Punta Cana is one of the most resort-heavy destinations in the Caribbean. The all-inclusive model is the product, and there's nothing wrong with that — the resorts are good. But if you're spending a week in Bávaro and you don't leave the property even once, you will see about 5% of what the region actually has to offer. The other 95% is reachable as a day trip, and most of it is better than the resort pool.
Here are the seven best, ordered by how far you'll need to travel from Bávaro or Cap Cana.
1. Saona Island (full day, 1.5 hours each way)
The single most popular excursion from Punta Cana, and for good reason. Saona is a national park island off the southeast coast, and the day includes a catamaran or speedboat ride, a stop at the natural pool in the middle of the sea (you can stand in waist-deep turquoise water with starfish on the sandy bottom), a beachside Dominican lunch, and about three hours on the island itself.
What it costs: $50–$120 USD per person, depending on whether you do the standard or the "VIP" version (smaller boat, fewer people, better lunch). Book through your hotel, a local tour operator, or with us as part of a transfer-plus-tour package.
What to skip: The "shopping stop" that most tour operators include. It's a beachfront gift shop, the prices are inflated, and it's a 30-minute pause in the middle of a great day.
What to bring: Reef-safe sunscreen (Saona is a protected area, regular sunscreen is banned), a towel, water shoes, and a waterproof phone case.
2. Hoyo Azul (half day, 30 minutes from Bávaro)
Hoyo Azul is the cenote inside Scape Park at Cap Cana. The water is that impossible blue you see in Mexico's cenotes — clear, cold, surrounded by vertical limestone walls covered in vegetation. The park itself has about ten activities (ziplines, caves, a jungle buggy ride), but the cenote is the reason to go.
What it costs: $80–$150 USD per person for the "Full Day" pass (cenote + all activities) or $40–$60 USD for the cenote only. The full day is more fun; the half day is more efficient.
What to know: The park is at the far end of Cap Cana, about 30 minutes from most Bávaro hotels. Book a tour that includes transport, or arrange a driver — the parking is far from the entrance and a taxi from the gate to the park is $10–$15 USD each way.
3. Bavaro Splash Speed Boat (half day, departs from Bávaro beach)
Not a "see the country" excursion — a fun one. You drive your own speed boat (or ride in one with a driver) along the coast of Bávaro, with a stop for snorkeling on a small reef. The water is shallow and warm, the snorkeling is decent, and the speed boat part is genuinely fun.
What it costs: $60–$90 USD per person. Usually includes hotel pickup.
Who it's for: Families with teenagers, couples, anyone who wants a half day of activity without committing to a long tour. The reef is not spectacular but the boat ride is.
4. Monkeyland (half day, 1 hour from Bávaro)
A small sanctuary in the Anamuya mountains, about an hour from Bávaro, where you walk through the forest and squirrel monkeys come down from the trees to sit on your head, your shoulder, your camera. The monkeys are free-roaming, healthy, and habituated to humans. They're curious, mischievous, and completely unbothered by visitors.
What it costs: $50–$80 USD per person, usually with a combo option that includes a visit to a coffee and cacao plantation next door.
What to know: You cannot touch the monkeys (they come to you), you cannot feed them, and you cannot take flash photography. The guides are good and will tell you when a monkey is about to land on you so you don't flinch.
5. Santo Domingo city tour (full day, 2.5 hours each way)
A long day but the most rewarding if you have any interest in history. The drive to Santo Domingo from Bávaro is about 2.5 hours each way on a good highway, and the city itself is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas (more on this in our [3-day guide to the Zona Colonial](ruta: guia-santo-domingo-colonial-3-dias)).
What it costs: $80–$150 USD per person, with most operators including lunch and a guided walk of the historic center. Some include a stop at the Columbus Lighthouse or the Los Tres Ojos caves on the way.
What to skip: The "shopping at the airport" stops that some operators include. They are not shopping at the airport. They are shopping at a tour-operator partner's store. You don't need the cigars.
6. La Romana and Altos de Chavón (full day, 1 hour each way)
A different kind of day trip — quieter, more scenic, more "European tour." The drive is just an hour. You visit Altos de Chavón, a recreated 16th-century Mediterranean village on a cliff above the Chavón River (with an amphitheater where Frank Sinatra played the opening concert in the 1970s), then a working artists' village with galleries, a small archaeological museum, and a church. Lunch at one of the cliffside restaurants overlooking the river. Optional afternoon at Minitas Beach (a small private beach that is open to day visitors for a fee).
What it costs: $60–$120 USD per person, including transport, guided tour, and lunch. Minitas Beach is extra ($30–$50 USD per person).
Who it's for: Couples, anyone who wants a slower day, anyone with a half-week in Punta Cana who has done the more active tours already.
7. Whale watching in Samaná (seasonal, full day)
This one is only available January through March, when humpback whales migrate to the waters off Samaná to breed. The drive is 3+ hours each way, so most tours include a stop in Samaná or at a beach. You board a small boat in Samaná Bay and go out to find the whales.
What it costs: $100–$200 USD per person, transport from Punta Cana included.
What to know: This is a long day (12+ hours door to door). The whale encounters are spectacular when they happen — the males are singing, the females are breaching with calves — but you don't get to swim with them. You're on a boat. The whales are 20–50 meters away. The water is calm. The experience is one of the great wildlife encounters in the Caribbean.
Who it's for: Anyone with kids old enough to sit still on a boat, anyone who cares about wildlife, anyone with more than 3 days in the area. If you have the time, this is the single most memorable day trip from Punta Cana.
A note on tour operators
There are dozens of tour operators in the Punta Cana area. The quality range is enormous. A few rules of thumb:
- Book with a Dominican-owned operator, not an international reseller. The local operators are usually the ones actually running the boats, the guides, and the buses. The international resellers are the ones charging 30% more and booking you on the same Dominican boats.
- Ask what's included. "All inclusive" can mean very different things. The "VIP" Saona tour with the better lunch and the smaller boat is $30–$50 USD more per person than the standard, and it's worth it. The "VIP" tours on the cheaper end are usually the same as the standard with a slightly better lunch.
- Read the cancellation policy. Especially relevant for the seasonal tours (whale watching) and the weather-dependent ones (any boat tour). Most reputable operators refund 80–100% if you cancel 48 hours in advance.
- Tip the guide. Standard is 10–15% of the tour price, or $10–$20 USD per person for a full day. The Dominican guides work hard.
How to book
You can book through your hotel, through a local operator you find on Google, or through us. The advantage of booking through us is that we know the operators, we know which boats are well-maintained and which are held together with zip ties, and we can put together a multi-day package if you're doing more than one excursion.
If you're doing two or three of these (which we'd recommend if you have a week), let us know and we'll build the package.
