The 8 Best Beaches In Punta Cana Dominican Republic (2023)

With over 40 km of coastline, Punta Cana has beaches that cater to any traveler’s preferences, including calm or wavy waters, tidy resort beaches, or a more natural rugged setting. Let’s find out what are the best beaches in Punta Cana!

Punta Cana is known for having some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean and is often included in various top 10 of the world lists.

In this article, we’ll explore the most beautiful beaches that you must visit on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. Let’s take a look and see if it lives up to the hype!

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Where Is Punta Cana?

Punta Cana is the most famous Caribbean resort- and beach heaven you find in the Dominican Republic, all the way on the eastern tip of the island.

It is where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, and only a short distance across the waters is the western part of Puerto Rico!

The area has lots of hotels, all-inclusive resorts, as well as simpler accommodations like holiday homes and hostel solutions. The common denominator is that wherever you stay, you are always close to a paradisiacal beach!

The Best Beaches In Punta Cana

1. Macao Beach

Macao Beach is a public beach with strong waves and windy conditions, making it a perfect surfing spot for active travelers – and there even is a surf school close by here if you are not already a seasoned surfer soul!

Local restaurants along the beach arrange tables on the sand and create a laid-back and chill atmosphere.

Unlike many other beaches in Punta Cana, Macao Beah often is less crowded, as there are only a handful of resorts built in the immediate surroundings of the sands.

One hotel that is there, is the beautiful Dreams Macao, which is a great place to stay if you are a mix of a chilling surfer and a luxury animal!

2. Bavaro Beach

Playa Bavaro is the most famous tourist beach in Bavaro, in the northern part of Punta Cana, and with good reason!

It boasts powdery white sand and coco palms that lean onto the shore, just like the perfect image of a tropical beach should look like. Bavaro Beach is around 3 miles long, and strolling slowly along it during the evenings might seem endless.

You can access Bavaro Beach from the clearly marked road that is just south of the Melia Caribe Tropical Resort, which ends in a huge parking lot.

Ignore the shops and markets here (unless you are in shopping mode), and head the few steps onto the beach to find your perfect Caribbean sandy dream spot!

3. Juanillo Beach

Juanillo is a stunning and secluded beach in the southern part of Punta Cana, situated in the Cap Cana area close to the Sanctuary Cap Cana Resorts.

There’s a wonderful beach restaurant here complete with cabanas and comfortable beach lounge sofas, and as it is a high-end area the food is a bit on the pricy side.

Aside from just lounging, you can spend your time playing sports or taking advantage of the local fishermen for some fresh catch!

To get there, take the road towards Cap Cana and you’ll arrive at a gated area where you’ll need to provide your ID, driver’s license, or passport to enter.

4. Uvero Alto Beach

Uvero-Alto is a lesser-known but no less stunning beach in Punta Cana, that definitely is one of the ones you don’t want to miss.

It is located to the north of Macao and is the farthest beach from Punta Cana’s airport.

The sand on this beach is yellowish and the ambiance is more laid-back compared to other Punta Cana beaches as one of the quietest beaches in terms of visitors and resorts.

Uvero-Alto is located in the western part of the resort zone and has only a few tourists and locals outside the hotel’s beach territory. There are quite strong waves here that make the beach great for surfing, but not great for families with children.

5. Arena Gorda (Fat Sand) Beach

The beach named Arena Gordo is called Fat Sand Beach because of its wide size and gently sloping sandy shore that leads into shallow blue waters.

As the beach is so shallow, it is considered a great beach for families with children!

Most access points to this beach are through the resorts along the stunning stretches of sand. However, it is possible to get here even as a non-staying guest through the Ocean Blue & Sand Service Entrance.

6. Playa Arena Blanca

7. Cabeza de Toro Beach – The Bulls Head

The area around Cabeza de Toro Beach is a luxurious vacation spot, offering high-end hotels and villas that sit directly on the beach. It is located south of Bávaro and is also close to a nature reserve and lagoon for any traveling explorers!

The beach boasts numerous coconut trees that line the shore, and it has a wilder and more rugged feel than other beaches in Punta Cana. Its name Cabeza de Toro comes from the shape of the shore, which resembles a bull’s head.

In addition, Playa Cabeza de Toro holds the “Blue flag” status, indicating that the water there is usually calm despite the possibility of some current. However, there might be occasional seaweed floating around, but it’s hard to predict when and how much.

8. El Cortecito Beach

El Cortecito Beach is a lively beach with white sand that is great for water sports and sunbathing, and as a perk, there are many resorts, restaurants, shops, and bars nearby.

Cortecito Beach is a vibrant and picturesque coastal spot that offers a variety of restaurants serving seafood and international cuisine, as well as souvenir shops, handicrafts, and bars.

It’s situated on Bávaro Beach and boasts a broad stretch of white sand that’s perfect for activities such as swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, or simply soaking up the sun.

Taking a stroll along this beach is a delightful experience that offers ample opportunities to grab a cocktail, socialize, and people-watch!

Tour To Isla Saona Beach

As the name implies, this beach is not really on the island mainland, but on a small islet called Isla Saona just outside in the waters south of Punta Cana outside the National Park Kotubanamá.

To get here, you need a boat, and there are various ways to get yourself on a boat to experience this amazing little islet!

You can join a group tour on a catamaran and make lots of new friends, or you can book a private boat tour for yourself and your squad if you want the privacy and the special experience!

Regardless, this little island has stunning sands, and on your way, you can stop on coral-scattered sand banks and test your snorkeling gear linking up with myriads of tropical fish. A perfect day tour!

Wrap-Up Best Beaches In Punta Cana

Presenting the best beaches in Punta Cana is almost a ridiculous task, as there are so many paradisiacal beaches here on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, really.

The best I can do is present to you the characteristics of each one, and so based on whether you are a lazy luxury traveler for your holiday, a vagabond kind of person, or the sporty kind that needs to get moving, you can find your perfect one!

As the Dominican Republic is not a very big island, you can easily travel between destinations, and check out the stunning shorelines close to the capital Santo Domingo or up north.

There are plenty of amazing Caribbean beaches around Santo Domingo, as well as the colonial city of Puerta Plata area along the northern coast!

I hope this overview has been helpful for you, and also, these beaches are not really far apart – so you could opt for testing out several during your holiday unless you prefer to stay close to the pool bar!

Check out more general information about Dominican Republic travel to boost your planning motivation!

Happy Travel Planning!

xoxo/Hege 🙂