Playa Macao beach

Playa Macao is a beach being the nearest one to the north of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. You should clearly understand, that this is not a kind of Punta Cana with its house reef protecting the beaches of Punta Canta from strong waves. But on the other hand, there is no algae in Macao - due to Punta Macao cape, that protects the beach from algae coming from the Atlantic. By the way, the beach in the east end (near the cape) is called Playa Escondida. There are no waves, nor algae here. But, unfortunately, the scenery is not what we usually expect from a tropical paradise. Shore and seabed: sand, stones. [edit]

Coordinates: 18.772605, -68.534792

See also: Dominican Republic

Hotels [edit]

There are only two hotels near the beach of Playa Macao: five-star Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana with rooms' fares starting from US$300 per night, as well as the VIP-villa Selectum Hacienda Punta Cana with room fare being about US$500 per day (just a room, not the whole villa). Since the beach is rather mediocre, it probably doesn't make sense to stay here for that upscale price tag.

How to get there [edit]

Main airports in Dominican republic: Punta Cana international airport (PUJ), Santo Domingo international airport (SDQ) and Puerto Plata international airport (POP).

It is convenient to use a taxi, which is relatively inexpensive. For example, a trip from south to north of the country can cost $100.

To move between the small towns you may use minibuses (shuttle buses). Locals call them gua-gua. One ride costs a few dollars. Bus stations are called parada.

There is also good bus transport system in the country. We recommend Caribe Tours and Metro companies. Buses are brand new, and travel from one end of the country to another will cost about $10.

Though all prices given above are in U.S. dollars, it is better to have local money (peso) when traveling around the country.

When to go [edit]

Feel free to relax in Dominicana any time of year. The sea is warmest in summer, but the heat is the most intense as well. And there is also a hurricane season from June to October. On the other side, the winter weather is more comfortable, but seawater at the northern coast is too cold that time.

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