Bavaro

What it is

The established resort strip north of Punta Cana village, and the closer of the two clusters we cover. The resorts we document here publish transfers of eleven and fifteen miles from Punta Cana International.

Bavaro is where the Dominican all-inclusive market grew up, which shows in what the resorts here emphasise: restaurants, entertainment programmes and family infrastructure rather than the pool arithmetic that dominates the newer builds further north.

Why you would choose it

The shorter transfer. Twenty minutes each way against Arena Gorda adds up to most of an afternoon on a short trip.

Dining depth. Both resorts we profile here publish eleven restaurants. One goes further and publishes the split — seven of the eleven are a la carte, alongside two buffets and two snack venues, with ten bars. On a week-long stay, that distinction determines whether you eat differently each night or queue at the same buffet.

Family infrastructure at scale. One property here publishes two themed water parks and more than two hundred family rooms, which is unusual to state and genuinely useful. Family rooms are allocated inventory: they run out before the rate does, especially in school-holiday weeks.

Why you would not

Density. This is the busier, longer-developed strip. Resorts built for volume are not quiet ones, and if the mental image is an empty beach, the answer is not Bavaro at any price point.

Pool provision is more modest. Four pools at the larger property here, against eleven at the Arena Gorda family resort. The four are differentiated by purpose — semi-Olympic, adults-only, children’s — which serves a mixed group well, but it is a different scale.

Transfers may still cost. One resort here publishes that its airport shuttle carries an additional charge. Closer does not always mean cheaper.

What to confirm before booking here

Neither resort publishes a mandatory fee schedule, and neither publishes a kids club age band. Both gaps are standard for this market and both are worth an email before you pay, particularly if your children are under four or over twelve.

The resorts we have profiled here

Two so far, both large family all-inclusives from the same hotel group at different tiers. The comparison between them is the most useful page on this strip.

Last verified 2026-09-13.