Punta Cana (June 19-29, 2022):
History of Punta Cana in a few lines:
Origins:
The Punta Cana area was inhabited by the Taíno, an indigenous people who occupied the island of Hispaniola before the arrival of Europeans. They lived by fishing, farming, and gathering, taking advantage of the region's natural abundance.
Middle Ages:
During the European Middle Ages, the territory was part of the indigenous Caribbean world without external influence. Its historical transformation began after the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century, which led to the decline of the Taíno population and the integration of the area into the colony of Santo Domingo.
19th Century:
In the 19th century, the eastern region of the island remained largely undeveloped, with a sparse population and economic activity centered on basic agriculture and livestock farming. Punta Cana remained a jungle area, difficult to access, without urbanization or significant infrastructure.
Present:
Today, Punta Cana is one of the Caribbean's leading tourist destinations, with a development that began in the 1970s and now boasts hotel complexes, world-renowned beaches, and economic growth linked to international tourism. It is one of the most important tourist centers in the Dominican Republic.
If you're looking for fun, peace and quiet and no children, this is your hotel.
We wore a lot of sunscreen; we were already red from the first minute.
You can choose between participating in the hotel's activities or relaxing; we prefer to participate and we recommend it.
Overall summary: The hotel and the people are worthwhile, but perhaps the beaches aren't. There's nothing to see from the outside. Maybe Santo Domingo, but it's not nearby.
It is not a dangerous country as it used to be called.
A quick getaway, one of those "we're fed up with work, we need some fresh air" moments: "Okay, let's go." Where to?... Alicante? Andalusia? Galicia?... Screw that!: Punta Cana! 😂.
So, we needed to disconnect, rest, and have everything done for us, although we didn't stop for a second, we achieved everything we had set out to do.
This is our second time in Punta Cana; the first time was over 20 years ago (separately) and this time again. On both occasions, we agreed that Spain has better beaches and resorts, but this hotel was fantastic and we had a wonderful time. There's nothing more to say…
It wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either; it was great. It had everything, was super clean, the entertainment was good (especially Luisa, a girl with contagious energy and positivity), the buffet was delicious, the waiters were friendly, and the cocktails were very varied, but we recommend the "Banana Mama." We met a group of people from various nationalities, and we got along really well with them, which was a bonus.
It's an adults-only hotel (which is what we were looking for) and what can I say, it fulfilled its mission, it was a perfect trip.
The pool bar was always packed and the bartenders weren't stressed at all, haha. They had a great selection of cocktails. But they close early.
It has 3 or 4 restaurants where you need to make a reservation for dinner, and they're really nice. We definitely preferred the Italian one; the food was delicious, and they even treated us to some lobsters (a story to remember but not to tell...).
As for the beach, we had bad luck with the well-known sargassum; we didn't swim once, but we made up for it at the hotel.
Flight and hotel: 1315€/person (round trip).
Hotel: Punta Cana Princess All Suites Adults Only All Inclusive: €1,140 for 2 people for 10 days.
Trip booked with eDreams.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: It must be electronic and have a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of entry.
Visa: There's no need
Travel insurance: It's recommended to have adequate travel insurance due to the high cost of medical care. We always used Iati, but lately we've been using Globalfine, which is much cheaper.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
It costs €10.51. The good thing is you can order it online and pick it up without an appointment. It took a couple of days for ours, then you go to pick it up and it's a cardboard card like the ones they had 20 years ago.
There is no guide since we don't go out beyond checking out the resorts along the beach.
Consejos prácticos para viajar a Punta Cana
Si viajas a Punta Cana desde Santo Domingo, una de las opciones más habituales es hacerlo en coche en unas 2–3 horas, algo que muchas veces no se tiene en cuenta frente al avión interno o excursiones organizadas. Además, las distancias en República Dominicana permiten combinar playa y ciudad fácilmente en pocos días. Punta Cana es uno de los destinos más populares del Caribe, ideal para disfrutar de playas, resorts y escapadas relajadas.
