The best outdoor adventures in Punta Cana and beyond
Guided outdoor adventures and excursions
Ziplining adventure in Punta Cana
One of those excursions in Punta Cana with a guarantee of fun, action and adrenaline is ziplining. There are several ziplining circuits in Punta Cana, but two are particularly spectacular as they include one cable where you end up in the water: the ziplines at Scape Park Punta Cana as well as the one at Bavaro Adventure Park. Considering the tropical climate in Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic this is a welcoming change from the typical ziplines and guarantees a lot of fun – when landing in the water as well as watching the others getting fully soaked.
How to get there: most of the tours include pick-up and drop-off in your all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana
Price: approx. 60 bis 100 USD per person
Dune buggy adventure in Punta Cana
The second adventure-filled activity in Punta Cana is a tour with the dune buggies. Here you drive with some old-school and completely open buggy vehicles through the countryside around Punta Cana, incl. mud, waterholes, dirt roads and bumps. To make it an even better outdoor adventure, you’ll also visit (depending on the tour) caves, local villages and one of the most beautiful beaches in Punta Cana. Be prepared to get wet and dirty.
How to get there: most of the tours include pick-up and drop-off in your all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana
Price: depending on the tour and the vehicle, approx. 40 bis 80 USD per person
DIY adventures in Punta Cana
Salto de la Jalda – the highest waterfall in the Dominican Republic
One of those places is Salto de la Jalda, the highest waterfall in the Dominican Republic and one of the highest in the entire Caribbean. Even though it has quite a famous title, hardly anyone is visiting it. The reason is that a fairly long (but beautiful) hike is necessary to reach the falls. 5 miles one-way is the minimum you have to hike to get to Salto de la Jalda, and if you don’t have an SUV and start walking from the main road, it is even 2-3 miles more. However, except for the length (minimum 10 miles in total), the hike is not extremely challenging as it is mostly flat and passes through usually shaded forests and cacao plantations.
How to get there: The trailhead is located in Magua, approx. 90 minutes away from Punta Cana
Price: Free
Camping at the beach
Fancy something really special not too far away from Punta Cana? How about camping at the beach? What sounds like a crazy idea is actually possible in the Dominican Republic. You can either head out on your own (assuming you have a rental car and all the camping equipment) and pick a beach to your liking (ideally something remote like Playa Limon or Playa Esmeralda) or visit Costa Arrecife, a camping and glamping project at Playa La Vacama, where the tents are already set up and a wild beach (including restaurant) is awaiting you. All the beaches mentioned here are extremely virgin and gorgeous and also worth a day trip from Punta Cana in case you don’t want to overnight there. However, be careful with swimming as there might occur some pretty strong currents or waves.
How to get there: The beaches mentioned are between 30 and 60 minutes away from Punta Cana and can be best reached by rental car.
Price: Free
The best outdoor adventures in the Dominican Republic
La Rejolla (Waterfall Hike)
La Rejolla is a series of 4 waterfalls and multiple cascades, where one is more spectacular than the other. Even if you just reach the first waterfall it would be worth the hike, but once you visit the second, third and fourth waterfall, you won’t stop to admire this incredible miracle of nature. The hike, which starts in Camu close to Puerto Plata in the north of the Dominican Republic, has a fairly moderate difficulty until the first waterfall as the trail is mostly flat and crosses the river multiple times. Afterwards, it gets a bit trickier, but the trail is still doable if you’re adventurous and in decent shape.
How to get there: the trailhead is located in Camu, located approx. 20 minutes away from Puerto Plata and Sosua
Price: Free
Canyoning in the Cordillera Septentrional
If you love even more adventures in the water, you shouldn’t miss one of those super spectacular Canyoning tours which are available in the Cordillera Septentrional. This mountain range along the north coast of the Dominican Republic is famous for its blue rivers and spectacular views. Thanks to some local tour operators you can discover this area on some thrilling hikes and canyoning tours, where you have to jump, swim and flow through the river. The most famous ones are Magic Mushroom, Cola de Pato and Arroyo de Cañon Frio, which feature up to 40 cascades and waterfalls per tour. It is a great adventure with a lot of fun, stunning photo opportunities and the chance to deep-dive into this part of nature.
How to get there: Cabarete is a great place to base yourself. From there, you can head to Jamao al Norte for most of the tours or book a tour with a pick-up in Cabarete.
Price: a local tour is usually around 40 USD per person, or a tour with English-speaking guides and pick-up is around 70-90 USD per person.
Snorkeling at Cayo Arena
Let’s stay in the north of the Dominican Republic and head a bit more to the west, to Punta Rucia. This is a tiny fishing village that is the starting point of the best snorkeling experience in the Dominican Republic. Fishing boats are heading to Cayo Arena, which is not only surrounded by a shallow reef with a great diversity of fish, but the mini island is also one of the smallest sandbars you can imagine. Due to it being located amidst the open ocean, you have fantastic photo opportunities and some of the most spectacular views in the Dominican Republic. To get there, just take a fishing boat from Punta Rucia or hop on an organized tour from Puerto Plata.
How to get there: Punta Rucia, where you can catch the boat, is around 1.5 hours away from Santiago and Puerto Plata.
Price: usually around 3500 DOP (approx. 70 USD) per boat
Remote beach adventure in Trudillé
Trudillé might be the biggest outdoor adventure in the Dominican Republic you can have. It is one of the most remote beaches in the country and requires – coming from the capital Santo Domingo – a 6-hour drive and a 3-hour hike. Usually, this is only suitable with an organized tour, as otherwise, the logistics are too complicated, especially as you usually camp overnight at the beach and have to take all your food and drinking water with you. However, it is worth the effort, as the beaches are so paradisiacal that they appear from another world. In case you go there, make sure to also head to neighbouring Playa Blanca, which is even more gorgeous – just look at the photos!
How to get there: Trudillé is located in the Southwest of the Dominican Republic. The best option is to go there with a group tour (organized by “Alejate con Ale” or “Aquaventureros” for example)
Price: usually around 100-150 USD for a 3-day tour starting and ending in Santo Domingo
Have you been on a Dominican Republic outdoor adventure? Got any questions, comments, updates or corrections? Let us know by commenting below.
