This is the Cancun of the D.R. Nowhere in the Caribbean is there such a concentration of resorts, most of them all-inclusive. These resort developments dominate what has come to be known as Costa del Coco or "The Coconut Coast." There are more than 32km (20 miles) of powder-white sandy beaches, among the longest stretch of such beachfront in the world. The beaches edge up to crystal-clear waters, and this coastal land is an up-market resort, filled with government-rated four- or five-star hotels.
Comparisons with other resorts, particularly Puerto Plata/Playa Dorada in the north, are inevitable. The big difference is that Punta Cana exists just for tourists, whereas the resorts in the north involve you more in Dominican life. Except for hotel staffs, chances are you won't be exposed to anybody but other tourists in Punta Cana.
After arriving, you're taken to your hotel in a shuttle bus where you will swim, eat, breathe, and hang out with other tourists, mainly American, Canadian, French, English, Spanish, and Italian, but also from some countries in South America. At the end of your stay, you board a shuttle bus to take you back to the airport.
Bávaro, the name of one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, has come to designate the district north of Punta Cana, site of some of the best all-inclusive resorts in the D.R.
There is far less rain in Punta Cana than at Puerto Plata. Punta Cana's "dry" beaches are wider than those in the north. Staffs at hotels in Punta Cana have been moved here -- often away from their families -- from other parts of the country. They are placed into company housing and are eager to escape back to their towns or villages whenever possible. Staffs at Puerto Plata have been born in the region and tend to be friendlier and more welcoming than those in the more isolated Punta Cana, many of whom express resentment at being uprooted from home and hearth and sent to an isolated part of the D.R. to serve at the pleasure of the endless stream of visitors.
The infrastructure of Punta Cana is newer and fresher, but local life doesn't exist. Punta Cana is strictly a hedonist's retreat, attracting those who want sun and often sex and don't particularly want to see the natural attractions that exist elsewhere on the island.
But, oh, those beaches and those endless buffets. Don't expect to lose any weight. The food and drink flow.
