What do you think of when you imagine an exotic Caribbean destination?
Maybe you imagine palm trees swaying in the ocean breezes, turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, and maybe a puffy thunderhead or two way off on the horizon. Or perhaps you dream of beautiful beachside resorts with plenty of activities and exotic cuisine.
If that’s the case, you just imagined what it’s like to visit Punta Cana in the beautiful Dominican Republic. It’s the perfect vacation destination, and we’ve put together this list of seven reasons why.
1. The Food
A trip to Punta Cana means a chance to sample the flavorful local dishes.
Dominican food is rich and tasty, in which exotic hints of Creole cuisine predominate. There’s a great mixture of local variations throughout the Dominican Republic, but you’ll come across meat, beans, rice, seafood, and plenty of fresh vegetables just about everywhere.
When you visit Punta Cana, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t try out some of its more notable dishes. For example, try Mangú, which consists of boiled and mashed plantain together with onion, scrambled eggs, salami, and various cheeses. Or you can sample La Madera, a dish of rice, red beans, and meat, or the delicious casaba, a cake baked from yucca.
And don’t forget to try some passion fruit when you visit the Dominican Republic, a tasty tropical fruit that finds its way into all manner of drinks and desserts.
2. Reasonable Prices
Traveling is expensive—there’s no way of getting around that.
But compared to other vacation ideas, Punta Cana is quite reasonably priced and much more affordable than many other Caribbean destinations. Part of the reason is that Hispaniola—the Caribbean island that comprises the two nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic—is large and fairly self-sufficient.
Smaller islands have to import much of their food and supplies, but this is much less the case in the Dominican Republic. Plus, Punta Cana is overflowing with all-inclusive resorts (see below) that keep vacation expenses relatively low.
3. A Variety of Entertainments
You’ll have no trouble finding something to do on a Punta Cana vacation.
It doesn’t matter what you’re into. Whether you’re interested in golfing, overland or seaside excursions, lounging in a spa, or snorkeling amid the offshore reefs, there’s an activity for everyone.
There are many things to do in Punta Cana, so there’s no excuse for boredom. If you’d prefer, you can even just soak up some rays on the beach, and read a good book. Either way, Punta Cana is the perfect place to destress and decompress.
4. Easy to Get Around
Transportation and getting around Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic is much easier than many other Caribbean destinations.
First of all, the island is big enough to accommodate large commercial aircraft. In other words, you don’t need to land somewhere else and then book passage on rickety puddle-jumpers to get to your destination. This guide will show you all the different ways to get from the Punta Cana airport to resorts like the Hyatt Zilara.
5. Fantastic Resorts
So, let’s talk about the resorts at Punta Cana.
It’s not a stretch to say that the Dominican Republic probably has more all-inclusive luxury resorts than any other Caribbean island. Many of the island’s resorts are located right in beautiful Punta Cana, and they’re furnished with spectacular scenery and world-class facilities.
When you visit Punta Cana, all-inclusive resorts are the way to go. Food, drinks and accommodations are all bundled into a single fee, so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about your budget. Plus, many resorts include snorkeling trips and other excursions as a bonus in their lavish packages.
6. Wild Nightlife
Maybe snorkeling trips, horseback rides and poolside lounging isn’t really your thing.
Maybe you like to party, and you’d love to sample some of the local nightlife. The Dominican Republic has you covered. There’s a galaxy of cafes and bars, nightclubs, and dance clubs—and they’re all within easy reach of Punta Cana.
If you’re really into club-hopping, the Dominican Republic’s capital city of Santo Domingo is the place for you. The oldest European city in the Americas, Santo Domingo is the country’s nightlife epicenter, and it’s less than three hours from Punta Cana.
Or you can stick around to see what kind of nightlife Punta Cana has to offer—which is plenty! For instance, you can visit the Imagine and Legacy disco clubs and dance into the small hours of the night.
When you visit Punta Cana, check out Coco Bongo for quality dining and entertainment—it’s right in the city’s downtown, so you can’t miss it. Or stop by Pearl Beach Club to experience one of the finest luxury dining and beachside venues in the Caribbean.
7. The Beaches!
Finally, we come to one of the best reasons to plan a Punta Cana vacation—the beautiful beaches.
When you’re shoveling snow and trying to dig your car out of a muddy quagmire in winter, tropical beaches and azure waters are pretty alluring. And it’s no secret that the Dominican Republic, and Punta Cana in particular, have some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.
Best of all, the resorts ensure that the beaches are always clean and free of seaweed.
Visit Punta Cana Today
Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it when you visit Punta Cana.
From the best all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, to the most beautiful beaches in the entire Caribbean, Punta Cana is a premier vacation destination. It’s the closest thing to Paradise that the modern world can offer.
And if you’re in search of more travel and lifestyle tips and advice, please check out the rest of our blog.
