Punta Cana Flights Information
The Dominican Republic (DR) is an island country located in the Caribbean region. It is situated on the island of Hispaniola and is a popular tourist destination for its scenic beauty, Dominican architecture, and year-round golf courses.
One of the major cities of DR is Punta Cana – the busiest and most visited tourist city of the Caribbean. Famous for its hotels and resorts, Punta Cana is one of the costlier tourist destinations to visit. To put things in perspective, a one-night stay at a resort in Punta Cana could alone cost you about $175 including food and drinks.
Therefore, it is essential that you plan your travel and save money wherever you can, starting by booking cheap flights to Punta Cana.
Located in the municipal district of Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao, Punta Cana is a resort town of the La Altagracia Province. Beaches and seaside resorts can be found in abundance here, and the weather is usually quite hot and humid, as is the case with tropical regions.
With a total population of less than 50,000, Punta Cana is essentially a poor country, with most of its revenue derived through the tourism industry. However, the city is safe to visit. Especially, since the mystery surrounding a few American deaths in various resorts was cleared up last year, and it was proven that the deaths were accidental in nature.
While Punta Cana itself can be a bit costly, it is worth every penny because the seaside resorts and water sports you have here are unrivaled.
We have a simple 5-step rule you can use to enjoy yourself.
Step 1: Plan your itinerary.
Step 2: Book airline tickets to Punta Cana.
Step 3: Spend your money on all seaside attractions like water sports, marine diving, etc.
Step 4: Enjoy city attractions and architecture.
Step 5: End the trip with happy memories!
The Airport of Punta Cana
There is only one international airport at Punta Cana – the Punta Cana International Airport, but it is the busiest airport in the whole country. The Punta Cana International Airport is identified by location tags of the International Air Transport Association as PUJ. Punta Cana is a privately owned commercial airport with its entire construction inspired by the Dominican architectural styles.
Located in Cabeza de Toro, it has two built-in open terminals with palm fronds covering the roofs., and while the city has much to offer, the airport itself is a beauty to behold in its own right. Punta Cana International Airport accounts for over 60% of all arrivals to the Dominican Republic, both international and domestic. It is one of the newest, major tourist-spot airports in the world, having been built as recently as in December 1983.
Did you know that Punta Cana was the first privately owned airport in the whole world? That’s right. Unlike in most countries, the government does not own the PUJ, despite it being a commercial airport – it is owned by Corporación Aeroportuaria del Este, S.A.
A number of airlines and charter airplane companies cater to Punta Cana flights – Monarch Airlines, Air Belgium, Condor, LTU International, Hapag-Lloyd Flug, American Airlines, Lauda Air, ATA Airlines, Lan Chile, Britannia Airways, Air Europe, Iberworld, Transaero, Pullmantur Air, and Corsairfly.
Punta Cana Attractions
Airline tickets to Punta Cana are reasonable, and you’ll get some good offers on selected flights. However, the stay, food, and transportation are quite expensive, especially if your source of income is not in US Dollars.
The major attractions of the city are the hotels and seaside resorts, the water rides there, as well as water sports and marine diving. Beaches offer a great scenic view and are ideal spots for relaxation and sunbathing.
Some of the biggest water attractions include snorkeling, water-gliding, windsurfing, speed, and jet boats, banana boat rides, catamaran cruises, scuba deep-sea diving, deep-sea fishing, and party boat rides. The more adventurous of you can try stingray snorkeling and swim with dolphins and sharks, too.
Non-water-based city attractions include tours of architectural monuments, safari rides, horseback rides, and dune buggy. Some of the noteworthy monuments to visit are the Basilica Catholic Monument and Los Haitises National Park in Samaná, which are a couple of hours drive from Punta Cana.
You can also enjoy the Dominican music in one of their cultural performances. Be sure to ask your hotel if they arrange these on weekends, or ask hotel travel agents where some of these can be found. You can also find another unique attraction – beautiful water lagoons – at the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park.
Best Time to Visit Punta Cana
The Punta Cana International Airport receives over 3 million tourists a year, but booking plane tickets to Punta Cana at the right time ensures you make the most of your trip to the island city. Punta Cana is geographically the eastern most region of the country and is usually dry and sunny throughout the year.
Rains are in the form of quick tropical showers that are usually experienced in the summer months and last for short bursts of time. Punta Cana is one of those cities which you can visit year-round. However, if you’re not used to hot temperature or the humidity (if you sweat while just standing in a place or sitting in an open car), you must avoid the months of March and April.
Starting September, the Fall season sees the temperatures drop, but the humidity will stay, as will the occasional tropical showers and possible rainstorms. September-October should be your second preference to travel to Punta Cana. The predicted rainfall is always the most in October and the least in February and March.
The best season for tourists is the winter season, between December to February when temperatures range from 20 degrees Celsius in the night to 28 degrees during the day. Right then, the weather is simply pleasant and delightful to experience.
This is also the prime tourist season though, so book your airline tickets to Punta Cana well in advance to avoid overbooking or price hikes as departure dates draw closer.
Some Flight Pre-Booking Tips for Punta Cana
- Choose a direct flight if you have kids or infants traveling with you. Also, research the number of layovers from your source to destination as well as the duration of these layovers, so you can pick a flight that’s cheap and fast, both at the same time.
- Keep in mind the arrival time. If you arrive very early in the morning, confirm with your hotel whether you can check-in or not. If not, ask them if they have a decent waiting room facility. If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll be stranded and might end up wasting your time in Punta Cana.
- At the same time, avoid landing late at night or during evening hours so that your day is not wasted. The ideal time your flights to Punta Cana should land is between noon and late-afternoon.
- Book your flights to Punta Cana DR at least two to three weeks before your departure, because the closer your date of travel, the higher will be the prices of flights.
Local Travel and Getting Around in Punta Cana
Local traveling is mostly through taxis. Very few hotels offer private taxis, but there are travel agencies that will lend you their vehicles for as long as you need them. The rates would be hourly or depending on the consumption of fuel.
Taxis can be a bit expensive. A 20-minute ride from one of the beaches back to your resort would cost you somewhere around 1600 Dominican pesos ($30). Getting around is cheaper if you rent a vehicle with a driver, so research carefully, otherwise, all that money you saved from your airfare to Punta Cana will be balanced out here.