If you are reading this article you have almost certainly been on holiday in Punta Cana or the Dominican Republic or perhaps some of your friends have told you about this incredible tourist destination and now you are thinking as well of buying your first house here to spend part of the year in this corner of paradise or (why not?) move here permanently and radically change your life. In another guide we talked about the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW before buying a house in Punta Cana. In this one, instead, we will try to answer a simple but equally important question: WHERE TO BUY?

Punta Cana nowadays can no longer be considered a city or a specific location, but rather a real region. In fact, the term Punta Cana generally refers to the entire south-eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, that strip of land between Cap Cana (in the south) and Uvero Alto (in the north). A very large area that you need to know thoroughly before taking an important step such as buying a real estate property.

In fact, when you decide to buy a house, the primary objective is to do so in a safe and functional area, close to all services and in a developing area to ensure that over time the purchased property also transforms into a ‘profitable investment’. 

The first step is therefore to know the geography and urban development of this area. The Punta Cana region can be basically divided into 6 different main areas (moving from south to north): 

• Cap Cana
• Punta Cana
• Cabeza de Toro
• Bavaro
• Macao
• Uvero Alto

Let’s now see what urban characteristics each of them presents to begin directing you to what your reference area could be for a possible real estate investment.

CAP CANA

Cap Cana means luxury and exclusivity. This exclusive master-planned community spans over 30,000 acres and is certainly the most luxurious area in the region and home prices also are in line with this trend, as they are typically the highest. A small apartment here will cost you no less than 200k dollars, and in general between 300 and 350k dollars. A villa can cost up to 1 million dollars or even more. 

The average price per square meter in Cap Cana is the highest in the area, reflecting the exclusive lifestyle and amenities available: pristine beaches, a world-class golf course like Punta Espada, a modern Marina that hosts several luxury yachts , equestrian facilities, renowned restaurants and private gated community status.

Although Cap Cana’s popularity is expected to remain stable and new real estate projects are still under construction, its high cost and rather isolated location may represent an obstacle for some categories of investors. This area is recommended for those who have a lot of economic resources and are looking for a quiet and relaxed lifestyle. Privacy and security are in fact the strengths of Cap Cana.

PUNTA CANA

Punta Cana (the real one!) is all the area around the Punta Cana Resort and Punta Cana International Airport. It’s the place where everything began something like 50 years ago with the opening of the 1st hotel, and today the whole region keeps the original name. The residential part is called Punta Cana Village. Punta Cana Village is a relatively new gated community, but well organized and suitable for families with small children and for those people who prioritize safety and seek a peaceful and modern lifestyle. 

Punta Cana Village is one of the most expensive and exclusive areas, exceeded only by Cap Cana, but where you can find all the basic services within walking distance such as schools, shopping centers, banks, supermarkets, restaurants and the airport in just 5 minutes. For this reason today it is one of the most requested areas by those who can afford certain price budgets.

CABEZA DE TORO

Cabeza de Toro (translated Bull’s Head) is a rather isolated area located halfway between Punta Cana airport and the Bavaro area. In this area there is a small village of local people (mostly fishermen) and some resorts in the area such as Serenade and Jewel Palm Beach.

The area is not of particular interest from a real estate point of view, there are no important projects in the area and the most important services (banks, supermarkets, etc.) can only be reached by car and therefore for the moment we do not consider it an area suitable for buying a property or land.

BAVARO

The heart of Punta Cana. It is here that the social and working life of the area is concentrated and it is the most popular area chosen by those who decide to live here all year round. House prices are not as prohibitive as in Cap Cana and the area is continually expanding and developing with new real estate projects on the agenda. 

The price per square meter varies greatly and depends on many factors (private gated community, proximity to the golf course, amenities, etc). At the moment the most requested areas are divided between areas already with a certain real estate tradition (Cocotal, Los Corales/El  Cortecito, White Sands) and new areas in fast development (Vista Cana, Cana Rock, New DownTown).

To better describe the scenario in the Bavaro area (rather complex) we will make a separate article. For the moment we can tell you that this is certainly the most comfortable area to live in Punta Cana, because it is more or less close to everything. The downside is perhaps that due to its popularity Bavaro is rapidly overpopulating and traffic is becoming worse and worse day by day also due to the lack of construction of new road networks that accompanies the intense construction of real estate projects of all kinds.

MACAO

Macao is currently a developing area. Until a few years ago the entire area consisted only of countryside and rural areas (paradise for buggy tours!) but after the pandemic private construction companies started to clean up and offer land for sale. Now there are some projects underway and as it is still an undeveloped area the prices are quite low (a villa can cost you less than 100k dollars!). 

It is a rather isolated area and far from everything, except for the beautiful beach, so you have to take this factor into account. You will be surrounded mostly by countryside and many of the roads are not yet asphalted. But this is the time when low and competitive prices are still available. For those who want to invest and look to the long term, it could be an excellent area. We can say that at the moment this area is more suitable for those people who want to buy for investment purposes and not for those who want to live here permanently or for long periods of time.

UVERO ALTO

Positioned in the far north of the region, Uvero Alto, like Macao, is currently a developing area. Here there are some of the best resorts in Punta Cana such as Live Aqua, Nickelodeon, Excellence and Royalton Chic. Apart from the resorts and a still virgin and little-frequented beach, there is very little around and only recently are some real estate projects being built, even beach-front facing the sea. Prices are relatively high and given the few services around and the long distance from the airport and the center of Punta Cana, we do not consider it at the moment a suitable area for a profitable investment.

Send us an email if you are interested in knowing the newest and most interesting Real Estate Projects in Punta Cana. No pressures, no shady practices. Just here to help and share opinions.

Check also: THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHISING A PROPERTY IN PUNTA CANA