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PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – THE BEACHES! Punta Cana boasts 48 kilometers of one of the longest white sand coastlines in the Caribbean dotted with coconut palms. Punta Cana offers rest and relaxation by the sea, unquestionably! The Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea here. It is vast and beautiful. Very tranquil and unspoiled natural beauty.

It is a tourists paradise offering all-inclusive resorts and boutique hotels filled with the comfort of modern beachfront living. Punta Cana is also a golfer’s paradise, with 10 golf courses located along the coast, a beach escape with luxurious marinas and gourmet dining, and a wellness zone with the best spas available for your enjoyment.

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.” ~THE END OF THE OCEAN

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Punta Cana is known for its picturesque, white-sand beaches that stretch for miles, fringed by palm trees and bordered by clear turquoise waters. The region enjoys a warm climate year-round, making it an appealing destination at any time.

The area features a high concentration of resorts, many offering all-inclusive packages that make planning and budgeting for a vacation simpler. There are numerous options for activities beyond lounging on the beach, including zip-lining, golfing, horseback riding, sailing, and snorkeling.

Visitors can explore inland attractions like caves and mountains, and the area is home to diverse wildlife. Punta Cana offers a vibrant nightlife with beach parties and clubs, as well as a variety of restaurants.

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

TRAVEL THERE

FIRST, log on to the Dominican Government website (free) to obtain your E-TICKET. It is a digital form required by multiple institutions for entering or leaving the national territory. Your E-ticket will provide you a QR code to provide to your ticketing agent upon check in at the airport (or upload to their on-line check-in.) US travelers are automatically given a 30 day tourist VISA, so that’s easy!

One of the items I always look at when determining our adventures must be the flight ease to get there! Punta Cana is easy-peasy with direct flights that are short little jaunts from mainland US to the DR. We flew from Northern Michigan (TVC) to Punta Cana (PUJ) only switching planes once in Chicago. It was an easy 4 hour flight from Chicago to Punta Cana. It was a seamless, quick day to arrive in the sunshine. Punta Cana is only one hour difference from EST.

The Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is well-connected with direct flights from many international cities, making travel easy and affordable. The local people are known for their warm and welcoming hospitality, enhancing the visitor experience. Punta Cana offers a blend of relaxation, adventure, and culture, catering to a wide variety of travel styles and budgets.

Once we landed in Punta Cana, we endured the dreaded immigration line to pass through customs. Unfortunately, NO GLOBAL ENTRY FAST LANE to skip the lines at PUJ. It was a slow, lengthy walk through many retractable belt barriers (often called stanchions, line dividers, or queue solutions). These are the primary tool used to create the required paths. The switchback design helps manage passenger flow, prevent line-cutting, and maximize the available waiting space within the terminal. These systems allow airport operators to upscale or downscale operations based on passenger volume, reassigning staff and opening or closing lanes as needed. The physical lines work in conjunction with modern technologies like biometrics and automated screening processes to further expedite the flow of travelers. The sheer volume of people was staggering!

I will say that while the line was lengthy, it kept moving steadily until at last we were released into the exit area where literally an overwhelming number of taxi drivers want to be your best friend and coax you to allow them to drive you! Lucky for us, we already had a reservation with Fabian! He held up a sign with his company logo for us to find him amongst the other “seven million drivers.” He was a sight for sore eyes in that chaos!

Later, I learned about the PUNTA CANA VIP AIRPORT SERVICES that can be purchased in advance to expedite this situation. VIP Service is available both on arrival and departing for additional $. Click the link to learn more!

NEED TO SET UP TRANSPORTATION FROM THE AIRPORT TO YOUR ACCOMODATIONS WITH FABIAN TOO? We recommend DIGIANNI GOMEZ COMPANY.

DIGIANNI GOMEZ COMPANY is who you want to set your reservation up with to keep things easy and simple! They are on WHATS APP (free international texting and calling) to text you when they arrive at your location to finalize your meet up particulars. Click on the link to make your TRANSPORTATION reservation today. You will be in good hands!

We paid $40 USD + tip for each trip from airport to condo and back again. Fabian was punctual, polite, and even stopped at a store to provide us with a water and snacks for the trip to the accommodations upon our arrival. I think we looked hot and in need of a refreshment! HA! What a great welcome to the Dominican Republic! We highly recommend this service! He’s a great young man willing to be super helpful and navigated the traffic expertly.

NOTE: Be sure to leave extra time at the airport on departure as well. 2 hours before flight may need to be extended to 3, if you are not using VIP AIRPORT SERVICES. Expect to also wait in long lines just to check in with your airline (luggage drop off area) and DR tourism survey stop before you can depart the check in with your airline area.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

EXPLORE BAVARO BEACH

This beach is phenomenal! We are so in love with this area. Sunshades, lounge chairs, drinks being served, tranquility, waves lapping the shoreline, white sand under your toes, gentle ocean breezes continually keeping you cool! What an amazing place to spend time! The Dominican people are very genuine. If you make an attempt with the Spanish language they embrace the attempt and quickly switch to English to ease the communication. No worries!

If the struggle is real with the language, whip out your google translate or use your translation ear bud to convert the language into your own native tongue. We found that it was easy enough to take a photo of a menu and translate it quickly with the google translate app. The people are very friendly and patient!

At the time of writing this blog post according to google: The legal currency in the Dominican Republic is the Dominican Peso (DOP). 1 Dominican Peso is equivalent to .016 USD. 1 USD exchanges to 62.03 DOP or 10 USD is exchanged to 620.39 DOP. You must buy it upon arrival at an exchange house or bank. We were told to use an ATM with our credit card to obtain/withdrawl DOP once we arrive as a solution too. If you do not have DOP, we found you can pay in USD, but you will then have to rely on the shop owner to make the correct change based on the exchange rate. Check the exchange rate before traveling or just use a credit card that gives you the best foreign exchange rates without international transaction fees.

Our favorite HURACAN BEACH CLUB was just a walk away located between PLAYA TURQUESA and STANZA MARE near Playa Galina. Ask for Luis! We made a fast friends with him. He was a complete gem!

We packed our own SNORKEL GEAR and WATERPROOF VALUABLES POUCH/WALLET and UNDERWATER WATERPROOF CAMERA, towel, book, and sunscreen so we were well prepared!

Beach days are golden! Love a beach day! God’s creation is on full display at the ocean!

“In attempting to have it all, never forget that if we don’t have love, joy, peace, tranquility and an ability to be truly present in our lives that we don’t have it all anyway. We really don’t have anything.”

~Carolyn Anderson

Soaking up the rays is just one of our favorite relaxing activities when we travel to the ocean along with lazing in the sunshine!

The beaches, sunshine, and ocean provide the backdrop for many other adventures! Do you have a personal BUCKET LIST for travel dreams? You too can DAYDREAM YOUR NEXT TRAVEL ADVENTURE! We did on our last visit in Punta Cana! We enjoyed exploration!

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

HISTORY OF PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Punta Cana is a relatively newly developed area. In the late 1960s, Frank Rainieri, a Dominican entrepreneur in his 20s and Theodore Kheel, a New York attorney and labor mediator, teamed up with other investors, to acquire a 58-million square meter lot on the eastern end of the Dominican Republic according to Wikipedia. The area that is known today as Punta Cana was mostly an undeveloped coastal area of La Altagracia province. At the time the closest major city, Higüey, was a 5-hour drive. A small 40 guest hotel called the Punta Cana Club was the first project. Many have followed after this initial development as the beauty of Punta Cana beckons visitors.

The Punta Cana International Airport was inaugurated in 1984, while more infrastructures such as highways were developed. In 1993, construction began on the Marina de Punta Cana Resort & Club marina. In 1996, the Dominican designer Óscar de la Renta and the Spanish singer Julio Iglesias joined the project. In 2000, the first of the residential community developments began and six years later Tortuga Bay opened.

The most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean is the Dominican Republic, largely due to its beaches, all-inclusive resorts, and rich history. It consistently receives the highest number of visitors in the region, with 16.3 million stay-over arrivals in 2023.

Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is one of the top tourist airport in the Caribbean by passenger traffic, handling over 9,551,921 passengers in 2024. It serves as a major hub connecting the U.S. and other international locations to the region.

If you remember to pack the TOP 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO PACK, you will be ready to dive into the ocean for this adventure right along with us!

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

LOCAL RESTAURANTS

Local fishermen bring their daily catch to the restaurants. The restaurants will have a special prepared in the Dominican style. It is exceptional. We asked Luis to surprise us with his recommendations, prepared to their favorite way and voila! Here it was! It was the best fish my husband has ever eaten! Can’t wait to return and try the days special again!

We also enjoyed a place called CITRUS FUSION CUISINE and DALIAS PUNTA CANA! I highly recommend both of these options that are easily in walking distance from this beach area, and offered outdoor seating options. Each quickly became favorite spots! CITRUS will always be special to us as it was our first dinner in PUNTA CANA (SEE FOLLOWING PHOTOS) on the first night in PUNTA CANA soaking up the first taste of the Dominican culture straight from arriving! The bakery at DALIAS was equally remarkable! We ate breakfast there each morning! EXCELLENT COFFEE & PASTRIES! BEST BREAKFAST SPOT HANDS DOWN!

We are very excited to explore more of these amazing restaurants and shops in this area! Many remain to try out and likely will also become fast favorites!

WHAT WILL I EXPERIENCE IN PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN ISLAND?

As we were lounging on the beach, my husband noticed a bunch of fishermen coming to shore from sling/spear fishing. As they caught fish they were un-stuffing the outer layer of their wet suits with the fish that they had caught. They probably pulled out 30-40 fish right in front of us and began cleaning them to sell. 10 fresh fish for $30! It was so awesome! My husband of course ran right over and began asking questions. What kind of fish were they? How deep did they go to fish. Where were they fishing? How does the fishing sling/spear work? The fishermen were generous with their information and kindness to indulge my husband’s questions!

We are hooked on this island life! It is so laid back and relaxing here! The people make it special! I pray that tourism does not ruin the attitude of the Dominican people towards tourists. Tourists can be a lot for the local culture to deal with, sometimes a good experience and sometimes a not so good experience for the locals. I pray that doesn’t happen here in Punta Cana! This place is the best kept secret for ALL!

Parasailing, windsurfing, fishing, hiking, shopping… Snorkeling opportunities are available here! The ocean floor in this area does appear vastly different from other SNORKELING SPOTS we’ve experienced.

People were swimming and eating and having a great time! It was very relaxing! I could spend countless hours here on this beach and be totally happy! What an excellent place to get lost in a book, or nap while soaking up the sunshine!

RESORT GATED COMMUNITIES:

Here is an example of a gated resort community with 24/7 security to provide additional peace of mind for real estate investors. Many such gated resort communities exist in this area that additionally provide private beach usage in a secure area.

AIR BnB Options:

Look at this option that we stayed in while in Punta Cana. The rooftop was glorious. From the amazing view to the twinkling stars at night. It was a pleasure to stay here in Alberto’s condo!

Alberto was such a wonderful host. I highly recommend staying in one of his properties! He was excellent to meet and takes great care of his patrons!

Look at how he welcomed us to Punta Cana! We walked in the door and voila’! This is what greeted us!

The street level restaurant in this building is called SIMAREDO RISTORANTE ITALIANO. The owner is Marcello. He is such a lovely man! We would stop there for coffe and chocolate croissants for our morning meetings! What fun was that to be greeted so warmly each morning!

INTERESTED IN BUYING REAL ESTATE IN PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

We recommend CANABLUE

Joshua Rosenthal is our recommendation

Perhaps in a later blog post we will share our journey to discovering Punta Cana and the steps involved in acquiring real estate. It is vastly different from US property acquisition. Many nuances can be discussed and what we learned about the differences between US and Dominican real estate purchasing customs.

Our real life experience much like an episode of the television show CARIBBEAN LIFE is definitely it’s own blog post! Hopefully, more to follow soon…we shall see!

AMAZON GIFT CARD – CLICK HERE

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

WHAT IS THE CLIMATE?

Punta Cana has a warm tropical climate with temperatures averaging around 73−88∘F year-round, and it experiences a dry season (roughly December to April) and a rainy season (roughly May to October). The dry season is sunny with minimal rainfall, while the rainy season brings higher humidity and tropical showers, with September and October being the wettest months. The sea temperature is consistently warm making it suitable for swimming anytime.

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – YOU GOTTA GO!

God’s magnificent creation is on full display here in PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC! We were just in awe of it’s raw beauty and humid tropical breezes. The culture was so very warm and inviting! WHAT a beautiful island to explore and enjoy! Take time out of your normal routine and go explore! My husband I really enjoy taking adventures together and exploring new interesting places. God’s wonderful creations abound and the joy shining within the people we meet reflects through their eyes when we can engage a conversation. It is our joy to find local color to share their culture and history with us when we are visiting new places! So many interesting people to meet on these journeys!

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Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

About Me

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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