Punta Cana · With kids
WITH KIDS
A reef runs the length of the coast, which is why the water here barely moves.
Playa Bávaro
The offshore reef flattens the swell, leaving a shallow, warm shelf that stretches for kilometres. Shade is scarce, so bring an umbrella. Any age.
Scape Park, Cap Cana
Zip lines, cave pools and the Hoyo Azul cenote at the foot of a cliff. Separate tickets by activity. Ages 6 and up.
Catamaran to the reef
Half-day boats leave from Bávaro to a sandbar and a snorkelling lagoon; the return leg is usually loud and rum-fuelled. Ages 5 and up.
Isla Saona day trip
A long day — bus, catamaran, natural pool, buffet lunch — to a palm-fringed island in the national park. Ten hours door to door. Ages 6 and up.
Sargassum and sun
Seaweed can pile up on the east coast in spring and summer; resorts rake it, public beaches do not. Buy nappies at a Bávaro supermarket, not the hotel shop.