Punta Cana: Private Catamaran Snorkeling, Pool & Virgin Beach

4.96

(164 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the music — not too loud yet, just drifting out over Bávaro Beach while we waited for our catamaran. Sand everywhere, even inside my sandals. Our guide Luis handed out wristbands and grinned, asking where we were from. I tried to answer in Spanish but tripped over “República Dominicana” (he laughed, not unkindly). The boat itself looked huge up close — blue and white, already smelling like sunscreen and limes.

Once we got moving, the water turned that unreal shade of turquoise you see in postcards. I kept thinking it couldn’t be real. First stop: Cabeza de Toro for snorkeling. The crew tossed us masks and fins — mine fogged up instantly (classic), but I managed to see these flashes of yellow fish darting through the coral. Someone next to me shouted through their snorkel at a sea urchin. Saltwater stings your nose more than you’d think. Back onboard, they passed around pineapple slices so sweet they almost tasted fake.

After that came Punta los Nidos — this “virgin beach” that looked untouched except for some local kids chasing each other near the coconut trees. We sipped cocktails (rum-heavy) and took photos that never quite capture how bright everything feels here. On the way back, we stopped at this shallow natural pool off Bávaro, waist-deep and warm, with a floating bar bobbing nearby. The DJ started playing merengue and even Luis danced; I tried but mostly splashed around awkwardly with my drink.

I still remember the way the sun felt on my shoulders as we drifted back toward shore — sticky-salty skin, hair tangled from wind and salt. Not everything went smoothly (my mask leaking, missing a photo op because I was busy eating mango), but honestly? That made it feel more real somehow.