Adventurous Excusions in Punta Cana
Punta Cana is one of (or perhaps the) most visited destination in the Dominican Republic. Most people go there for all-inclusive resorts and golfing. If you’re the adventurous type, you may find yourself wondering what to do in Punta Cana. Not to worry. There are plenty of adventurous excursions in Punta Cana. These five, in my humble outdoors-loving opinion, are the best.
Snorkel with Sting Rays and Nurse Sharks
Photo by Roofwalker
I love the ocean. Last year I got my scuba certification and went on to dive with thresher and reef sharks. During that same trip, I also swam with whale sharks.
There is no better way to appreciate the otherworldliness of the ocean’s ecosystems than to spend a day in the water with these majestic beasts.
Marinarium Tours takes visitors on catamaran eco-tours to the Marinarium Marine Park where they spend the day sunning themselves on the boat, drinking cocktails, eating seafood and snorkelling among the local sea life — most notably nurse sharks and stingrays.
Tours vary in length and price. Although the tours are a bit pricey compared to other local activities, this is definitely one of the best things to do in Punta Cana.
Explore the Ocean Floor
Video by Laserillo
This tour isn’t entirely different from the previous one, but it’s so awesome looking I had to include it.
The seaquarium underwater adventure is basically like scuba diving for people who don’t scuba dive. Remember the giant metal helmet with the hose coming out of the top that you’d see deep-sea divers wear in movies? You get to put on a helmet kind of like that. Then, accompanied by a professional diver, you get to walk on the ocean floor, explore a submarine wreck and, hopefully, getting cozy with a few stingrays and nurse sharks.
I already know how to dive, but I’d do this just to wear the helmet. You don’t even get your hair wet!
Ride the Waves
Photo by Space Ritual
Kitesurfing is not a cheap sport, but it’s a damned fun one! If you like kitesurfing, then you’re in the right place. Punta Cana has plenty of wind and waves, as well as several kitesurfing schools offering lessons and rentals.
Learning to kitesurf isn’t cheap. Six hours (pretty much the minimum necessary to learn) of private lessons from the Punta Cana Kite Club cost $549 USD, while group lessons are slightly cheaper at $349 USD.
If you are interested finding out more about the learning process, then you should check out my tutorial on learning to kitesurf.
If the effort and cost involved in learning to kitesurf, you may prefer to try stand up paddlebaording. It’s much easier to learn and equipment rentals are much cheaper. If you’re thinking about learning how to stand up paddleboard, I happen to have a tutorial for beginners about that as well.
Zip Above the Canopy
Photo by Bavaro Runners
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it agin. I love ziplines. It’s not because they’re extremely thrilling. Compared to some of the other activities I enjoy, ziplining is pretty mild. However, zippiness are excellent ecotourism businesses. They’re relatively inexpensive to open, so they’re often locally owned. They have extremely little impact on the environment. And, they encourage folks who may not be into hiking or biking to get out and appreciate nature.
The Bavaro Runners Zip Line near Punta Cana is no exception.
Bavaro Runners has a network of 14 zippiness connecting 16 platforms across over two miles of lush jungle-covered countryside. The tour takes about 4.5 hours and costs $89 USD per adult.
That sounds, to me, like an excellent afternoon.
Drop into Fun Fun Cave
Photo by Get Your Guide
I’ve saved one of the best for last. The horseback riding tour to Fun Fun Cave sounds to me almost as awesome as swimming with sharks. This tour, offered by Get Your Guide combines several awesome outdoors adventures. First, you ride on horseback and hike through Haitises National Park to the cave, which is one of the biggest in the world. Once at the cave you’ll be rappel 20m to the cave floor and then go on to explore the cave on foot.
The combination of so many cool activities is what attracts me to this tour. Although it is a bit pricey at $150 USD per person, I think it’s worth it.
These aren’t the only adventurous things to do in Punta Cana. Ziplining, rafting, and canyoning are also possible within a few hours drive of the city. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can book a hotel in Punta Cana with Air Canada Vacations.
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Never been to Punta Cana, but we loved Puerto Plata and Cabarete. They’re less crowded than some of the DR’s more popular tourist regions, but had lots of great outdoor activities. The 27 Waterfalls Tour (which we’ve written about on GGT) remains one of the toughest, but coolest things we’ve ever done.
I definitely want to wear a diving helmet like that one day. 🙂
This is so wonderful I also want to do this.