How Calm or Wavy Are The Beaches In Punta Cana?

Having such an extensive coastline, the Punta Cana area has a diversity of beaches with different characteristics, some with more waves than others, and others with some movement without having considerable amounts of waves.

The Dominican Republic is bathed by two large bodies of water: the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The waters of the Dominican coast have a common origin: The Equatorial Currents of the Atlantic (North Equatorial Current and South Equatorial Current).

The action of this double equatorial current is manifested for our country and other islands of the area in a double regional current, the so called “Current of the Antilles” (which bathes the North or Atlantic Coast) and the so called “Current of the Caribbean” (which bathes the South Coast).

Both currents create countercurrents near the coast with speeds of 1 to 2 kilometers per hour related to the tides, which are predominantly semi-dynamic (two high and two low tides per day).

The coastal waters of Punta Cana are characterized by being warm, transparent, saline and with little oxygen due to their common origin in the equatorial currents of the Atlantic.

The beaches in Punta Cana belong to the Atlantic side of the Caribbean, in spite of being a sea with a lot of movement, the beaches in the hotel zone of Punta Cana are generally very calm.

Among the kilometers of extension of beaches in Punta Cana, there are parts with a little more waves than others, but this can be interesting depending on the activity you choose.

The swell that hits the Dominican coast comes from the trade winds, so the waves move from the east in favor of the predominant wind direction, most of the time and similarly throughout the year.

The waves of greater period (Bottom Sea) more frequently come from the Southeast and are waves formed by disturbances in the Caribbean area and cause waves of 2 to 4 meters high during the summer.

How many kilometers of beach does Punta Cana have?

At the beginning of the tip, the beaches of Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Engaño, Punta Cana and Juanillo are encountered. The coastline of the Punta Cana area is 95 km long.

Beaches with more waves in Punta Cana

Macao Beach

Macao is a beach located in the northern part of Bávaro in the eastern region of the Dominican Republic.

It contains white sand with palm trees in its surroundings and is one of the few areas in the region that has not been invaded by hotels. It is very popular with the locals and is also a tourist spot for surfers and those who do buggy and four-wheel tours.

The waves of this beach make it suitable for surfing, some surf schools in Punta Cana use this beach for their training, The wave direction of the north is combined with an offshore wind direction from the southwest, which is the best-reported condition for surfing in Macao Beach.

The average wave height in Macau is approximately 0.7 and 0.8 meters.

Although there is a lot of pressure to market it, Macao Beach still remains free of hotels. Therefore, the landscape is completely paradisiacal, with white sand, crystalline waters, and a backdrop of palm trees and cliffs. In fact, the views from here are wonderful.

Macao beach, despite not having hotels, has some services, restaurants, and bars. Besides, you should know that, as it is a public beach, it attracts both locals and tourists.

Uvero Alto Beach

Uvero Alto is a very popular beach at the northern end of Punta Cana. It is about 30 minutes away from the airport. Being so remote, it is one of the most peaceful and less frequented beaches in the area. Ideal for couples and travelers looking for a total disconnection.

Uvero Alto beach is virtually virgin. The area winds produce impressive waves for windsurfing and offer the ideal characteristics for this sport. However, swimmers will have to be careful about the currents in the zones far from the shore in the most desert-like stretches of the beach.

If you swim along the shore you will be enjoying the beautiful turquoise waters without danger.

If you are a lover of underwater life you can also practice snorkeling or diving in the reef near the beach.

Arena Gorda Beach

Arena Gorda beach is located on the north side of Punta Cana, on the Caribbean side of the Dominican Republic.

This beach is the one that begins the well-known tourist area of Punta Cana, precisely starting with the Arena Gorda beach, and continuing with Playa Bávaro, Playa Ibero Alto, Playa Macao and ending Punta Cana with El Cortecito Beach.

As most of the beaches in Punta Cana have fine white sand, bathed by the sea with turquoise or greenish-blue tones, on this beach the sea has a continuous swell, which facilitates beach activities.

Punta Cana’s calmest beach

Bávaro Beach

Bávaro Beach is the single most popular of Punta Cana’s beaches and one of the calmest beaches. Its stunning scenery and natural beauty are combined with the attractions that some of the most famous all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic propose.

Playa Bávaro is everything that comes to mind on a luxury Caribbean vacation. The countryside, the facilities, the climate and the atmosphere.

The recognition of Playa Bavaro is such, that it has been recognized as the ninth-best beach in the world, by votes of users of the web portal Tripadvisor, is one of the calmest beaches in Punta Cana in terms of waves.

If you were to ask me which is the best beach area in Punta Cana, it would be a question that deserves some thought, because no matter the waves, the whole coast of Punta Cana is a spectacle of nature, but in my opinion (and many other opinions) Playa Bávaro is the most attractive beach in the area.

Playa Blanca (White Beach)

This is the favorite beach of many in all of Punta Cana, especially if you are looking for a beach without waves. As it is so calm, the water is completely transparent and together with the clarity of its sand and its smooth and light, it lives up to its name.

It is the closest beach to Punta Cana International Airport and, nevertheless, one of the least exploited by tourism as it is located within the entire Punta Cana Resort & Club. Very close to the shore there is a coral reef that invites you to snorkel and dive.

Playa Blanca has a tropical restaurant and bar where you will find fresh local seafood, grilled meats and cocktails for lunch and dinner. The beach offers horseback riding, Segway Touring, Kite/Windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, and golf cart rental.