Punta Cana Beach Stay with Saona Island and Santo Domingo, 6 Nights

Land at Punta Cana International, known for its open-sided thatched terminals, where your driver waits for the short drive to the hotel. Punta Cana is the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, a long coast of pale sand and coconut palms protected by an offshore reef, which keeps the water calm for swimming. Spend the evening settling in by the sea.

A long day to the capital, founded by the Spanish in the 1490s. Stop first at Los Tres Ojos, where steps lead down into limestone caves holding clear green lagoons, and at the Columbus Lighthouse, a huge cross-shaped monument. The afternoon is spent in the Colonial Zone, a World Heritage grid of stone streets with the cathedral, the palace of Columbus's son and some of the oldest European buildings in the Americas, with a lunch stop on the way.

The day is yours to spend on the beach or at the hotel. The water along this coast is shallow and calm inside the reef, good for a first snorkel, and water sports such as kayaking and paddleboarding are easy to arrange. For something different, Bávaro's beach, one of the longest on the coast, makes a pleasant walk, and the sunsets here are worth staying out for.

A half day of dust and fun. After a safety briefing you ride an all-terrain vehicle on country tracks through forest and farmland to a small organic farm, where you taste Dominican coffee, cacao and a little rum. Next, climb down into a cave to swim in the cool water of an underground river, then ride on to Macao Beach, a wild stretch of sand popular with surfers, for a swim before heading back. Bring clothes that can get muddy.

Another open day. Rest by the sea, or ask us to arrange something: a catamaran and snorkelling trip, a visit to the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park, with freshwater lagoons for swimming, or golf at one of the courses along the coast. Evenings in Punta Cana are generally quiet, but there are lively spots for dinner and music a short taxi ride away.

The best day for many visitors. After a drive to the south coast, a speedboat runs out along the shore of the national park to Saona Island. On the way it stops at a natural pool, a sandbar where you stand waist-deep in clear water and may see starfish, which should be left in the water. On the island you have free time on a palm-lined beach, with a buffet lunch of Dominican food and an open bar included.

A final swim and breakfast before checking out. The transfer to Punta Cana airport is short, but allow ample time for international check-in. Dominican coffee, cacao and larimar, a pale blue stone found only in this country, make good souvenirs to carry home.