The Beach at Arena Gorda.

Today, the East Coast beach strip is one of the best choices for those seeking the perfect beach and R&R (rest and relaxation) vacation. Bill and Hillary Clinton in April 2001 chose Punta Cana for their first sojourn after leaving the White House. Punta Cana is that perfect place for a honeymoon – first or second.

This is a place for vegging out… miles of silky-fine white sand, deserted beaches with coconut palms.

What else is nearby?
The Punta Cana area lends itself more to those looking for the type of vacation where the resort has everything and one never has to go outside the gates. Note the nearest city, Higuey, is about a 40 minute drive away. Beyond the resorts is mostly empty countryside. You can literally walk for miles along the beach without seeing anything but an occasional unfinished construction project or the next hotel.

Silky white sand beaches of Punta Cana.

El Cortecito, located between Punta Cana-Bavaro and Macao, is the closest thing to a little beach town in the area. Nearby is Manatee Park, a wildlife ecological/adventure site and the Ponce de Leon house is near Boca de Yuma, a choice for fresh fish lunches by the seaside. Handicraft vendors rotate offering market day at the different hotels. There are several souvenir shops located right on the different beach stretches.

The Basilica in Higuey.

Getting around:
Tourists arriving to Punta Cana will spend most of their vacation at their hotel. The easiest way to visit the other hotels is to take a stroll along the beach. Or take the beach taxi to El Cortecito or to the Cabeza de Toro area. To visit the Basilica in Higuey, you can take either a taxi or public bus.

Half an hour to 45 minutes away:
La Otra Banda
If you take the Saona, Catalina, Altos de Chavón, Higuey or Santo Domingo excursions, on your way west ask your guide to point out the small town of La Otra Banda, with its pretty little houses, right out of a Caribbean architecture book and perfect for picture-taking. 

Higüey (Ee-Gway)
The city has no tourist attractions other than its Basilica, a large modern cathedral that honors the Virgen de la Altagracia, patron saint of the Dominican Republic. 
If you wind up in Higüey with time to spare, take a walk down the small streets, look at the local businesses, eat the local cheese, go into a colmado (grocery shop) and buy a Presidente beer or a Coca Cola, go to the local market and buy some local fruit, change your dollars in the banks or exchange houses (next to the central park), try to communicate with the locals, have your shoes shined for 5 or 10 pesos by a small child, give the child a few sweets and your best smile. Visit the largest supermarket in Higuey and purchase Bon Marmalade, Santo Domingo coffee in a can, top of the line Brugal, Bermudez or Barcelo rum, or stop by a Bon ice cream shop for tropical sherbets. 

Ponce de Leon House and Boca de Yuma
Located in San Rafael de Yuma, a detour south of the road that leads from Higuey to La Romana, the Ponce de Leon House was where the famous explorer of Florida lived with his wife and three daughters when he commanded the east of the country for the Spanish conquistadors back around 1505. He would set sail from Boca Chica to colonize Puerto Rico, and then Florida. Near the Ponce de Leon house is the fisherman’s town of Boca de Yuma, for fresh fish and dancing bachata and salsa.

Thanks to OneTravel for the opportunity to share another great vacation destination!  Feel free to visit my blog, All Inclusive Discount Vacation, for links to discount travel!  Have you ever thought about joining a travel club?  If so, DreamTrips and World Ventures is your answer.

It’s free!  Sign up now!

These resorts are located all over the USA and select locations in Mexico like Cabo San Lucas.

Click this link to go directly to the weekly specials.

If your vacation planning personality is spontaneous you will love our DreamTrips Hotel Getaways. Wanna take a last minute family vaycay to Myrtle Beach? Or do you have a quick business trip to Chicago, Dallas, or New York? We have DreamTrips Hotel Getaways available throughout the United States in many locations that are great for any occasion. The best part is you get to choose when you want to go and how long you want to go all at a discounted price! With this kind of flexibility it will be extremely easy and stress-free to plan your next vacation or business trip!

Featured Resort Getaways also provide the flexibility of Hotel Getaways, but the destinations are more exotic and primarily at 4 and 5 star resorts all over the world. Want an all inclusive discount vacation?  With Resort Getaways you have the opportunity to visit the places you’ve always wanted to go, when you want to go, at prices discounted up to 40%! What could be better? Cancun, Orlando and Hong Kong are just a few of the place you can soon be on your way to!

Don’t wait too long too book your Hotel or Resort Getaways as Hotel Getaways must be booked at least 3 days in advance and Resort Getaways must be booked at least 14 days in advance. So, decide where a Hotel or Resort Getaway can fit into YOUR schedule and book one today!

Click throught the DreamTrips link to learn more.