Is Punta Cana Without An All-Inclusive Worth It?

We recently stayed on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic — which is one of the most gorgeous high-traffic vacation spots in the world. With direct flights from many cities — and its location less than 30-minutes from the airport — Bavaro Beach is an easy and ideal place to unwind without a lot of hassle getting there. But of course, all this comes with a high price tag. Can you do it for less than an all-inclusive package, and if so, is it worth it? We’ll tell you all the pros and cons of staying at an Airbnb nestled between the giant resorts, including how much we paid and whether we’d do it again. We’ll also let you know what we plan to do differently next time. 

Pro: Stunning View and Ideal Location

Our Airbnb had a big beautiful balcony with a nice view of the property’s three pools and the beach. We had some lovely palapas on the white-sand beach and a great restaurant (Jellyfish) at the end of the property. 

The condo was also very spacious and comfortable for two couples and had ample air conditioning. Note: We were very respectful about turning off the A/C when not in use because it’s very expensive in the islands (more on that later).

The place we stayed was more expensive than other airbnbs further down the beach, but the property felt like more like a resort than a condo complex, and it was less trafficked than the areas with more public access.

Con: Bring Your Own Everything

You’ll have to keep in mind that Airbnbs might not supply toiletries like shampoo and conditioner or even hand soap or dish soap. Each property varies. Be sure to carefully check the amenities for your place and be prepared to bring essentials with you or buy them when you arrive.

Our condo also had a few problems, the biggest one being that the washing machine stopped working mid-cycle. We pack light and the biggest advantage of an Airbnb is being able to conveniently do laundry. Another problem was no closet to hang our clothes in the master bedroom (the owner kept it locked for personal use but didn’t mention in the listing). There were a few other issues, too. Most of them were quickly resolved, or at least the host offered to resolve them, but these are inconveniences you generally don’t have at a nice resort, and they take time out of your vacation to resolve. 

We would absolutely stay at this beautiful condo again — but the experience differs from staying at a resort where everything is taken care of for you.

Pro: Communal Space and Privacy

Even though you can find places on a resort property to hang out with your travel mates, a big comfortable condo is hard to beat when you’re traveling with friends and family. 

We really enjoyed being able to hang out together on the balcony, in the living room, and in the kitchen, just like we would at each other’s homes — of course with the added benefit of being right by a pool on the beach. 

In addition to the beautiful pools, our property also had direct private beach access, a gym, a pool table and a ping pong table, and other amenities that made it feel a bit more like a resort. Make sure you select a place that has the right vibe for your vacation needs. 

Con: Limited Dining Options 

This was a big limitation and really depends on where you’re staying on Bavaro Beach. Our condo was right on the beach by Jellyfish restaurant, which was one of our only options for dining unless we wanted to walk 30 minutes or more down the beach (which was fine, too, on occasion). 

We were also close to the busy boat excursion launch point, Nova Beach Club, and the iconic Bibijuagua souvenir village (be prepared to haggle). We didn’t stop at Nova, but we hear it’s fun and has great food — so that’s an option, too. 

But most of the restaurants on the beach near us were for resort guests only, and the off-beach spots required a car or Uber. 

It’s not a big deal, but something to keep in mind, especially when high winds and sudden downpours are common, and conditions may not be ideal for a long walk to dinner. 

Jellyfish is a fantastic restaurant with excellent service, but it’s also very expensive, so we couldn’t justify eating every meal there. 

If you stay a bit north on the beach, near Playa Los Corales, there are more dining and shopping options, both on and off the beach. This beach has an easy public access point, so it’s more crowded and lively than where we stayed. There are a bunch of apartments in that area, including many affordable off-beach options that are just a short walk away from the beach. 

This is fine because you can find a beach club to hang out at for the day, and some condos have their own arrangements on the beach. Also there are plenty of restaurants and markets just a few minutes from the beach in this area, too. We liked Kat’s Corner for food and drinks, and Supermercado Ciccolella for stocking up on supplies.

We also loved Zoho Beach Club in that area. It was clean and affordable, had great food, and an awesome beach vibe. Hurricane Cafe is a close-by option with a great vibe, but it was way more expensive. 

Here’s a good list of the hotspots in Punta Cana. 

Pro: Grocery Shopping and Uber Eats Are Very Convenient 

Back to our Airbnb near Jellyfish restaurant: To offset the cost of dining on the beach, we turned to grocery shopping and food delivery.

Fortunately, UberEats was very easy to use and affordable — and the Super Lama market was a short Uber ride away. (Note: We also tried PedidosYa for food delivery, as we have in other Latin countries, but we had trouble with the app and payments. UberEats has the same options and pricing.)

At the Super Lama, we stocked up on delicious fruits, yogurt, snacks, rotisserie chicken, vodka, wine, sandwich fixings, and more. Honestly, we prefer having some healthy options on hand rather than being tempted by the endless all-inclusive options.

Con: Extra Charge for Electricity 

While our place did not charge extra for electricity, most of the Airbnbs and small hotels in Punta Cana charge an additional fee for electricity use. This is understandable since utilities are very expensive in the islands, and Punta Cana’s electricity is supplied by a private company. But it’s an extra charge you’ll need to factor into your plans. Overall, it encourages guest to use the air conditioning sparingly and to turn everything off when the space is not in use. 

Pro: The Price 

We’ll end with the biggest “pro” that makes an Airbnb worth it. We looked at the price at the three closest all-inclusive resorts to our condo and they averaged $4,500 for a standard room for two for a week in February. 

Sure, food and beverages are included, but here’s a breakdown of everything we got per couple for the same price for a weeklong trip on the same beautiful beach:

• $1300 economy airfare 
• $600 upgrade to business class 
• $40 round trip airport transfers in 
• $900 Airbnb ($1800 for a two-bed/two-bath condo on the beach plot between two couples) 
• $500 Jellyfish restaurants (multiple meals)
• $150 groceries at Super Lama 
• $60 Uber Eats 
• $20 Uber 
• $100 Zoho drinks and apps (two visits) 
• $555 for three excursions 
• $100 Souvenirs 
• $200 cash and tips

As you can see, you could easily save another thousand dollars by having more meals at the condo rather than going to restaurants and avoiding the temptation to upgrade to business class — but those luxuries are part of the fun of saving on other things! We feel pretty good about our entire trip costing the same as the base rate for an all-inclusive on this stretch of beach. 

Save Even More 

Now, you should also understand that the resorts right by our condo were very luxurious. There are a bunch of all-inclusives a bit north of where we stayed for $2.2k to $3k for a week. Obviously the amount of luxury, serenity, food quality, and more will vary, so it’s good to do your research. But Airbnbs in that area also go for significantly less, so you can still save a bunch by skipping the resort for a bit of DIY fun.

For example, we found a two-bedroom, two-bath condo about a 5-minute walk from the beach near Zoho Beach Club for only $855 a week. So that’s $428 per couple. And the nearby grocery store we mentioned above had wines we loved for $8 a bottle. 

This condo doesn’t have the three gorgeous pools, private beach access, pool tables, etc., that we had near Jellyfish, but it has a small pool and is close to all the cool bars, restaurants, shopping, and the public beach area of Playa Los Corales. We stayed in this area for two nights on this trip, and we’re hoping to check out the area in more detail next winter. 

What’s Next?

We did three fantastic excursions while in the DR, read about those here, as well as more details on our favorite spots on Bavaro Beach for food and drinks. Subscribe to get our next post via email as soon as it’s up.