r/PuntaCana • u/No_Bat_7385 • 3d ago
October review
Beaches
If you're visiting the Dominican Republic mainly for the beaches, I'd recommend avoiding Punta Cana and staying in Bayahibe or along the coast on that side instead. During my visit, the water in Punta Cana was dirty, with lots of seaweed, and you don't get to see the sunset from that side of the island. Bayahibe was a much better option if you want nice beaches and sunsets.
Punta Cana is, however, better located for excursions (Saona is closer to Bayahibe though). On the buggy excursion we stopped at Macao beach which is a better beach in Punta Cana with less seaweed than the other Punta Cana beaches
Saona Island
I thought staying in Bayahibe and departing from the local port in the morning would mean more time on Saona Island, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. There were still loads of tourists all departing at the same time, and we didn't end up leaving the port until around 9:30–10:00 am.
The trip includes a stop at a so-called "natural pool", which is basically shallow water near a beach. We then arrived at Saona Island at around 1:20 pm and were told to return to the boat by 3:10 pm.
By the time you account for queuing and lunch, you only get about an hour to actually enjoy the beach.
My advice: Look into private boat trips and compare the prices. It might be worth paying extra for more time on the island and a better overall experience.
Before visiting, I'd read lots of comments warning people against hiring a car because of the driving and road conditions. Coming from the UK, where we drive on the opposite side of the road, I actually found driving in the Dominican Republic to be fine.
Yes, there are some potholes on certain roads around Punta Cana, but overall, the roads weren't as bad as I'd expected for example the highways between Punta Cana, Bayahibe and Santo Domingo were easy to drive on
Traffic in the capital can be busy, as you'd expect, but it's no different from other major cities a lot of other cities are worse. Punta Cana also gets traffic at certain times of the day
I wouldn't rule out hiring a car based on the negative comments online. Just book from a company with full cover for peace of mind
Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park
Personally, I wouldn't recommend it for the price. Paying $70 just to walk through a forest and visit four cenotes felt extortionate.
If you want to visit a cenote as part of an adventure experience, look into other options, such as the adventure parks in the Punta Cana area, including Bavaro Adventure Park.
As expected, prices are high in a tourist-focused destination like the Dominican Republic. However, I found some excursions particularly overpriced for what you actually get
I'd personally choose Bayahibe/Dominicus for the beaches and sunsets, and Punta Cana for its location and access to excursions.
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u/United-War4561 3d ago
Thanks for the review. Please stop mentioning Bayahibe Dominicus to everyone hahaha some people like the mall and jammed resorts
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u/Life_Promotion_2216 3d ago
I just ordered my replacement lenses today, and wow, very impressed after cking the reviews and the prices then the follow up emails letting me know each step that was happening and the happyness of the email was warm and made me feel like my new eyewear team.
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u/OnlyDazz 2d ago
For the Sanoa Island tour, I recommend booking the VIP one in advance online and not via an excursion at your hotel. The VIP one avoids the big crowds, less people on the tour with you and you’re on a speedboat and not a big catamaran with banging music.
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u/No_Bat_7385 2d ago
I went to where the boats are in the morning and booked it with someone there and ended up on one of the big ones. But yeah better to book a private one if they give you more time and if they take you to a quieter area of the Island
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u/fookinturkey 3d ago
Also there are beautiful beaches west of Punta Cana but this person probably has never been to them but there is a lot of good information here.
Also pretty much the whole North Coast has amazing beaches and no seaweed.