Bavaro Holidays - Compare Prices & Departure Dates

Bavaro is one of the most popular tourist destination in the Punta Cana area of the Dominican Republic on the large Caribbean island of Hispaniola, shared with Haiti.

Bavaro is famous for its ten kilometre stretch of powdery white sandy beaches including Macao, Uvero Alto, Roco Ki and La Vacama beach areas.

The area is also becoming known as the mecca of golf in the Caribbean, with 12 professional golf courses and more planned.

There are now many discreet and relaxed hotels and apartment residences to choose from and the emphasis is very much on relaxation and soaking up the sunshine.

Bavaro is also a very popular resort for couples from the UK to get married, take a honeymoon or renew their vows and many tour operators offer wedding services and expert advisors to help you organise your celebration.

The official currency in Bavaro is the Dominican Peso (DOP), but everywhere accepts US dollars. The main language spoken is Spanish with a Dominicanese dialect and the local time is four hours behind the UK.

There are both direct scheduled and charter flights from the main London and regional UK airports to the privately owned Punta Cana airport (IATA code PUJ). Flight time is around nine and a half hours from London and 10 hours from Manchester.

You will feel that you are in the Caribbean from the moment you arrive, as even the terminal building has a thatched roof and open air design.

Travel to the Bavaro resort areas takes 45 minutes by bus or taxi. As many tourists arrive on package holiday deals, the tour operators organise and provide transfers to your accommodation.

UK nationals holidaying in Bavaro do not need a visa to travel, you just need to complete a tourist card on arrival at the airport which costs 10USD, if this hasn’t already been organised by your tour operator.

Once in resort, you may find you don’t want to move that far from your spot on the paradise beach right in front of your hotel, but there are shuttle buses in around the the resort areas and many organised trips if you feel like exploring.

A holiday in Bavaro is all about the beach. Often cited as the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean, Bavaro boasts the finest, white stretches of sand and a blue-sparkling sea.

Golf fans will be kept very happy with the numerous professional golf courses, one of which was designed by Jack Nicklaus.

The Dominican Republic is also well-known for its very friendly welcome, which all adds to the very laid back and chilled out atmosphere on the island.

Entertainment is mainly based around the hotels, with many offering glitzy Vegas-style shows with music and dancing. If you do head out there is a handful of discos and bars, many offering a Latin flavour and of course, lots of locally produced rum.

Watersports are also in abundant supply, with parasailing, speedboating and scuba diving offered. The Bavaro area alone has 22 official dive spots and there are schools offering initiation dives and courses.

Many holidaymakers take a boat trip out to the nearby Saona Islands and often see manatee and humped back whales.

Heading in-land on an excursion will open your eyes to another side of the Dominican Republic, with sugarcane plantations, mangrove swamps and old ramshackle villages to explore. There are even mountains (the highest point being Pico Duarte at 3175m) and waterfalls.

Many visitors take a daytrip to Manati Park, a water and ecological park just outside Bavaro which offers a diverse range of entertainment from the chance to swim with dolphins, to a traditional Taino show and horse tours.

Further afield there are horse riding ranches, quad bike and 4×4 tours, mountain biking and piantballing.

Most travellers book package holidays to come to the Bavaro area of Punta Cana, so there is a wide range of mid-to luxury standard hotels and apartments.

The most expensive hotels are spa resorts offering low-rise individual beach rooms, restaurants on the sand, swim up beach bars and private beach areas, all aimed at offering the most discreet luxury and excellent facilities.

However, there are many three star hotels and self-catering residences, meaning there are accessibly-priced package holidays available to the resort too.

Lovers of retail therapy are well catered for in Bavaro, with not one but two shopping centres. The Palma Real Shopping Center is over a mile long and offers all the international brand names, as does the Punta Cana shopping centre.

Back nearer the beaches, there are always lots of stalls, small shops and locals selling their wares if you want to buy something with more of a local flavour.

If you love seafood you’ll love Bavaro. Book a table on the beach in one of the oldest and most renowned restaurants such as Captain Cook or Robin Hood and eat fresh lobster for a real holiday treat.

If you’re staying in a hotel with catering included, you can expect a range of international cuisine from Italian and Mexican, to Thai and Indian dishes.

The beaches are surrounded by coconut palms, so there’s always plenty of freshly opened coconuts to drink too, as well as that local rum.

Bavaro is an all-year-round resort and has a tropical climate. The calm and generally dry season is from March to mid-July. The hot and very humid season is July to mid-September.

October to January offers cooler weather, but the humidity can mean more mosquitoes and often there are tropical downpours. Traditionally, September and October are the most likely months to be hit by hurricanes, although the whole Punta Cana area is well-protected and rarely feels the full force.

Generally, holidaymakers choose March to July to come out to the area.

• Fulfilling that dream of paradise beaches and blue, blue seas
• A relaxing break, especially for golf and diving fans
• Weddings, honeymoons and renewal of vowels
• A faraway package holiday

• Get up and go types who want to always be on the go
• Anyone who isn’t that keen on chilling out on the beach most of the time

Bavaro area – the Wikipedia listing for Bavaro
Punta Cana – more in-depth information on the whole Punta Cana area

The Bavaro area of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is a firm favourite with holidaymakers looking for that paradise beach to sit back and relax on. With golf, shopping, watersports and in-hotel entertainment there’s something to amuse you.