Calgary to Punta Cana direct on Air Transat or WestJet Vacations with 4-5 star all-inclusive packages from $1,449/person for 7 nights. Large family resort selection and top-tier adults-only Secrets, Breathless, and Majestic Elegance properties.
The Dominican Republic splits cleanly into two very different holidays, and choosing between them is most of the decision. Punta Cana on the eastern tip has the best beaches in the country, the largest and newest concentration of resorts, and the most reliable weather. Puerto Plata and the north coast are cheaper, greener, considerably windier, and rainier — and for the right traveller, better.
For a straightforward beach week, Punta Cana is the answer and it is not particularly close. The beaches are wide and calm, the resort standard is high, and the infrastructure is built around exactly this. It is also the busier and more expensive of the two, and the resorts are large in a way that some travellers find impersonal.
The north coast earns its place for a different reason. The wind that makes it less ideal for lying on a beach makes Cabarete one of the better kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations in the Caribbean, and the landscape around Puerto Plata is mountainous and green rather than flat and manicured. If your idea of a holiday involves doing something rather than not, it is the stronger choice and it costs less.
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Before you book
The best beaches in the country, the newest resorts, and the most reliable weather. Busier and more expensive, and the properties are large. The right choice for a straightforward beach week with no complications.
Cheaper, greener, more mountainous, windier, and wetter. Better for travellers who want to do things rather than lie still, and noticeably better value for the same resort tier.
The north coast wind makes Cabarete a genuine kitesurfing and windsurfing destination rather than a resort with a rental hut. If that appeals, it justifies the coast on its own.
June through November with peak risk in September. The Dominican Republic sits in an active part of the Atlantic basin, so cancellation and interruption cover matters more here than for a winter trip.
FAQ
Punta Cana for the best beaches, newest resorts, and most reliable weather. Puerto Plata and the north coast for better value, greener scenery, and watersports — at the cost of more wind and more rain. For a first visit focused on the beach, Punta Cana.
Generally yes for an equivalent resort tier, particularly on the north coast. Punta Cana pricing is closer to the Caribbean coast of Mexico because the resort standard and demand are comparable.
Much less than the north coast, which is why the beaches are calmer and better for swimming. If you want wind for kitesurfing or windsurfing, you want Cabarete on the north coast instead.
December through April for the driest, most reliable weather and the calmest seas. That is also peak season and priced accordingly. May and late November offer a reasonable compromise between weather and cost.
June to November, peaking around September, and the Dominican Republic sits in an active part of the Atlantic basin. Travel then is significantly cheaper, but cancellation and interruption cover should be treated as necessary rather than optional.
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