Holidays in Punta Cana

Punta Cana is located on the southwestern tip of the Dominican Republic. Here you'll find the best beaches in the world, with dazzling white sand, turquoise-coloured water and coconut palms that reach the sea. Postcards of Punta Cana don't do justice to the beauty of this place.

RIU Hotels & Resorts has six hotels in Punta Cana: the Hotel Riu Bambu,Hotel Riu Naiboa, Hotel Riu Palace Macao, Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana, Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro and the Hotel Riu Republica. In all of them you'll enjoy the best amenities for an all-inclusive holiday in Punta Cana. Around our hotels you'll find the best beaches for relaxing or practising and endless number of aquatic sports. You'll also be able to take excursions to get to know the country's culture and nature.

Nature and culture in the Dominican Republic

During your visit to Punta Cana, we recommend you visit Isla Saona, an authentic tropical paradise where you'll enjoy kilometres of virgin beaches and discover the incredible local flora and fauna. This island is part of Parque del Este National Park, a place of extraordinary natural beauty where you'll find white-sand beaches and more than 400 caves with paintings left behind by the Taíno people. We also recommend you visit the Ojos Indígenas Ecological Reserve, a protected area covering more than 600 hectares, with subtropical forests, freshwater lagoons and animal farms with exotic species.

If you're looking for something more relaxing and cultural, we recommend you visit charming towns like Altos de Chavón, a village on the Chavón River built in the Mediterranean style and called the 'Village of Artists' for being the home of the Escuela de Diseño and an amphitheatre where concerts with renowned musicians are often held. You can also visit Santo Domingo to see the colonial city located in its historic centre. Colón Park, Conde and Damas streets, and the Alcázar de Colón Palace, where the family of Christopher Columbus lived, are other places you shouldn't miss.

Dominican gastronomy

The main ingredients in Dominican cuisine are starches like potatoes, rice, yucca and tapioca, as well as meat, fish, seafood and plantains, which accompany numerous traditional dishes. You'll also be able to savour dishes like la bandera, the national dish, consisting of rice, beans and meat; moro, a dish made with rice and beans; sancocho, a soup with meat and vegetables; and asopao, a rich stew. You'll also get to enjoy delicious desserts like dulces criollos, made with milk, coconut, oranges, plums and a wide variety of tropical fruits.

Playa de Arena Gorda:

The coconut palms that reach the sea, and the transparency and deep turquoise colour of its waters, make this one of the loveliest and most photographed beaches in the world.

Playa Cabo Engaño:

An exquisite and very uncrowded beach, ideal for people who love peace and quiet. Like the others in the area, it is bathed by turquoise waters and its sand holds a multitude of shells for you to find.

Higüey:

A city surrounded by cane fields. It is famous for the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia, a monumental concrete cathedral. The small image of the Virgin of Altagracia, credited with miraculous curative powers, has made this church a pilgrimage site.

Isla Catalinita:

It has a coral reef at a shallow depth which is perfect for inexperienced divers who prefer using a snorkel. On Cape Tiburón, between Saona and Catalanita, sharks abound, and it's a good place for more experienced scuba divers.