Are you planning a vacation in Punta Cana 2024? As an unbiased expert (6 years living in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo + working in the tourism industry in the past), I am happy to share my top recommendations for the year which is about to start. Insider tips, expert advice, new attractions for 2024 and the best reviewed resorts are just some of the things I want to share in the following article. Here you’ll find all the important things which might help you plan your perfect holiday to Punta Cana in 2024.
1) Flights: book early, but not too early
Let’s start with the flights, usually the first step when booking an all-inclusive vacation to the Dominican Republic. I often read that people are booking their flights as early as possible. This might be the best option if you travel at the very most peak season dates such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Independence Day or Thanksgiving. At all other dates, especially when you’re a bit flexible with your dates (at least 1 or 2 days), it is better to regularly check the airline promotions and book when there is a great offer. This is particularly valid for 2024, as the flight connections to Punta Cana are increasing every year – the airlines need to fill them.
Currently, for example, there are some great promotions in the market. Flights from New York to Punta Cana (non-stop) are available from 290 USD return (with either American Airlines or JetBlue) while flights from Miami to Punta Cana can be booked starting from 270 USD (with American Airlines or Frontier Airlines). These prices are (currently) available throughout the entire year 2024, but seats might sell fast or the promotion can be terminated.
Who would have thought that you might get high-season flights to Punta Cana for such a cheap price?
My recommendation: check Airfarwatchdog* or Google Flights* to find some of the best deals, especially when you’re flexible with dates and/or airports.
2) Resorts: check the new resorts
Recommendations from travel agents, in internet forums or on Tripadvisor are mostly about well-established resorts, such as Hard Rock Punta Cana, Secrets Royal Beach, Majestic Resorts or Lopesan Costa Bavaro (the latter one is our personal favorite). You can also have a look at Secrets Cap Cana, Hyatt Ziva or Hyatt Zilara, which are the top 3-rated resorts in Punta Cana for 2024. Check out our full resort guide for more information on the top-reviewed all-inclusive hotels in Punta Cana.
However, if you want to score a real deal, check out the new all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana for 2024.
Most of these resorts don’t have a lot of reviews yet, which is why they’re overlooked by most people. Because of that and because they are new, they have to throw deeply-discounted special offers on the market – that’s your chance to get a great vacation deal for 2024. And last but not least, as those kind of resorts have only recently opened, you can be sure to get the most contemporary design, brand-new rooms and state-of-the-art technology.
Among the newest resorts in Punta Cana for 2024 are:
– Serenade All Suites Resort Adults Only, opened in November 2023 (check prices here*)
– Sunscape Coco Punta Cana, opened in December 2023 (check prices here*)
– Secrets Tides Resort, planned to open in January 2024 (check prices here*)
– Moon Palace Punta Cana, planned to open during fall 2024
My recommendation: If you don’t want to “take the risk” of booking a new resort (there are usually always some smaller hick-ups at the beginning, even though it is not really a risk), have a look at Lopesan Costa Bavaro* (check our extensive Lopesan review here), the best overall resort in Punta Cana for 2024.
3) Check the new activities for 2024
Ok, if checking out the new resorts of 2024 might be a great deal, why not also have a look at some new excursions and attractions in Punta Cana? While ziplining, catamaran tours, Isla Saona excursions, party boats or theme parks in Punta Cana always guarantee good fun, trying something new this time – especially if you want to beat the crowds and have semi-private experiences – would be a great resolution for your Punta Cana trip in 2024.
If you’re looking for unique excursions and activities that are new in the market, the following are my top recommendations you definitely should check out for the upcoming year:
Katmandu Park Punta Cana (check details and prices here*), a newly-opened theme park in Punta Cana, with a unique high-ropes course, the first adventure golf parcours in the Dominican Republic and state-of-the-art indoor attractions with immersive games and interactive fun.
Isla Saona Snorkeling Tour (check details and prices here*), a newly-created Saona tour off-the-beaten-track and the ONLY excursion to Saona that focuses on snorkeling. Among other places, it visits Cayo Raton and Isla Catalinita, pristine and beautiful places other companies are skipping.
Lobster Master Class (check details and prices here*): most resorts in Punta Cana don’t include lobster, so here is your chance to not only eat (a very delicious) one but also prepare one by yourself under the guidance of an experienced and professional chef.
Evening Buggy Tour (check details and prices here*): another tour in Punta Cana which is pretty new for 2024 and which is a great choice as it not only includes the typical buggy trip but also a delicious Dominican dinner, a night visit (with a bit of a party) at a cenote and some traditional dance performances. Highly recommended for a fun night out in Punta Cana.
E-Bike City Tour (check details and prices here*), a perfect way to explore Punta Cana’s busy area around Bavaro, which is not fully walkable. Visit iconic places, see the local life, enjoy the e-bikes and get an authentic glimpse of the real Punta Cana.
My personal favorite: The Isla Saona Snorkeling Tour* is my personal highlight of new tours in 2024 – particularly due to the places they visit.
4) Save the date for 2024: Punta Cana Carnival
This is probably not the most important thing for everyone, but it is an important event in Punta Cana – and now we also know the exact date for 2024: the 3rd of February. That’s the day when the Punta Cana Carnival is happening, an event visitors are sometimes curious about as I receive a few questions occassionally.
If you’re interested in visiting the carnival in Punta Cana, you can either just head to Punta Cana Village on your own and observe the spectacle from the roadside or you book one of the VIP tickets, where you have seating and assistance included.
Oh, and talking about dates: the whale-watching season in the Dominican Republic is also running from the 15th of January 2024 until (probably) the 31st of March 2024.
5) Seaweed in Punta Cana
The seaweed in Punta Cana is an issue that most likely also will be a hot topic throughout 2024. As explained in our extensive sargassum guide for the Dominican Republic, seaweed or sargassum is not a problem linked to Punta Cana, it is something the entire Caribbean, Central America and Mexico have to battle with.
It is hard to predict the seaweed in Punta Cana 2024, but it most likely will affect some of the beaches in Punta Cana between March and October, which is the main seaweed season. Bayahibe, Macao Beach or Miches are always great options to escape the seaweed.
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But, as explained in our Punta Cana seaweed guide, just because you’re traveling during the seaweed season doesn’t mean that you will see all the beaches covered in seaweed. Even during the peak season of the seaweed influx, you’ll have several days with clear beaches and no sargassum – the situation can change dramatically from day to day (in both directions). On the other hand, also during the other months, sporadic seaweed days might occur.
The photos below were all taken during peak seaweed season in Punta Cana.
My recommendation: Don’t let Mother Nature ruin your holiday. Even during the seaweed season in Punta Cana, there are so many days where the beaches are mostly clean.
6) Don’t trust the online weather forecast
This brings us straight to the next point and a thing you should definitely avoid in Punta Cana, the weather respectively the weather forecast. As you can read here, the weather in Punta Cana is (nearly) always great to spend your vacation in Punta Cana – one of the reasons why the entire Dominican Republic is a year-round travel destination.
But what you definitely shouldn’t do in preparation for your Punta Cana trip (not only in 2024 but in general) is to check the weather apps for the weather forecast of Punta Cana. It is nearly always showing rain. I often see people crying in our Facebook group that they were hoping for a week of sunshine and now the only thing they see in the weather forecast for Punta Cana is rain.
But that’s not true! The weather in Punta Cana is favorable for a stunning beach vacation on at least 330 or 340 of the 365 days – and the remaining 35 days which might be overcast are scattered throughout the year. The reason why weather apps are (nearly always) showing a rainy forecast for Punta Cana is because of the probability of just a slight rain that might fall. And as soon as one raindrop is falling, it counts as a rainy day for the statistics.
But the truth is that even in the rainy season in Punta Cana rain showers rarely last longer than 20 minutes – and before and after the sun is shining in its fullest perfection. Bring enough sunblock! (and have a look at this article here about when it is the best time to travel to Punta Cana)
My recommendation: I have traveled to over 80 countries worldwide and Punta Cana is one of the best year-round travel destinations I know.
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CHRIS
Author, Travel Coach & Punta Cana based digital nomadHey, I am Chris, a born and raised German, travel-addictive and Caribbean Soul. Since 2011 I have been living in the Caribbean, among them 5 years in the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is my home-base here in the country and I’d love to tell you more about how to experience Punta Cana off-the-beaten-track and give you all the advice you want to know for your vacation in Punta Cana.
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