When you decide to visit Punta Cana, one of the main excursions you want to do is the catamaran cruise along the coast and we can say with certainty that a holiday in Punta Cana is not complete without having spent at least half a day on board a catamaran sailing along the coastline surrounded by coconut trees and breathtaking views.
When you then decide to visit Punta Cana in a group for a family reunion, a trip with friends, the celebration of a wedding, or a bachelor/bachelorette party, then the must-do excursion is without a doubt the private catamaran cruise. There is no doubt that half a day on board a boat together with the most important people in your life is a unique experience that will leave everyone with indelible and wonderful memories.
This article aims to help you understand how to choose the best catamaran cruise that best suits your needs for comfort, entertainment and duration. Let’s start by saying that traditionally boat/catamaran excursions in Punta Cana always last around 3 hours of cruising (thus excluding transport time to and from the hotel). Whichever company you decide to choose, the time of the excursion will be more or less the same as the majority of companies offer three shifts a day (morning, midday and afternoon).
Another point in common is that the vast majority of catamaran excursions offer the same itinerary: cruise lasting around 3 hours and two stops along the way: one for snorkeling and one to visit the natural pool. If you decide to book a catamaran cruise from any channel (online, at the hotel, with your travel agent) 90% of the itinerary will be this and you will realize that all the boats will stop at the same point in the middle of the ocean for the snorkeling activity and at the same point to visit the natural swimming pool (at least the one in Bavaro).
Almost all the catamaran excursions depart from different points along Bavaro Beach, such as Cortecito, Los Corales, Jellyfish or Bibijagua. There are only a few companies that leave from Cabeza de Toro area, some that leave from Cap Cana and only one that leaves from the Punta Cana Marina near the airport. Due to the waviness of the sea, which is too dangerous, there are no catamaran excursions in the areas of Arena Gorda (where hotels such as Hard Rock, Majestic, Royalton are located) or Uvero Alto (hotels Excellence, Breathless, Jewel PC, Chic, Live Aqua).
If you find yourself staying in one of the hotels in these last 2 areas then, in case you want to take a catamaran cruise, you will have to spend between 25 and 40 minutes of time on the bus to get to your boat’s beach. This consideration is very important because if you only have a few hours of time you have to take into account that between the return trip you will spend at least 1 or 2 hours of extra time, to be added to the cruise time.
The boats that leave from the different points of Bavaro Beach and Cabeza de Toro have more or less the same itinerary. Some companies also add a third stop at a virgin beach where you can try and taste fresh coconut, others stop in front of the dolphinarium to see the dolphins, but almost all of them reach the same snorkeling point and the same natural pool.
The boats that leave from Cap Cana and Punta Cana, due to the distance, sail to another point and therefore the stops for snorkeling and the natural pool are different, positioned further south. At this point we have to ask ourselves: is the cruise in the Bavaro area or the one in the Punta Cana/Cap Cana area better? It depends on what you are looking for. As mentioned in the Bavaro area there are many more boats… more or less 90% of the companies offering the excursion, so the sea will be very busy.
If snorkeling is important to you then we suggest one of the cruises in the Bavaro area because the snorkeling stop is on a reef and offers a decent experience (don’t think about the snorkeling experience with high expectations as we have highlighted in this article). In the Punta Cana/Cap Cana area there is no reef but only sand and the snorkeling activity is nothing exceptional.
If instead what you are looking for is a crystal clear sea where you can walk in shallow water, then the cruise in the Punta Cana/Cap Cana area is highly recommended, because the natural pool in this area is very clean and almost deserted, with crystal clear and transparent waters similar to those of the natural pool on the Saona island tour. On the contrary, the natural swimming pool in the Bavaro area is always busy with many boats parked and the color of the water is anything but transparent.
Which boat to choose? Currently in Punta Cana most of the boats that offer cruises are catamarans, that is, watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size. Some have the classic shape with mast and sail, and front nets to lie down on, but the majority are boats without mast and net, and 2 levels to accommodate more people. In recent years the market has focused on party boats, and therefore now almost all boats offer a water slide and have a large bar (spring break in March is the month where there is the busiest activity). There are boats that adapt to any group size, from those that can accommodate up to 10 people to those that can accommodate up to 300 comfortably.
Some focus on comfort with sofas and generous shaded areas, others focus on on-board entertainment and offer a large dance floor. All companies offer open bar on board with basic beer and rum plus some extra drinks such as vodka, whisky and mamajuana. Some also offer lunch or BBQ prepared on board, usually for an extra charge. All or almost all of them have a “paparazzi” who will take photos during the tour and will try to sell them to you at the end of the tour.
With this article we hope to have helped you to have a clearer idea on how to choose the right boat excursion that best suits your needs. Through our website we offer some options among what we consider the best catamaran cruises in Punta Cana. If you have any doubts or questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help you!
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