Where the magic happens
Where we shoot in Punta Cana
Twenty places around Punta Cana, each with the drive from Bávaro, the time it takes and the best months, and whether our photographers are there or it's a private shoot.
On the excursions we photograph · 4
Saona & Bayahíbe
Day trips from Bayahíbe’s pier: islands, a sandbar and reefs.
Over a million visitors a year
Saona Island
A 110 km² palm-covered island in Cotubanamá National Park, visited on a full-day boat trip from Bayahíbe with a stop at the Natural Pool.
- From Bávaro
- 1–1.5 h by road to Bayahíbe, then a boat
- Time needed
- A full day, 10 to 12 hours door to door
- Best months
- December to April, calmest and clearest
- Our photos
- On the Saona day trips we work with
Saona Natural Pool
A waist-deep sandbar off Playa Palmilla in Cotubanamá National Park, where Saona boats stop so you can stand in the sea among starfish.
- From Bávaro
- 1–1.5 h by road to Bayahíbe, then a boat
- Time needed
- A 20-to-40-minute stop on a Saona day trip
- Best months
- December to April, calmest and clearest
- Our photos
- On the Saona day trips we work with
Catalina Island
A 9.6 km² island off La Romana with no permanent residents, protected as a natural monument, known for its reef snorkelling.
- From Bávaro
- 1–1.5 h by road, then 30 to 45 minutes by boat
- Time needed
- A full day, 8 to 10 hours
- Best months
- December to April, calmest water
- Our photos
- On the Catalina day trip we work with
Bayahíbe
A small fishing village founded in 1874 on the Caribbean coast, and the pier the Saona and Catalina boats leave from.
- From Bávaro
- About 69 km, 1–1.5 h by road
- Time needed
- Usually just the boat pier; an hour to explore
- Best months
- December to April, driest and calmest
- Our photos
- On the Saona and Catalina trips from here
On the excursions we photograph · 3
Punta Cana & Bávaro
The beach, an adventure park and the wild Atlantic shore, close to the resorts.
Evolution Park
A half-day adventure park inland from Bávaro: buggy rides, a cave, a cenote swim, a plantation stop and a squirrel-monkey sanctuary.
- From Bávaro
- Roughly 30 to 50 minutes, pickup included
- Time needed
- About 4 hours in the park, 5 with transfers
- Best months
- Year-round; December to April is driest
- Our photos
- On the Evolution Park trips we work with
Bávaro Beach
The long, public, resort-lined beach at the heart of the Punta Cana hotel zone, with calm, reef-protected water.
- From Bávaro
- You're here: it's the hotel strip
- Time needed
- As long as you like
- Best months
- December to April; seaweed likeliest May to September
- Our photos
- On the Bávaro boat and horseback trips we work with
Macao Beach
A wide, mostly undeveloped public beach on the open Atlantic north of Bávaro, known for surf and fish shacks.
- From Bávaro
- About 20 to 30 minutes by road
- Time needed
- A 20-to-60-minute stop, or half a day
- Best months
- October to March for surf; July to September calmer
- Our photos
- On the buggy trips we work with that stop here
Private shoots only · 13
Beyond our excursions
No excursion we photograph goes to these places yet. Most can be a private shoot instead: tell us the place and the date.
Hoyo Azul Cenote
A cool, turquoise freshwater cenote under a 75 m cliff inside Scape Park, Cap Cana, reached by a forest walk.
- From Bávaro
- About 30 to 45 minutes, pickup with the ticket
- Time needed
- Half a day or more with a Scape Park ticket
Los Haitises National Park
A national park of forested limestone islets, mangroves and caves with Taíno rock art, seen by boat on Samaná Bay.
- From Bávaro
- 2–2.5 h by road, then a boat
- Time needed
- A full day, 11 to 13 hours
El Limón Waterfall
A 40-metre waterfall with a swimming pool in the Samaná rainforest, reached by a 2.5 km trail on foot or horseback.
- From Bávaro
- 1.5–2 h by road, then about an hour by boat
- Time needed
- A full day, about 12 hours
Samaná Whale Watching
Licensed boat trips on Samaná Bay to watch humpback whales during their breeding season, 15 January to 31 March.
- From Bávaro
- 1.5–2 h by road, then a boat across the bay
- Time needed
- A full day, 10 to 14 hours
Cayo Levantado
A small island in Samaná Bay with a public beach on its western side and a resort on the rest, famous as 'Bacardí Island'.
- From Bávaro
- 1.5–2 h by road, then a boat across the bay
- Time needed
- A 2-to-3-hour beach stop on a Samaná day trip
Montaña Redonda
A roughly 300 m hill near Miches with a 360° view over two lagoons and the Atlantic, famous for its swings.
- From Bávaro
- About 1 h 15 to 2 hours by road
- Time needed
- Tours run 6 to 7 hours in total
Juanillo Beach
A calm, reef-protected white-sand beach inside the gated Cap Cana development, south of Punta Cana.
- From Bávaro
- About 25 to 35 minutes by road
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full beach day
Altos de Chavón
A replica Mediterranean stone village inside Casa de Campo, La Romana, built from 1976 and opened in 1982 above the Chavón River.
- From Bávaro
- About 1 to 1.5 hours by road
- Time needed
- 1.5 to 3 hours on site
Santo Domingo Colonial Zone
The historic core of Santo Domingo, laid out from 1502, with the first cathedral in the Americas; UNESCO World Heritage since 1990.
- From Bávaro
- About 2.5 to 3 hours by road
- Time needed
- A full day, 9 to 12 hours
Punta Espada
An 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course in Cap Cana, opened in 2006, with eight holes along the Caribbean.
- From Bávaro
- About 30 to 40 minutes by road
- Time needed
- A round of about 4 to 5 hours
Marinarium
A 3.5-hour catamaran trip from Cabeza de Toro: snorkelling with nurse sharks and stingrays, then a natural-pool stop.
- From Bávaro
- About 10 to 30 minutes, pickup included
- Time needed
- 3.5 hours, morning or afternoon
Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park
A nature reserve inside Puntacana Resort with 12 spring-fed lagoons, four of them open for swimming, seen on a guided tour.
- From Bávaro
- Roughly 30 to 45 minutes by road
- Time needed
- A 2 h 45 min guided tour, 10:00 or 14:00
Basílica of Higüey
The modernist basilica of Higüey, finished in 1971, home to the image of Our Lady of Altagracia and the country's main pilgrimage site.
- From Bávaro
- About 40 to 60 minutes by road
- Time needed
- 30 to 60 minutes inside
Private shoots
Your own photographer, almost anywhere on this map.
A proposal, a sunrise family session, whales in Samaná — tell us the place and the date. We reply within hours.
Plan a private shootFind your photos in seconds
Enter the code from your bracelet, QR card or receipt — your gallery opens instantly.
Gallery pass
- Coverage
- Punta Cana · Saona
- Ready
- Next day
- You pay for
- What you love
Where is my code printed?
Your code is on your bracelet, QR card or receipt. Format: uppercase letters and numbers (e.g. ABC12345DEFG).
- On your bracelet
- On your QR card
- On your receipt
Got a QR? Point your phone camera at it — it opens your gallery, no typing at all.
- Instant access
- 100% private & secure
Stay in the loop
Get new destinations & photo deals
One short email a month: new excursions, seasonal photo deals, and tips for the best shots. No spam — leave anytime.
- No spam
- Unsubscribe anytime
- ~1 email a month
Join thousands of travelers reliving their Punta Cana memories.