This is the perfect day trip from Puerto Plata - Paradise Island / Cayo Arena. Everything you need to know (and why you should consider staying longer)

Welcome to the Punta Rucia, Dominican Republic! Where we visited Paradise Island and other beautiful spots.

On our visit to the Puerto Plata area of Dominican Republic, we went on a trip (also a perfect day trip) to the small fishing village of Punta Rucia where we explored the small, authentic beach town. Moreover, we did one of the best excursions in the area, a boat ride to Cayo Arena (Paradise Island). We spend a couple of hours there and then on the way back we were taken by boat through the mangroves. Later in the day we headed back into the town of Punta Rucia where we spent the afternoon at a beautiful hotel enjoying the beach and the pool.

Boat Ride

While spending quite a few months in the Dominican Republic we decided to head for a few days to Punta Rucia because it is very beautiful, very quaint and it has that Dominican feel. After renting a car, and driving from Cabarete, we woke up early on the first day for something really epic (if you’re taking a day trip from Puerto Plata you’ll have to get up early to do the drive first). We are not morning people, however; today we are going to Paradise Island or Cayo Arena. Punta Rucia is on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It is a little bit closer to Haiti than where we are in the Cabarete. This morning we are going out on an excursion, we are taking a boat to go to a little island. When we arrived, the locals told us we should go as early as possible to Cayo Arena to beat the crowds. The day we arrived we booked our boat (there are plenty of tour operators in the town and we had no issues finding someone to take us). Our tour guide picked us up at 9:00 am right at our hotels. We got on the boat, it was a bit of a bumpy ride but it was a lot of fun. Our first stop was in the middle of the ocean in a place called the small pool. It is shallow but you can stop here and snorkel. We stayed here a few minutes then headed to the island.

Paradise Island / Cayo Arena

Cayo Arena Boat Trip

This sandy island of Cayo Arena is the main attraction in this area. We could not get over what we were seeing. We arrived at the island and it was mind-blowing. It was very pretty and reminded us of the Philippines (where there are so many island hopping tours). As we arrived we found only two boats on the island. However, after about 20 minutes on the island a lot more boats starting arriving, since the island is small it can get crowded easily. For that reason, we decided to come early so we can enjoy it a little bit. People come here from Puerto Plata, they get up early, take the bus and get on the bigger boats. From the island, you can see the mountains in the background and the ocean. Usually, when you think of the Dominican Republic, you think about Puerto Plata and Punta Cana and all-inclusive resorts but this country has so much more to offer starting from this little town and this little sandbar in the middle of the ocean. 

Snorkelling at Cayo Arena

Snorkelling at Cayo Arena

Snorkelling gear was provided on our tour and we were so glad it was. You can snorkel just off the sandbar. The snorkelling here is way better than we could have imagined, we have never seen this many fish. The snorkelling was super amazing, it was totally worth coming out. Another reason we were happy we arrived early is because it did start to get windy as the morning went on. If you’re bringing a drone, definitely go early before the wind picks up. Thankfully, we got the drone up in time. After about an hour on the island it really started to get crowded (and there weren’t even any large tour boats that day). We decided to get back in a little tiny boat and we were told that there are some mangroves around here.

The mangroves

Boating through The mangroves

The boat ride was pretty fast and felt amazing. The mangrove was super cool to see. Just when we thought the excursion could not get better, it did. We loved the colour of the water, it is like an emerald green surrounded by these mangroves. There are so many mangroves, it is incredible. We also read that occasionally you see manatees (sea cows) in this area but that didn’t happen for us.

The excursion was three hours in total and one of our favourite excursions we’ve done.

Boats and sunsets in Punta Rucia

Getting to Punta Rucia

We rented a car and drove from Puerto Plata to Punta Rucia. The drive took about 2 hours. The most difficult part of the drive was getting through the city of Puerto Plata but after that it was mainly highway and then roads through small towns and villages (just be careful of speed bumps which aren’t always clearly marked).

If you aren’t comfortable driving in the Dominican Republic there are lots of companies that offer day trips from Puerto Plata and will look after everything, including transportation.

Planning your Excursion from Puerto Plata? we are big fans of Get Your Guide for all of our tours! Search/plan here:

The beach in Punta Rucia

Exploring the town of Punta Rucia

The excursion took most of the morning which gave us the rest of the day to enjoy Punta Rucia. We came back in the town, and we almost forgot how beautiful this place is. The beach here is just gorgeous.

Punta Rucia Lodge

Travel tip to Punta Rucia: if you plan on coming to stay in town rather than just doing a day excursion, make sure to bring lots and lots of bug spray. We found there were lots of sand fleas and mosquitos!

The Beach at Punta Rucia Lodge

The Pool at Punta Rucia Lodge

We opted to stay in a small apartment in town at the beach club which has a restaurant a beachfront area but no pool. After returning from the excursion we decided to take a long beach walk through town to Punta Rucia Lodge. We had searched them online and unfortunately prices during our visit were too expensive (the week after looked much more affordable). We arrived at the lodge to spend the afternoon. We thought we’d ask them if they would let us stay here for the day if we were purchasing lunch and drinks. So they officially let us in here, the grounds are beautiful and they have an amazing pool that has an infinity edge. They have some swings and hammocks right in the water. Also, it overlooks the ocean and you can see the colours of the water. It is really unique. This is a great option if you want to experience a more high-end hotel without spending the night. You can always try calling them or sending them a message to see if you can come just for the day. Usually, there is a minimum spend for the day at the resort where you get access to the pool, the beach and have lunch.

Our Delicious lunch

Lunch at the hotel

As we were waiting for our lunch to com we enjoyed some beer. We did not eat much this morning because we did not want to eat too early. We just had a little snack while we were out on the excursion. We did not bring any beer with us since we were leaving early in the morning. For lunch, we ordered some green pea cakes, it is almost like a croquette or fritter. It is a little soft. It came with a coconut sauce which was delicious. You can see all the peas kind of mushed up on the inside. It is nice and hot. Also, it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The coconut in the sauce is subtle and it has a bit of tomato as well. It is really vibrant. The croquette was a perfect little appetizer. The next course is a warm chicken salad. It comes with a lemon oregano vinaigrette. It is served with arepas. It tastes incredible and super lemony. You can also taste the fresh oregano and the crunch from the arepas on the bottom. The third dish was a fish sandwich. It is a crispy fillet. It is massive. It has some spicy mayo and some onions. The spicy mayo gives it a bit of a zing. The bread is thick and it clenches down nicely. We can definitely recommend the food at the Lodge!

Do you plan on staying overnight in Punta Rucia? (We’d highly recommend it!). Search accommodation options here:

Pool & Beach

After having a delicious lunch we came to the swimming pool. The ocean water might be pretty warm but the pool is very refreshing. It is quite chilly and good after you have been laying in the sun for a long time. The best thing about being here is the option of this pool which is literally on the beach. It was a tough decision to pick between the pool or the beach, so we started at the pool and then eventually headed down to the beach area. We got a palapa on the beach with loungers.

So many people come to the Dominican Republic on a cruise or to stay at an all-inclusive but this country has so much more to offer! If you are coming on a cruise or staying at a resort we’d highly recommend Cayo Arena as a day-trip. However, if you do have more time we’d highly recommend Punta Rucia for a night or two as well!

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