Chuckanut Bay Travel
Dominican Republic
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Punta Cana
"The New Caribbean"

On the eastern most coast of the Dominican Republic lies Punta Cana, a growing area complete with its own airport, surrounded by a beautiful countryside at the heart of some of the best stretches of beachfront in the world. With nearly 40 miles of unbroken beaches lining the coast, perfect shores are never far away.

As a vacation destination, Punta Cana is relatively new. The oldest hotel was built in 1985, with 90% of them built after 1995. Local regulations permit hotels to be built only as high as the tallest palm tree, helping to preserve the natural atmosphere and tropical ambiance of its pristine white sand coastlines.

Punta Cana - Bavaro has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. There are over two dozen beautiful hotels in this area, spread over more than 23 miles of white sand beaches, dotted with groves of palm trees, as well as several golf courses. You can fly directly into Punta Cana, with it's thatched-roof airport, like something out of Gilligan's Island. Most hotels are within 30 minutes of the airport.
 
Best resorts for families:  Club Med, Sunscape the Beach, Palladium Grand, Paradisus, and the Iberostar Bavaro.
 
Best resorts for couples: Secrets Excellence and the Paradisus
 
 

Notes on Map: 1km = .6 mile - Map is not to scale.
These hotels are spread over 35km (23 miles) of beaches and
there is a great distance between some of these hotels.

 
Here is a link to an excellent website with resort reviews:
 

Club Med Punta Cana has the best kids club program, and the best food. It is very popular and sells out quickly over school vacation periods. Their kids club starts at age 2 and is open 9am - 9pm.  Lots of activities for both kids and adults, good tennis program, circus school with flying trapeze lessons. Prices are pretty high from Christmas through Easter. The 543 rooms are large family suites, with separate bedroom for parents.
 

One of my favorite resorts is the Sunscape Punta Cana Grand.  It is one of the smallest resorts on Bavaro Beach, with 346 rooms.  It has a large family pool with mats to float on and a swim up bar, plus an "adults only" pool.  Gated kids club for ages 4-12 with wonderful activities including donkey rides, horseback riding, and weekly campouts on the beach. Movies on the beach, Monday night football, and Thursday night beach parties are lots of fun. No reservations required at any of the restaurants, and no restrictions on how many times you can visit them.
 
If you prefer a larger, more upscale resort, then I recommend the Palladium Bavaro Grand.  There are 600 rooms including junior suites that will sleep a family of 6, and the family suites that will sleep up to 8!   Fort Fiesta for kids age 3-12 .  The evening entertainment here is more Vegas-style shows, as compared to the Sunscape and Club Med which have more audience participation.