3 days in Punta Cana itineraryBlue Water, Stone Lanes & Fishing Shores

5 stops · 09:00 to 19:30

Highlights: Arrive at Punta Cana International Airport.

1. 1

   09:00about 60 minSight

   Arrive at Punta Cana International Airport

   Land at Punta Cana International Airport, which was built with open-air terminals and roofs covered in palm fronds. It makes a good first frame for the camera roll before the transfer to your resort.

   
2. 2

   10:30about 60 min

   Transfer & Check-In

   Transfer from the airport to your resort and get settled. If your room isn't ready yet, drop your bags and slow down to island time. Tomorrow is the big day on the water.

3. 3

   12:30about 75 minLunch

   Lunch at Jellyfish Restaurant

   Start the culinary side of the trip right on the beach at Jellyfish — toes in the sand, Caribbean catch on the plate. The open-air setting and rolling surf make it the kind of lunch you'll be talking about for the rest of the trip.

4. 4

   14:00about 120 min

   Afternoon Free Wander

   Use the afternoon to explore your resort's beach strip at your own pace — a swim, a hammock, or a first stroll along the shoreline before the more structured days ahead.

5. 5

   19:30about 90 minDinner

   Dinner at La Casita de Yeya

   Dinner at La Casita de Yeya in Punta Cana Village, a casual restaurant for hearty Dominican and Caribbean comfort food such as mofongo, longaniza and stews, with outdoor seating and prices of about US$10-20 a head. From the Bávaro resorts it is a taxi ride away.

6 stops · 07:00 to 19:30

Highlights: Saona Island & the Natural Pool.

1. 1

   07:00about 90 min

   Tour Pickup & Drive to Bayahibe

   Saona day tours from Punta Cana start with a hotel pickup and a bus ride of more than an hour to Bayahibe, where the boats leave. Pickup times vary by operator and hotel, so check your booking and have breakfast early.

2. 2

   08:30about 390 minSight

   Saona Island & the Natural Pool

   Boats from Bayahibe cross to Saona Island, part of Cotubanamá National Park, named after Cotubanamá, a Taíno chief of Higüey. Typical day tours stop at the Palmilla natural pool, a stretch of shallow, clear water, then land on Saona's white-sand beaches for a buffet lunch. Some also visit Mano Juan, the island's only village, a fishing settlement with a sea turtle conservation centre. Rhinoceros iguanas live on the island, and it is the country's most important sea turtle nesting site. What is included varies by operator, so book ahead.

   
3. 3

   15:00about 120 min

   Boat & Bus Back to Punta Cana

   The boat brings you back to Bayahibe, then the bus heads east to the resorts. Saona tours from Punta Cana return you to your hotel 8 to 11.5 hours after pickup, so plan for a late-afternoon return.

4. 4

   17:00about 90 min

   Return & Rest

   A full day on the water earns a proper rest. Rinse off the sea salt and put your feet up for a while before the evening.

5. 5

   18:30about 45 min

   Evening Stroll on the Beach

   After the long day out, take an easy walk along the beach by your hotel while the evening cools down.

6. 6

   19:30about 90 min

   Dinner Near Your Hotel

   Keep dinner close and unhurried after the boat day: eat at your resort or somewhere a short walk or taxi away.

7 stops · 08:00 to 17:00

Highlights: Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia and Casa de Campo & Altos de Chavón.

1. 1

   08:00about 60 min

   Morning Drive to Higüey

   The drive inland from the Bávaro resorts to Higüey takes about an hour. It is the first leg of a road loop west to La Romana and back.

2. 2

   09:00about 60 minSight

   Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia

   Higüey's modern basilica, begun in 1954 and completed in 1970, holds the image of Our Lady of Altagracia, on display since 1571. More than 800,000 people visit each year, and its feast day, 21 January, is a national holiday in the Dominican Republic.

   
3. 3

   10:00about 45 min

   Drive to Altos de Chavón

   From Higüey, drive south-west towards La Romana and the Casa de Campo gate for Altos de Chavón, a drive of roughly 40 minutes.

4. 4

   10:45about 150 minSight

   Casa de Campo & Altos de Chavón

   Altos de Chavón is a re-creation of a Mediterranean village, built from 1976 on a hill above the Chavón River inside the Casa de Campo resort. Walk the stone-paved lanes, see St. Stanislaus Church on the plaza, visit the Regional Museum of Archaeology for its pre-Columbian artefacts (closed Mondays) and look into the 5,000-seat amphitheatre. Non-guests of Casa de Campo pay an entrance fee or come on a booked tour, so check the current access rules before you go.

   
5. 5

   13:15about 75 min

   Lunch in Altos de Chavón

   Stay in the village for lunch. It has several restaurants and casual cafés, some with verandas looking over the river.

6. 6

   14:30about 90 min

   Drive Back to the Coast

   Head back east from La Romana to the Punta Cana and Bávaro resorts. Allow about an hour and a half on the road.

7. 7

   17:00about 75 min

   Final Drink on the Beach

   Back on the coast, end three days of sea, stone and sun with a cold drink on the beach near your hotel, and take your time over it.