riding tours, and golfing are the most popular things to do outside of your resort’s boundary. Dining options are all over the place, with most resorts offering room service as well.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 45.00 - 86.00 |
| 60.00 - 123.00 |
| 80.00 - 178.00 |
| 204.00 - 576.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | - |
| Local Breakfast | Most all-inclusives have restaurants but if you decide to venture outside the resort you'll find several cafes serving coffee and more. | $2.00 - $6.00 |
| Local Lunch | There are many different lunch options available from international cuisine to local favorites. | $5.00 - $12.00 |
| Local Dinner | Some restaurants are either on the beach or over the water, making for a great view as you enjoy your meal. | $8.00 - $20.00 |
| Beer | Presidente is the most popular beer brand found with both regular and lite varieties available. | $2.00 - $4.00 |
Your resort will help you set up any of the area’s tours, which range from ocean activities and water sport adventures to a truck safari. Tours tend to be mid-range in cost with horse back riding tours at the upper end of the price range.
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 82 | 69 | 0.7 |
| February | 84 | 70 | 0.9 |
| March | 85 | 72 | 1.0 |
| April | 86 | 74 | 1.1 |
| May | 87 | 75 | 1.2 |
| June | 89 | 77 | 1.6 |
| July | 89 | 77 | 1.7 |
| August | 89 | 77 | 1.1 |
| September | 89 | 77 | 2.3 |
| October | 88 | 76 | 1.5 |
| November | 86 | 74 | 2.4 |
| December | 84 | 73 | 0.8 |
Due to its tropical location, Punta Cana serves as a great all year round destination. However, there are certain parts of the year that may be more suited to some than others. During the winter months, you’ll find a near constant breeze due to the wind coming off of the ocean. You’ll also find that very little rain falls during this time of the year.
Summer is a bit different with heavy rainfall that only tends to last a little bit and a warmer, more humid environment. This is also the time of year when there is a chance of a tropical storm or hurricane. Due to this, it’s best to keep an eye on the weather during your stay.
| 21 Mar | 6:43am | 6:51pm |
| 21 Jun | 6:04am | 7:19pm |
| 21 Sep | 6:28am | 6:37pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:07am | 6:08pm |
There are well over 100 resorts and hotels in Punta Cana, making it among the largest resort areas in the Caribbean. What’s more, many of the resorts here are large and all-inclusive on rambling grounds with private beaches, so many guests never emerge from their hotel’s property while they are in the country.
Punta Cana isn’t quite as cheap as Puerto Plata, but most people find it much nicer, and the all-inclusive resort packages here are among the cheapest in the Caribbean.
>>>Best Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts for couples, families, nightlife, and more
Punta Cana’s hotel peak season tends to run in line with the weather. December to April is when you’ll find that most visitors visit, especially those who are traveling to escape the cold winters up north.
During peak season, you’ll find that both airfare and hotel prices rise while the opposite happens in low season- the summer and early fall.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| - |
| 45.00 - 86.00 |
| 60.00 - 123.00 |
| 80.00 - 178.00 |
| 204.00 - 576.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | - |
You’ll be flying into the huge Punta Cana International Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in all of the Caribbean, being served by over 50 different airlines.
Nonstop flights from:
San Juan, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnatti, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal-Trudeau, Ottawa, Quebec City, Regina, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, London, Manchester, Paris, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Munich, Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zürich, Lisbon, Moscow
The best ways to get around are by either walking or hiring a taxi. Some people choose to hire a motorcycle taxi, but this isn’t advised as they can be very risky. Again, most people choose to stay within their resort and only leave to venture on a tour, which usually includes transportation.