The Best Excursions in Punta Cana to Take with Friends

The Dominican Republic has a wealth of natural riches. This natural diversity is a luxury that you can enjoy during your trip to Punta Cana if you decide to go on excursions around the island. Exploring the rural areas or heading into the mountains and forests is a great plan for groups of friends who want a break from the serenity of the beaches in Punta Cana.

Let’s look at some of the most highly recommended excursions in the Dominican Republic, which are easily accessible from the beachfront resorts.

Samanà and the Los Haitises National Park

Samaná is a place with its own unique personality on the island. From here, you can visit the Los Haitises National Park by boat, exploring a wild and green region with lush nature. You’ll navigate through the bay surrounded by mangroves and you’ll see numerous colonies of birds and other protected species, as well as caves and rock formations that rise out of the depths of the ocean.

Haitises National Park, Bird Island, Dominican Republic

From Samaná, you can explore the park by boat, enjoying its plants and wildlife up close. If you’d like, you can even kayak through the mangroves and have a more intense experience interacting with the species in the area, such as the pelicans, herons and other birds that populate the landscape.

If you prefer to enjoy an aerial view of the region, you can book a flight on a small plane above the Bay of Samaná. This option, depending on the season, can also be ideal for seeing humpback whales.

Riding a Horse up to the Salto del Río Limón

An original excursion you can do in a group from Punta Cana is riding a horse up to the Salto del Río Limón. The path is accessible, although rocky and hilly, allowing you to experience feelings of freedom, adventure and liberation. Along the way, you can enjoy the wonderful fresh air and a wide variety of flora: cocoa trees, coffee trees, mangoes and other species.

The grand finale is your arrival at the waterfall, with several different points from which you can jump in and have a swim.

El Limón, Dominican Republic

Canyoning in the Limón River

After a quick bit of relaxation after climbing to the Salto del Río Limón, another highly recommended activity in the area is to go canyoning. You can get your adrenaline pumping as you descend along the riverbed, making your way down through crystal-clear waters and exploring spectacular places that only few people ever reach.  

Visiting Rural Areas

Can you imagine touring the interior part of the island behind the wheel of a Jeep? If after a few days of relaxation on the beach you’d prefer to go inland, with this type of excursion you’ll definitely be able to indulge your more adventurous side. These excursions include guided tours through local towns where you will get to see what day-to-day life is like in a rural environment. You will cross through sugar cane fields and rice fields, and you will also learn about the daily routines of farmers, fishermen and those who harvest cocoa or coffee.

Any of these recommended excursions in the Dominican Republic would be ideal if you’d like to combine your time spent relaxing on the best beaches in Punta Cana with other types of experiences that will connect you with the island’s local life and nature.