10 best tips for traveling to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)

Regardless of whether you go with a travel agency or on your own, to travel to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic There are decisions you have to make and information you need to know, all of which will determine the final outcome of your trip.

Hotels, visa, what to do in Punta Cana, what to see, what to bring in your suitcase, excursions and many other questions are those that come to mind before each new trip, and in this article we are going to help you with all of them.

The first thing that should be said about Punta Cana, is that it is one of those destinations that does not have too many organizational complications, as we have just seen on our recent trip to this caribbean paradise.

Mainly, because the majority of travelers who visit Punta Cana they barely move from the big ones resorts where do you have the famous bracelet all-inclusive hotel (o all inclusive as they say there) that gives you access to unlimited food and drink.

10 tips for traveling to Punta Cana

Therefore, whether this is your type of trip, or if you have thought about doing some activityTo avoid spending the entire week in the hotel, we are going to give you 10 tips that summarize the main concerns or doubts that you have been asking us through our social networks.

1. Punta Cana with an agency or on my own?

Despite how extremely easy it is to organize a trip to Punta Cana, we have to say that most of the travelers we met during our recent stay came with the same one contracted through travel agency.

In fact, for this type of trip there are also many who choose to book their trips through internet comparators like Booking  o destinia, which offer the flight offers plus hotel to Punta Cana.

And we realized it already on the plane, where we saw all the tourists surrounding us with the envelope with all the information that travel agencies or flight comparators give you in writing.

I think we were one of the few who didn't go with any agency.

And all this despite the fact that travel to Punta Cana you only need to hire the plane, the hotel, travel insurance and transportation from the airport to the hotel.

Because excursions are not usually included in travel agencies, and like we did, you have to hire them there, either at the hotels or by Internet before travelling.

Also Punta Cana has an enormous advantage when traveling and that is that the language spoken in the Dominican Republic It is Spanish, so for those of you who speak English with difficulty, in this destination you will not have problems in this regard.

This preference for agencies has two explanations:

Obviously the most convenient thing is for them to organize the trip for you, because we don't always have time for it.

And on the other hand, in certain cases travel agencies can offer special cheaper prices due to its hiring volume, than those you can find on your own.

Therefore, we do not want to convince you that one option is better than another, but we are going to show you the aspects that you need to pay attention to regardless of whether you prefer an agency, comparator or organize it yourself.

How to choose a trip and hotel in Punta Cana

First, look for the flight on your own without booking it, as well as a selection of two or three hotels, with the type of room you would be interested in, and write down the prices.

It is important that you search for it by opening a new incognito window so that search engines do not locate your computer and do not raise the price later when doing a new search.

This search is just a first prospection to find out what it would cost us to hire you on our own depending on the hotel.

With this information, ask for prices at travel agencies, being clear in advance which hotels interest you, since not all hotels are in the travel offers to Punta Cana that the agencies offer, and by default they will offer you the ones that interest them the most.

When we have gone on a trip with an agency, we have looked in depth at the catalog of accommodations they offer, to choose one of the hotels that we had previously looked at.

Many agencies, in order to advertise the lowest possible price on advertising posters, neglect the quality of the accommodation and then there are surprises that you did not expect.

And I think that few things can spoil this type of trip more than the hotel, where you are going to eat, dine and spend a large part of the day.

There is a wide range of hotels but with a lot of difference in quality, and in this regard you have to keep in mind that Dominican Republic It is a very cheap country, in which to go from standard quality to absolutely VIP It makes very little difference in price.

That is why we recommend first searching on your own, then looking in the search engines for the flight + hotel offers, and, finally, ask the agency about the hotels we have previously selected.

This way you can compare the different options and choose the most economically appropriate one.

Don't be surprised to find a big price difference regardless of the option, as we have seen hotels booking.com with a much more expensive price than if you hire them from a travel agency offer, and also the opposite.

In any case, here is the link to search hotel in Punta Cana in booking.com, our favorite hotel search engine.

!!Search, compare and choose!!

2. Which hotel to choose in Punta Cana

I would dare to say that the choice of hotel and room is the most important decision that can make your trip to Punta Cana, like ours, be a true trip to paradise.

In Punta Cana there are all kinds of hotels with all inclusive or without it, adults only hotels (adults only), hotels to go with children, with better beaches, with more or less swimming pools, with water parks, with discos, even hotels with casinos and theaters.

This is where our first point gains more strength.

Because furthermore, just as you choose the resort, there is so much hotel offer that it is also important choose room type and the beach area in which it is located.

Let's not forget that hotels have their private beaches, which is where you will spend most of your time.

The resorts in Punta Cana  It has a huge variety of rooms, it is not like other destinations where hotels have all the same rooms.

That's why even when traveling with an agency, they will give you hotel options to choose from with the corresponding prices for each type of room, and if they don't offer it, ask them.

Is it worth hiring an all-inclusive hotel in Punta Cana?

The first decision is whether you want to stay in a All-inclusive hotel or one without everything included.

As surprising as it may seem, not all hotels are all inclusive or all inclusive, which was the idea we had before organizing our trip to Punta Cana

Being honest, and after our experience, we believe that the price offered by the cheap bracelet They are incomparable considering what they offer.

In fact, and as a curiosity, the Dominicans themselves are the first to choose this option of going to a resort where they give you everything done.

It is important to look at the prices they offer you in the packs or in the internet offers to travel to Punta Cana, because they are closely linked to the room you choose and the area of ​​the hotel where you stay.

You have to carefully evaluate the types of rooms they offer you because for a small difference in price, you can have rooms that open directly to the pool or with Jacuzzis inside the room or on your terrace.

What a 5-star all-inclusive hotel in Punta Cana is like

For example, in our case we were staying in the resort Grand Palladium hotels & Resorts en Punta Cana, In full Bavaro beach, which is actually made up of four different hotels, which offered different levels of quality in their services.

To continue with the example of our hotel, which serves perfectly as an example, within the resort we were staying in the Hotel TRS Turquesa, which was the VIP area of ​​the resort,

Only those of us who were staying there could access it, while we could move around the remains of the hotels and facilities of the aforementioned resort.

Having an exclusive area, we did not have crowds at any time, since in our hotel we had restaurants and swimming pools, in addition to the quality in the restaurants and the treatment in this VIP zone It is absolutely superior.

Study it well because there are rooms that are impressive at incredible prices, and you can enjoy them just by searching a little and not choosing the first thing you see or they offer you.

Here we leave you a video in which we tell you in more detail What is a 5-star all-inclusive hotel in Punta Cana like? Based on the experience of our recent trip.

3. Is it safe to travel to Punta Cana?

Regarding this, although Punta Cana It is one of the safest areas in the Dominican Republic By far, we cannot ignore the fact that, in general, it is an unsafe country, although luckily less and less every day.

10 years ago in some hotels the security personnel were armed, something that today, at least in Punta Cana, is not necessary.

And with this we do not mean that anything is going to happen, but for this reason the great resorts They have a great point in their favor, since they guarantee you peace of mind and security.

Above all, not having to leave the hotel to wander through areas you don't know, looking for where to eat or especially where to have dinner, since when the sun goes down is when it is more dangerous.

They usually recommend that if you move around the country on your own, do not carry valuables in plain sight, especially mobile phones.

It must be taken into account that the average salary in the Dominican Republic It is just over $250 a month and the minimum wage is $130, so a cutting-edge mobile phone whose price is around $1.000 is very attractive for thieves.

In our case we barely left the hotel, but when we did and went to walk around the area, we didn't have any problems, even carrying the camera in sight.

The key here is to take into account where you are, since it is not the same to be in Punta Cana in the zone of Bavaro beach or the Cap Cana Marina, which are safe areas, to move around some neighborhoods of the capital, Santo Domingo.

4. How to choose insurance to travel to Punta Cana

El travel insurance It is one of those things that you simply have to have before traveling when we leave our country, and especially taking into account that for between 30 and 60 euros, which is what insurance costs for a week, you are covered for expenses that can be very high if something happens to you.

Of course, no one can guarantee that nothing will happen to you, but if this happens, you will regret it if you do not have good travel insurance.

So that you can orient yourself a little with the prices and clauses, we are going to explain what a safe to travel to Punta Cana, so later you will not have a problem when choosing yours.

It is the insurance in which it is easiest to see its coverage, because many companies are not completely clear when explaining them and much less when using them.

We may think that hiring the cheapest insurance is enough for us, and on certain occasions you may find yourself with a surprise.

And we tell you this because there are many of you who write to us indignant with the insurance you had contracted and they have not given you everything you expected.

Here we leave you this article talking more in depth about how to get good insurance travel much more in depth, in case you have any doubts after reading what we are going to tell you.

Un Basic insurance for a week in Punta Cana It costs about 30 euros, which covers 50.000 euros of medical expenses, and 60 euros for insurance. Estrella with up to 4,8 million euros of medical assistance, which is the one that has the maximum coverage and monetary compensation.

5. The best things to see and do in Punta Cana

Most travelers who visit Punta Cana they do it looking for the sun and the beach, and there are many who do not leave the hotel in a week.

The hotels have their own private beach and several pools to relax and drink and eat while sunbathing, which for many is the perfect plan.

The big ones resort such as, for example, the aforementioned Grand Palladium hotels & Resorts Punta CanaThey also have soccer fields, tennis, paddle tennis and basketball courts, a casino, spa or theaters, as well as bars, clubs and restaurants.

Even hotels organize activities within the resorts, As the foam parties o spinning in the pools, as well as activities for the little ones.

But for those of you who cannot spend so many days without leaving the hotel, there are several activities and excursions what can be done leaving from Punta Cana.

Best excursions in Punta Cana

If what you are looking for is culture and history, perhaps the most important visit you can make tour the city of Santo Domingo with its characteristic colonial buildings.

The capital of the country was first European city in America, since that was where it arrived Christopher Columbus on his first trip to the Americas in 1492.

The Spanish, as it was known in its day, had great importance in the naval development of Spain since here they founded the first church, the first university and many other buildings in what they considered a new continent.

Other of the most requested excursions are the Saona island visit, an authentic Caribbean paradise or the catamaran excursion to Samaná.

For those of you looking for adrenaline activities, there are many speed boat options, buggies between coffee plantations, watch whales or the most spectacular of all, the helicopter ride over Punta Cana.

If we talk about nature or unique places, without a doubt the Los Haitises National Park It is that perfect nature reserve with its mangroves.

Furthermore there are some coral reserves for lovers of marine life where you can live the experience of making snorkeling and diving.

In the interior of the country there are several places where you can visit traditional villages and activities such as to ride a horse or visit beautiful caves inside the jungle.

When it comes to booking excursions, you can do it right there in the hotels, or even on the beach you can find places offering all types of excursions, but the most recommended is book excursions in advance of the trip Well, you ensure availability, and you even have better prices.

6. Do you need a visa to travel to Punta Cana?

For most countries it is not necessary to request any type of visa to travel to Punta Cana.

Yes, for enter the Dominican Republic It is necessary to complete two forms that are given to you on the plane during the journey to the country.

They will ask you for information about your trip, with information such as how many days you are going to stay and where you are going to stay.

There are two forms, because one is delivered upon arriving in the country and passing customs control, and the other is to be delivered before leaving the Dominican Republic.

In the event that you do not know where you have saved the return form, you can always fill it out at the airport before clearing customs, because they will ask you for it at the first Security control that you find after checking in your luggage.

We recommend carrying a pen on hand to fill out the information during the flight, although if you don't have one, someone can always leave you one during the 8-hour flight, for example, from Spain to Punta Cana.

Regarding the money that must be paid before entering the country, we had read that upon arriving in the country they charged you 10 dollars per person, but despite having the money prepared, they did not charge us anything.

We simply handed over the passports and the form that we filled out on the plane, they stamped our passports and we entered the country.

7. What currency is used in Punta Cana?

The currency used in Punta Cana is Dominican peso, although if you don't leave the hotel, don't even worry about it, because there are people who don't even need to change currency during the entire trip.

In our country, since our currency is the euro, we did not change currency in the 7 days we were in the country.

In practice, as in many countries around the world, you can pay with both dollars and euros, since they accept these two currencies almost anywhere.

Plus you can always pay with card in most establishments, especially restaurants.

If you want to change before your trip, you will have to request it from your bank a few days in advance because they probably do not have Dominican pesos in the branch.

Of course you can also change when you arrive in the country, at the airport or even at the hotels themselves; This is the most expensive option although the most comfortable.

If you specifically want change local currency being already in Punta CanaWhat we usually recommend is to withdraw the money from a local ATM (ATM), which usually applies a better exchange rate, and depending on the bank, with minimal commissions.

8. Best time to travel to Punta Cana

When considering what time of year is best travel to Punta Cana, you should know it has a tropical climate, with a constant temperature, so any time of the year is good to visit.

You could say that it is high season all year round, but there are some nuances and differences depending on the month of the year that make the price vary.

Another important topic that you ask us a lot about is the topic of hurricanes, with the classic question of What is the hurricane season in Punta Cana?.

That is why we leave you here a specific article that we have prepared with important aspects related to The best time to travel to Punta Cana, in which we talk about the weather, hurricanes, the months where most people travel and many other things.

9. What to bring for a trip to Punta Cana

The issue of suitcases and what things to bring It is one of the questions that you ask us most when you are going to travel.

To go to Punta Cana there is three things that cannot be missing in your suitcase and they are absolutely essential.

By supuesto swimsuit, a lot sunscreen that is biodegradable so as not to contaminate the sea, because the sun hits very hard on Punta Cana y mosquito repellent if you are going to leave the resorts, especially if you are going to take an excursion to natural reserve areas.

In the 7 days that we were in the country we did not need to wear any sweatshirts or anything warm despite having coincided with the remains of a hurricane that reached the coast of the United States and that sent us clouds continuously.

We had a temperature of between 28 and 30 degrees, with quite high humidity, so the feeling is hot even if there are clouds.

Yes, it is advisable to take some ropa shelter, even if it's just for the plane ride.

If you go to a big resort it is necessary to take some more formal clothing, especially for dinner time.

The plugs They are not the same as in Europe, but it is like in Asia, that all the chargers work, so despite bringing adapters we did not have to use them.

In the big ones resorts There are no electricity problems, but if you are going to move through other areas, it is advisable to take portable batteries because power failures are quite common and it is very common to be left without electricity in the rest of the country.

10. Vaccines required to travel to Punta Cana

In principle, to take a trip to Punta Cana in which you are going to move little from resort, no type of vaccine is necessary.

Despite this, the ideal is to consult with the agency in your country specialized in travel vaccines, so that you can ensure that when you are going to travel, you do not need anything special.