Adventure and Nature Activities in Punta Cana

Experience the beauty of the Dominican Republic amidst thrilling zip line adventures. Cruises, hiking trails, visits to the monkeys, snorkelling, chairlifts, Quick Jump, Flyboard or rowing are just some of the alternatives to combine.

Enjoying the Caribbean landscape, the views of the countryside and the Caribbean Sea are part of the things to do in Punta Cana and in this post I tell you where to find the best zip lines, the combined activities available and the information you should know before taking to the air in Punta Cana.

Climb aboard a coach or open safari to immerse yourself in the adventure of the jungle from the pick-up point at the best hotels in Punta Cana. On this experience you will meet the Squirrel Monkeys and fly through the Dominican jungle.

The tour takes you from your hotel or villa to Veron Bavaro where the zip lines are located. After the welcome, you receive an introductory talk so that you can do the activity safely and confidently, you are in expert hands.

Without wasting any time you will go to the first stop of 18 platforms connected by 12 zip lines. From the height you will feel a kind of adrenaline and admiration for the nobility of the Dominican mountain range.

Monkeyland

The next stop takes you to Monkeyland or Casa de Coco, where you can visit the squirrel monkeys or red-backed monkeys.

You shouldn't touch them, but don't worry, they are playful and as soon as they see you feeding them, they will surround you. The experience is immersive and fun, a must-do activity in Punta Cana with kids.

When you descend from the Anamuya Mountain s you are taken back to the hotel after enjoying this day excursion at Monkeyland.

Details of interest

• Price: From 124 €.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• What you need to know: All along the way the guides keep you hydrated with bottled water. This is a tour for large groups. Up to 90 people are allowed. Children between 6 and 8 years old can participate in the first 8 zip lines only.

This is one of the best day trips in Punta Cana thanks to its package of varied destinations and activities through the Dominican countryside.

The first stop on the tour takes you to a ranch where you can ride a horse and watch the manufacture of tobacco while sipping a cocktail made from rum, honey and aged plant roots that result in the famous mamajuanas.

The tour continues through the city, where you'll see the Basilica de Higüey or Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, the local market and other Caribbean enclaves.

The next stop is a coffee and cocoa plantation where you'll sample some freshly prepared derivatives. With your appetite whetted, you have lunch around the Anamuya River.

There you can take a dip in the water for a few minutes before an air and land tour with your off-road vehicle and zip lines through the Dominican mountain range.

Interesting details

• Price: From 119 €.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• What you need to know. Snacks are included with unlimited domestic drinks. You can choose the type of lunch you fancy (I recommend lobster, Dominican Republic and Curaçao have the best in the Caribbean). Round trip transportation is included.

Want to make the most of your time and are planning half day activities? This is the perfect experience to add to your list if you're interested in visiting the Dominican Republic's top longest zip lines.

After picking you up from your hotel in a safari-style coach you'll be taken straight to the air on a circuit of 12 zip lines - including the two longest in the country - 2 kilometres long over the northern mountain range.

This experience is an adrenaline rush as you swing across 18 chain platforms to complete the circuit.

Details of interest

• Price: From €91.
• Duration: 5 hours.
• What you need to know: Includes transport to and from the main hotels in Punta Cana. Bottled water. Expert guide service.

Visiting Scape Park is highly recommended if you are staying 7 days in Punta Cana.

This park offers exciting adventures through the air, sea and land, to stimulate the senses. There are 100 hectares where you can:

• Experience the adrenaline of the Zip Line Eco Adventure, a circuit of 12 zip lines arranged along a cliff.
• Throw yourself from the top of the park on the Macuya Swing, the Tarzan Rope or the hammocks. The course is at maximum speed and you land on a waterfall to advance through an ancient cave.
• Dive into the Hoyo Azul Cenote, a Caribbean icon that you can reach by crossing a suspension bridge after being embraced by the flora and fauna on one of the trails.
• Visit the Iguabonita Cave, where you can swim in the cave's spring, explore the Taino pictograms or dive into its network of tunnels.
• Walk the Cultural Route. A trail that tells the story of Dominican history from the time of the Taino Indians.
• Get up close to Caribbean wildlife in one place**, Faunaland**, a space where capuchin monkeys, rhinoceros iguanas, parrots, macaws and other animals share a safe experience with visitors.
• Horseback riding at the Ranch, a beautiful farm with horses, goats, donkeys, ponies and more.

In addition to these activities, you can also opt for a boat cruise from Punta Cana directly to Piscina Natural to take a dip and add the snorkelling experience to this adventure, or go deep into the Dominican jungle aboard a buggy.

Details of interest

• Price: From 131 €.
• Duration: 7 hours.
• What you need to know: The Scape Park always enters the top parks in Punta Cana for its variety and commitment to guests, however, be aware that often the tours include only 3 activities with the entrance fee. Make sure you choose the most comprehensive option so you don't miss out on its charms. On the other hand, lunch is not included in any of the plans.

At Hacienda Tuko the atmosphere is family friendly. This is a family committed to the good attention of the visitors. In their spaces you will find a network of 8 zip lines, a suspension bridge, an equestrian area and a route through mountain trails for off-road vehicles.

Once their transport takes you to their facilities, you will receive an informative talk to decide which activities you want to do on the farm. You can join all of them, or participate in the ones you like, you decide, this tour is flexible.

At the end, the groups meet at the ranch to have lunch with a typical Dominican meal, eat chocolate or drink coffee, after spending a day of adventures in the middle of the lush Dominican jungle.

Details of interest

• Price: From 101 €.
• Duration: 6 hours.
• What you need to know: Lunch and light snacks are included as well as non-alcoholic drinks. This is a beautiful ranch tour where zip lines and buggies are the main attraction.

This type of experience takes you from your hotel directly to Bavaro Adventure Park. The first activity is on board the buggies to ride through the Dominican jungle.

The highlight comes when you appreciate the variation of the turquoise of the sea due to the marriage between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, at Cabo Engaño.

Birdsong and monitors continue to guide the way to take you to the next station of your excursion: canopy on the island. The circuit made up of 6 zip lines takes you through the trees and rivers of the jungle.

To end the adventure, you can enjoy the park's swimming pool until it's time to take you back to your hotel.

Details of interest

• Price: From 139 €.
• Duration: 6 hours.
• What you should know: Included in the price are the zip line activities, off-road vehicle hire, entrance to Bavaro Adventure Park with access to the pool. Transport to and from your hotel or villa.

Water sports combine with zip lines, an infinity pool, private beach, volleyball courts and a host of irresistible activities for intrepid water lovers. At Caribbean Lake Park you can:

• Throw yourself from a 10-metre tower down its cable circuit with the Zip Line experience or the Hi and Low Zip Line by suspending your body with just your arms. Either activity takes you straight into the lake with a thrilling drop.
• Go paddle boarding. Paddle at your own pace on the park's lake with a paddle board.
• Test your endurance on inflatables with the Donut Ride.
• Wakeboard your way across the lake on a board while a state-of-the-art cable guides your way. And if that's not enough,
• Fly across the lake on the Fly board, the water-powered boots.

This park is perfect for sharing with friends or family, especially when there are teenagers in the group.

Details of interest

• Price: From 119 €.
• Duration: From 4 hours.
• What you need to know: Half-day and full-day tours are available. Prices include a light snack to recharge your batteries and continue the fun.

The zip line at La Hacienda Park offers an extraordinary experience in Punta Cana. It is the longest zip line in the Caribbean and satisfies all your adrenaline cravings.

There is so much to see, do and enjoy at La Hacienda Park that it is ideal to include it in a 10-day visit to Punta Cana, to dedicate at least a couple of days to it, it is well worth it.

You can jump from a height of 200 metres with a vertical drop of 70 kilometres per hour and enjoy a refreshing swim in the crystal clear waters at the edge of the Anamuya River.

Other activities you can do at La Hacienda

In addition to the zip line, you can join a buggy adventure, go on a walking tour or tour the sugar cane and coffee plantations in the safari truck through the Dominican jungle.

And that's not the end of the thrill-seeking activities - there's still the QuickJump, a free-fall jump.

Afterwards, to relax and enjoy the Caribbean panoramas, you can take a ride on the Telesilla, a 750-metre high aerial tour. Before taking you home, you can have a buffet lunch while breathing in the fresh jungle air.

Details of interest

• Price: From 99 €.
• Duration: 6 hours.
• What you need to know: This is one of the parks where the price includes all activities, buffet lunch (no drinks), shuttle service to and from the park, and attentive service. Sounds tempting.

During this tour you do a circuit of 12 zip lines that complete 18 platforms overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the Anamuya Rainforest. Along the way you will develop a speed of 55 kilometres per hour in a pure adrenaline ride.

Once the Caribbean breeze begins to brush your face, you'll feel like you're on cloud nine. The zip line is a memorable experience that captivates frenetic adventurers from the first minute at altitude.

After the circuit, a light snack of fresh fruit and juices awaits you to hydrate your body before returning to your accommodation.

Details of interest

• Price: From 79 €.
• Duration: 5 hours.
• What you need to know: The experience includes transport to and from the main hotels in Punta Cana to La Romana, the zip line circuit and a light snack.

Enjoy a real 2 for 1 adventure with this combined horseback riding and zip line tour. Ride along a river as you make your way through a lush landscape.

You'll then soar above the trees on an incredible zip line ride through the Dominican jungle.

This excursion includes a typical local lunch, plus a visit to a coffee and cocoa plantation with samples, and a cigar rolling activity. At the end of the activities, a shuttle takes you back to your hotel or villa.

Details of interest

• Price: From 101 €.
• Duration: 6 hours.
• What you need to know: This type of adventure includes the horse ride, lunch, non-alcoholic drinks. Transfer to and from your accommodation.

• Maximum weight. You must weigh between 20 - 127 kilograms and have a waist circumference of no more than 112 centimetres to join the zip line adventures.
• Minimum age. Anyone aged 6 years and over is welcome.
• Respiratory and/or heart conditions. People with colds, asthma, heart problems or upper respiratory diseases are not allowed to participate in these activities.
• Bandanas for off-roaders. You need to protect your camera on board the buggies, bandanas are not included, when you attend this activity, bring your own.
• Transport to the hotel. Most Punta Cana tours include transportation to and from your hotel or villa, however, they work as a kind of school transport, they go to all the hotels of those who hired the service with the same transport unit, therefore the travel time can be 1 hour. Be patient, the drivers and their assistants usually make an effort to make the ride pleasant for everyone.