r/PuntaCana

Somos dos chicas mexicanas que nos vamos a quedar una buena temporada por Punta Cana y queremos conocer la parte más local de aquí.
Nos han recomendado Coco Bongo, Maroca y demás, pero justo queremos algo diferente: colmados, bares, fiestas y sitios donde salga gente dominicana de verdad, bailar bachata, merengue, dembow, conocer gente y pasarla bien sin que sea una fiesta llena de extranjeros 😂
Obviamente buscamos lugares con buen ambiente y relativamente seguros, no queremos acabar en un sitio de mala muerte jajaja.
¿Dónde nos mandarían ustedes si fueran nuestros amigos dominicanos? 👀 Queremos conocer Punta Cana como locales y no quedarnos solamente con los lugares turísticos.
Se aceptan recomendaciones de cualquier tipo: colmaditos, bares, fiestas, discotecas, rooftops, lugares para bailar… ¡lo que sea!
Y si alguien se apunta a enseñarnos la vida nocturna dominicana, tampoco nos quejamos 😂🇩🇴🇲🇽

I spent a week and half in Punta Cana and split time between the above resorts. Both were nice, though El Carmen was a bit better.

Both have the same named restaurants, though the quality of the food was better at El Carmen. For example, at the morning buffet, there was more variety of food at El Carmen. Also the food seemed, in general, warmer. And things were crispier, like fries or wings.

The drinks were similarly watered down at both resorts, which is to be expected at an All-Inclusive.

El Carmen is newer than Punta Cana, and it shows. The rooms are much nicer at El Carmen and the spa was much better.

They resorts are very close to one another, so the beaches were pretty similar. Both had lots of seaweed, which is common this time of year. The pools were set up differently, but generally the same vibe. Again though, El Carmen is newer, so the pools appeared that way.

At Punta Cana they have pickle ball courts, tennis courts, and a pretty big outdoor area to play pool and ping pong. I did not find the same at El Carmen.

My group was comprised by Jamaicans and various skin toned African-Americans, aged 32-38, and including single people, as well as couples. None of us noticed any discrimination or weird treatment. And there were many single people and other couples to mingle with.

I do not think I would go back to Punta Cana, but if you are looking to spend a few days at a resort there, El Carmen is what I would go with.

hello all! i’m staying at an all inclusive resort very soon (my first time outside of the US!) and i’m still undecided on how much of my spending money i’m going to take out in USD/RD.

i’m limiting myself to $600 (i don’t plan on taking all $600 out in cash). i’ll be there 5 days, 4 nights. my travel agent, plus everyone else i’ve spoken to, has said to definitely bring some smaller US bills for tipping. i’m just unsure of exactly how much, as well as whether or not i should go the extra mile and also exchange some USD for RD.

i’m more-so worried about how far my USD will actually get me when it comes to spending outside of tips here and there. then again, i worry i may overestimate how much RD i’ll need, and exchange too much… can you tell i’m nervous and overthinking this? lol. anyways, any insight helps!

Hi all! My husband and I have been saving and want to start planning the honeymoon we never got to have. I’ve been doing some research and Punta Cana seems like a great budget-friendly option for us!

We’re looking for an adults-only all-inclusive that feels romantic and upscale but isnt overly quiet. We definitely don’t want a huge party/college-spring-break vibe.

The biggest things we care about are:
-Decently good food (I know AI arnt known for food)
-Cocktail/Drink varieties that aren’t all super sweet
-Preferably a pool with a swim-up bar
-Nice beach as do plan to swim in the ocean
-Some nighttime entertainment for when we want to get out

So far I’ve been looking at Secrets Cap Cana, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Excellence Punta Cana/El Carmen, Sanctuary Cap Cana, JOIA Bávaro, and Live Aqua, but there are SO many highly rated resorts that I’m getting overwhelmed. 😂

For those who have actually stayed at any of these, which would you pick for a honeymoon and why? I’d especially love to hear honest opinions about the food, drinks, beach, atmosphere, and whether you felt the resort was worth the price. Also, if there’s another adults-only resort in Punta Cana that you think I’m overlooking, please tell me!

Dates: August 2026, 10 day stay

Cost: $4700

Travelers: Couple in our early 20s, there for our honeymoon

Room: Excellence Club Junior Suite With Private Pool

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 

My wife and I recently went to Excellence El Carmen for our honeymoon. We have never been to an all-inclusive before, and we were very satisfied with our stay! We stayed for a long time (10 days), and thought we could give a thorough review of the resort for anyone considering staying here.

Rooms: 10/10

We loved our room. We absolutely LOVED having the private pool — I would highly recommend it for anyone doing a romantic trip. We were in an Excellence Club room, and it was close enough to the beach to be able to hear the waves. The rooms were spacious, clean, and had everything we needed. The jacuzzi did not get very hot, so we barely used ours, but this wasn’t a huge deal for us as we preferred to be in our pool anyway. The patios were very nice. While we did not stay in an “ocean view” room, I would say that based on our experience, if you actually want a good view of the ocean, you’ll need to get a beachfront room. Most of the rooms in the resort are not super close to the beach. 

Food and drinks: 8/10

It seems like people don’t have a super high opinion of their food online, and we admittedly have never been to another resort to compare it to, but we were very satisfied with the food! We went to almost every restaurant in the resort. Our favorites were Magna and Oregano. We had steak, sushi, lamb, and chicken, all multiple times. The lunch options were quite limited, and the breakfast was just okay. That said, we were excited to go to dinner every night and enjoyed all of our meals. We did have to dress nice every night for dinner, but we did not mind that, and there were casual options. We ordered room service almost every day for lunch, and it was timely and excellent! I do not drink alcohol, but my wife does, and she loved the drinks at the resort. There were plenty of bars with lots of options. 

Resort facilities and vibe: 10/10

The lobby and bar areas were amazing. I thought the overall vibe at the resort was very laid-back. I’m not sure if it was low occupancy or just good design, but we never once felt like any areas we were in were crowded, and we didn’t wait in a single line. The resort had plenty of beautiful pools, the gym was great, and we loved our spa experience. We didn’t go to the nightclub or really any of the evening entertainment, but there were options for those who were interested. 

Service: 10/10

We absolutely loved the resort staff. They were so kind and helpful. We brought $300 to tip the staff, and I wish we would’ve brought a little bit more. We had a situation where we were disappointed with our champagne breakfast in bed, and the guest experience team went above and beyond to make it right. The spa staff were especially great. Restaurants could be challenging at times with the language barrier. The staff work hard, and I couldn’t find any reliable information about their pay online, but I do hope they pay them well! 

Beach: 6.5/10

This is probably the only “disappointment” from the trip - and it was still good. The beach was beautiful, and the sand was amazing, but it was very windy every day, and during this time of year there is so much seaweed. They do attempt to clean the seaweed but it doesn’t do much. The water wasn’t super clear (although it wasn’t super dirty either), and overall it just wasn’t super enjoyable to swim in. Personally I like to actually be in the water, but if you just want to enjoy the waves and the sight of the beach, it will be a great experience for you! There was plenty of seating, it never felt crowded or competitive at all. The beach staff were very kind and helpful. 

Excellence Club Review 

Due to the length of the stay, we decided to get an Excellence Club room, which was an extra $500 or so. We would say for us that it was worth it. We went to Magna (the club restaurant) 4 times and it was probably our favorite restaurant. They had an incredible 45 oz. tomahawk steak. Magna was the only other breakfast option outside of the main buffet, and the breakfast at Magna was very good. We also loved the hydrotherapy and our location in the resort. We hardly used the lounge or bar. There were two Excellence Club sections of the beach; strangely, however, one of them was easily the best section of the beach, and the other was easily the worst. We used the club beach section (the good side) every day. The Excellence Club pools were great and a clear upgrade compared to the main pools, although we did not use them because of our private pool. The Excellence Club reception desk was helpful. I would say that if you are only going for 4-5 days, the Excellence Club is probably not worth it, but if you are doing a longer stay like we did, I would recommend it. It helped add variety and comfort to the trip. 

Some other notes:

Honeymoon package: If you are staying 6 nights or more for your honeymoon, make sure to request the complimentary honeymoon package before you go! It got us a 45-minute massage (which was amazing), a private beachfront dinner, a champagne breakfast in bed, and a bottle of champagne upon arrival. We loved all of those things. I found this offer in a footnote on the website, so make sure to take advantage of it if it’s your honeymoon.

Excursions: We did not go on any excursions, and we had plenty of fun at the resort. The resort did mention having snorkeling equipment available online - we never saw any opportunities for snorkeling at the resort and the ocean was too rough for most of the listed activities you could do on site. That said, there is a seasons desk in the lobby where you can easily book a variety of excursions. They seemed well-priced and fun. 

Overall, we absolutely loved our trip, and would highly recommend Excellence El Carmen! It was cost effective in the Excellence ecosystem and we have no regrets about our stay. We are grateful to have been able to go! 

Please send recommendations on what to do in Punta Cana

restaurants, beach clubs, private yachts..

party / fun vibes

Hi everyone! How's it going? I'm traveling to Punta Cana at the end of December and would love to get some advice.

It's a family trip—I was invited by my boyfriend's family, so it will be my father-in-law, his wife, my brother-in-law, my boyfriend, and me (5 adults in total).

We already booked our accommodation at Playa Los Corales (Bavaro) and rented a car to explore the area.

I would appreciate your recommendations on:

1. Which excursions are truly worth it? (Since we have a car, are there cool places we can drive to on our own?)
2. Best places to eat around Los Corales or nearby areas?
3. We are spending New Year's Eve there. Any specific recommendations or events for that night?

Thanks in advance for all your tips!

Hello everyone! Would it be too much to do snorkeling with hispaniola and then a saona excursion (on a different day)? Not sure how similar they are to one another

Buenas, hoy 17 de agosto estaré llegando a punta cana en la tarde, me quedaré en el hotel Meliá, alguna recomendación? O alguien más que vaya a estar ahí

I’ll be going to Serenade resort at the end of the month for my honeymoon. Is there a shuttle that takes you there from the PUJ airport ? What’s the best way to get to the resort from the airport? Should we just book a private car ahead of time to bring us there?

Hello everyone, I'm in need of a transfer from our Hotel in Punta Cana to Santa Domingo Airport for 2 Adults and a Toddler (1,5yo). I still have plenty of time but I'm uncertain which options are serious and reliable.

Also on that note, what's the best way to get from Punta Cana Airport to a nearby hotel (~20m ride). Airport Taxi? Uber? Private shuttle as well that you could recommend?

I'm very thankful for you advice :)

My partner and I are planning our very first trip to Punta Cana and are leaning toward Secrets Tides Punta Cana, specifically for a Junior Suite Swim-Out. Since it is a newer property, we would love to get some honest feedback from anyone who stayed there recently.
How are the swim-up suites and terrace setups? Do they feel relatively private, or are you right in the middle of everything? How is the overall food quality and restaurant wait times? Also, how are the beach and ocean conditions right in front of the resort?

We are not looking for a party resort. We want a chill, relaxed vibe with good food, low-key evening entertainment, and access to a nice, swim-friendly beach.

Is Secrets Tides worth it for this kind of trip, or would you recommend a different adults-only resort in a similar price range?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

Tenía pensado Punta Cana pero gastar tanto dinero y que luego el sargazo o como se llame invada la playa No

Me hablaron de que hay lugares lindos con temperatura del agua agradable en el norte de Brasil pero no sé que lugar en concreto.

La idea es hotel con pileta climatizada por si llueve.

Espero recomendaciones, quiero que valga la pena

I’m going to Excellence in a few months. I just talked to some friends that were there and they said to bring a lot of cash for tips. I just want to confirm, is this accurate? I’m totally fine tipping and definitely want to if that’s expected. The only reason I ask is because the only other all inclusive resort I’ve been to, we were told not to tip.