Several worthwhile destinations lie within an hour or two of Punta Cana.
La Romana and Altos de Chavón
Vast expanses of sugar cane fields characterise La Romana, a city built and sustained by the sugar industry. Casa de Campo is a 7,000-acre property with two 18-hole golf courses, beaches, equestrian stables, and polo grounds. East of the resort is Altos de Chavón, a replica 16th-century Mediterranean village overlooking the Chavón River, featuring the St. Stanislaus Church, a Taino artefacts museum, a 5,000-seat amphitheatre, and the Altos de Chavón School of Design affiliated with Parsons in New York. A shuttle boat reaches Isla Catalina in minutes — good coral reef diving and snorkelling.
A government-protected island at the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Isla Saona is famous for its starfish-filled shallows, the extraordinary Natural Pool sandbar in the open ocean, and turquoise water that seems improbably clear. Catamarans and small motor boats leave from Bayahibe, about two hours west of Punta Cana. The small village of Mano Juan at the island's western end is worth a short walk if you arrive before the main crowd.
Los Haitises National Park
Northeast of Santo Domingo, Los Haitises is a protected area with wet forest, subtropical rainforest, mangrove swamps, and underground rivers flowing through caves with Taino petroglyphs and pictographs. Bird watching at Cayo Los Pájaros is excellent, and humpback whales visit the Samaná sanctuary from January to March.
