How to choose
- Calm water for swimming with kids: Bávaro, Cabeza de Toro or Juanillo.
- Bars, restaurants and a stroll: El Cortecito and Los Corales.
- Waves and surfing: Macao.
- Fewer crowds: Arena Gorda and Uvero Alto.
Bávaro Beach
This is the long white-sand beach you see in almost every photo. A reef breaks the waves before they reach shore, so the water is usually calm, and you can walk for miles. According to a count published in 2026, it's the most visited beach in the country.
- The ocean
- Calm, sheltered by the reef
- To the airport
- 20 to 30 minutes
- How to get in
- There are public access points at Plaza Bibijagua and in El Cortecito
Keep in mind: it faces east and gets sargassum in the hottest months.
El Cortecito and Los Corales
The liveliest stretch of Bávaro: seafood restaurants right on the sand, bars, shops and stands renting kayaks, paddleboards and parasailing. It's one of the few areas where you can walk from place to place.
- The ocean
- Gentle waves
- Vibe
- Lively and busy
- How to get in
- Through the public areas between the hotels
This is where you'll find Capitán Cook, one of the restaurants in our where-to-eat picks.
Arena Gorda
The northern end of the Bávaro strip, with very fine sand. It tends to be windier, which draws windsurfers and kitesurfers, and it's less crowded than central Bávaro.
- The ocean
- A bit choppier, with wind
- Vibe
- Quieter
- Best for
- Wind sports and long walks
Macao Beach
An open public beach with no hotels on its public stretch and steady surf. It's the area's surf beach, with schools offering lessons, and the last stop on many buggy tours.
The government refurbished it in 2021 and 2022: it has restaurant kiosks serving fried fish, craft stalls, public restrooms and parking.
- The ocean
- Waves and currents
- From Bávaro
- About 30 minutes north
- Bring
- Cash
Juanillo Beach, in Cap Cana
White sand, palm trees and generally calm water, inside the private community of Cap Cana. It has beach clubs with loungers and restaurants, and it's cleared of sargassum often. Prices are higher than at the public beaches.
- The ocean
- Laid-back
- To the airport
- 10 to 15 minutes
- From Bávaro
- 25 to 35 minutes
How to get in if you're not staying in Cap Cana: you go through the gatehouse at the entrance, where you tell them you're heading to the beach. They'll usually ask for ID. Some sources mention a day pass in high season, so ask when you arrive.
Cabeza de Toro
A bay with calm, shallow water, easy for little kids and for snorkeling near the reef. There's seagrass on the bottom, more noticeable between May and November.
- The ocean
- Very calm and shallow
- To the airport
- About 20 minutes
- How to get in
- Almost the entire beachfront belongs to hotels; public access is next to the pier
Uvero Alto
The northernmost beach, with resorts spread far apart and undeveloped stretches in between. The sea usually has more surf than in Bávaro. It's far from everything else, so it's a beach for people staying there.
- The ocean
- More surf
- To the airport
- 40 to 60 minutes
- Services
- Few outside the hotels
Playa Blanca
It's inside Puntacana Resort & Club, next to the airport. The water is calm, good for swimming and for kitesurfing when the wind picks up.
How to get in if you're not staying there: the usual way is to book a table at Playa Blanca restaurant, which has tables on the sand and is in our where-to-eat picks. The Westin Puntacana also sells a day pass with lunch.
If you have a day to spare: Playa Esmeralda
It's in Miches, an hour and a half to two hours away by road. The country's tourism board describes it as one of its most unspoiled beaches. There are hardly any restaurants nearby, so bring water and food.
The beaches, compared
| Beach | The ocean | Vibe | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bávaro | Laid-back | Lively, lots of hotels | First-timers, families |
| El Cortecito | Gentle waves | Bars and restaurants | Strolling and eating |
| Arena Gorda | Windy | Quieter | Wind sports |
| Macao | Wavy | Local, no hotels | Surfing, a day out |
| Juanillo | Laid-back | Exclusive | Couples, beach clubs |
| Cabeza de Toro | Very calm | Family-friendly | Little kids, snorkeling |
| Uvero Alto | Surfy | Remote | Guests staying there |
| Playa Blanca | Laid-back | Resort | Eating on the sand |
Good to know
- The beaches are public. The Dominican Constitution (Article 15) declares beaches public property, and Law 305 of 1968 sets a 60-meter strip from the high-tide line. A hotel can reserve its loungers, but not the sand. That doesn't give you the right to cross private property: use the public access points.
- The flags. Green, calm sea; yellow, use caution; red, stay out of the water.
- Sargassum. It arrives mostly in the warm months and changes from one week to the next. Hotels clear it daily; on public beaches it takes longer. We explain it in our when to go guide.
- The Blue Flag. This label is awarded to stretches of beach managed by hotels, not to whole beaches. In the area, it's held by stretches of Bávaro, Arena Gorda, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Uvero Alto and Macao.
Pick your hotel by beach
36 hotels, filtered by area, who you're traveling with and type.
- Go Dominican Republic (Ministry of Tourism), “Bávaro Beach”
- Revista Mercado, “Are there private beaches in the DR? Here's what the law says” (August 2026)
- Revista Mercado, “What is the most visited beach in the Dominican Republic in 2026?”
- Barceló, guide to Punta Cana's beaches
- Meliá, “What to see at Bávaro Beach”
- Meliá, “What to see at Juanillo Beach”
- Diario Libre, “Government refurbishes Macao beach” (March 2021)
- Diario Libre, “Hoteliers call for security on the beach…” (March 2015)
- IDARD, Blue Flag certified beaches
- AFAR, “Playa Blanca”
- Puntacana Resort & Club, FAQ
- Go Dominican Republic, “Miches”
