25 Nov What are the best water sports in Punta Cana?

What water sports can I practice in Punta Cana?

Punta Cana is the best place to rest, enjoy the beaches and see the most impressive sunsets, whether with family, friends or as a couple. 

However, it’s also the ideal destination for the more adventurous and sporty, since you can practice all kinds of water sports such as snorkelling, diving or windsurfing. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re an amateur or a professional, since there is an extensive selection for all audiences, even the little ones. If you love water and sea sports, or you enjoy experiencing new adventures and practicing new sports, then Punta Cana is the destination for you!

Here is a list of all the water sports that you can find in Punta Cana:

Snorkelling; the best family plan

Not all water sports require skill or experience. Snorkelling is one of the most beautiful and rewarding sports that exists, since with little equipment and in shallow waters you can find a wide variety of colourful fish, coral reefs and other spectacular marine animals. Punta Cana is as incredible on the surface as it is underwater!

Unlike diving, an activity that requires training and important technical equipment given the complexity of the activity, all you need for snorkelling is a mask. If you require greater protection, especially if you are accompanied by children, it’s also a good idea to wear a life jacket to make this activity safer. 

Playa Bávaro is the perfect place to go snorkelling. The crystal clear waters that characterise the Playa Bávaro area will allow you to see the corals and different marine species in the area with total visibility.

Another of the main advantages of Playa Bávaro when it comes to snorkelling is its accessibility from the beach and the hotel. Thus, you can access this activity from the resort’s own beach, only having to walk a few minutes.

Another factor to take into account when snorkelling in Playa Bávaro is the water temperature, since it remains stable throughout the year, with an average temperature of between 26 and 28ºC.

Diving in Punta Cana; a journey to another world

The coast in Punta Cana is home to the longest reef in the country that extends north from Playa Bávaro. Here you’ll find beautiful coral reefs and open waters inhabited by barracudas, rays, puffer fish, seahorses and turtles, among a myriad of other marine species. 

Nurse sharks are the most frequently seen inhabitants in this region of the Dominican Republic and the luckiest divers can even hear the singing of the humpback whales while they dive.

In addition, there are several sunken ships off the coast of Punta Cana, such as the Astron, a huge Russian freighter 120 metres in length that sank in the late 1970s off the coast of Playa Bávaro. You’ll feel like you’re in a movie!

AnotherOther marine attractions that you have to visit is the area of Las Cuevitas and El Canal, due to their impressive rock formations. Las Cuevitas are 22 metres down, while El Canal reaches a depth of 16 metres, where divers can easily swim through a canal.

Want to see something totally different? The Aquarium is a project dedicated to the regeneration of the reefs, making it one of the most interesting diving spots in the region. It is located off the coast of Punta Cana, and reaches depths of between five and seven metres, ideal for beginners. You can see mottled barracuda, eagle rays, porcupine fish, sandfish, grunts and parrot fish.

Windsurfing in Punta Cana for all levels

The combination of strong and stable winds with relatively deep waters and a rock-free coastline creates the perfect conditions for this sport. In general, windsurfing requires stronger winds than kitesurfing, and the best time is between May and July, when the average wind speed exceeds 25 km/h.

The calmer waters right off the shore are ideal for learning how to stand up, control the board and sail, while the coral reef half a kilometre offshore creates waves and breakers that expert windsurfers use for tricks and other athletic stunts. 

Punta Cana is a good place to practice windsurfing but, if you are really a professional in this sport, you should know that the best wind for windsurfing will be found in Cabarete, 8 hours from Punta Cana. Here are some of the best places to practice windsurfing in Punta Cana. 

The establishments that are located on the beach offer equipment rentals and classes. In general, windsurfing is not a very complex sport, but beginners will usually fall over more than once or twice.

Wakeboarding in Punta Cana; enjoy the speed

Wakeboarding is a sport for those who love adrenaline, as you can enjoy doing tricks and flips over the water with every jump. Did you know that Playa Bávaro was the venue in 2018 for the first Pan American Wakeboard Championship that was held in the country?

Feel the speed while enjoying the sensation of gliding over the water with the best scenery. You’ll feel as if you’re flying over the crystal clear waters of Playa Bávaro!

Are you even more eager to travel to Punta Cana now on your next holidays? Consider the option of practicing any of these sports to make your holidays that much more special.