The beaches here are sheltered by a coral reef, so the water near the shore stays calm almost all year. This is also the most convenient starting point for Saona Island, with its shallow sandbanks and starfish – the country's most recognisable day trip. Half an hour away is Cap Cana with Scape Park and the Hoyo Azul cenote, and a little further out rises Redonda Mountain with its famous swings above the valley. With Sunny Dominicana in Punta Cana you can book tours and boat trips along the east coast, from islands to nature parks. And if you arrive in winter, set a day aside for the Samaná Peninsula: from January to March, humpback whales gather in its bay.
