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Punta Cana · Big family resorts, long beach

Arena Gorda: all-inclusive resorts we stayed in

Arena Gorda is the long family beach north of Bávaro, 25 to 35 minutes from the airport: big resorts, wide sand, two of the ten we sell here with a water park. We have slept in three of them — Riu Palace Bávaro at 8.7, Riu Bambú at 7.7 and Impressive Premium at 7.5. Same beach, three very different rooms.

From PUJ
25–35 min
Resorts we sell here
10
We slept in
3 of 10
From · Nov 12–17
$1,088 all-in
Seaweed, coast-wide
East-facing

Seaweed is the coast's, not a resort's: the east-facing side of the peninsula and the season decide it, and it moves with the wind. Our own stays here: we saw it at Riu Bambu, Impressive Premium Punta Cana; we did not see it at Riu Palace Bávaro.

Where else on this coast?

Seven zones, one airport. The drive time is the first thing that changes your week.

Illustrated map of the Punta Cana coast, from Uvero Alto in the north to Cap Cana in the south, with Punta Cana International airport inland and a La Romana inset.
Uvero Alto, 35–45 minutes from the airportMacao, 35–40 minutes from the airportArena Gorda, 25–35 minutes from the airportBávaro, 20–30 minutes from the airportCabeza de Toro, 15–20 minutes from the airportPunta Cana, 10–15 minutes from the airportCap Cana, 10–15 minutes from the airportLa Romana · Bayahibe, 60–80 minutes from the airportPunta Cana airport, at the south end of the coast

Our illustration. Drive times are the zone's range, door to door, without traffic.

The zones next to Arena Gorda

Our picks in Arena Gorda

The 3 resorts here we have slept in, our highest score first — we paid for 2 of them ourselves, one invited stay declared on its own page.

Riu Palace Bávaro — beach
8.7out of 10, our score
Riu Palace BávaroArena Gorda · 35 min from PUJ
Family
from $2,080 all-in · Nov 12–17Read our reviewCheck the price
Riu Bambu — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
7.7out of 10, our score
Riu BambuArena Gorda · 35 min from PUJ
FamilyWaterpark
from $1,158 all-in · Nov 12–17Read our reviewCheck the price
Impressive Premium Punta Cana — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
7.5out of 10, our score
Impressive Premium Punta CanaArena Gorda · 35 min from PUJ
Family
from $1,437 all-in · Nov 12–17Read our reviewCheck the price

Also here, not stayed yet

7 resorts we sell in Arena Gorda and have not slept in. No score, no verdict — the facts and the photographs are the resort's own, and we say so on every one.

Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Bahia Principe Explore Punta CanaArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
94 room categories · facts from the resortGuests mention “Beautiful location” and “Cleanliness issues” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $1,088 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Iberostar Waves Punta Cana — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Iberostar Waves Punta CanaArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
22 room categories · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Clean beaches, pools and gardens” and “Inconsistent/bad buffet service reported” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $1,403 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Bahia Principe Explore EsmeraldaArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
30 room categories · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Friendly staff” and “Room cleanliness issues” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $1,447 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Hotel Riu Palace Punta CanaArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
Waterpark
31 room categories · waterpark · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Beautiful beachfront” and “Cleanliness issues” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $1,472 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Grand Palladium Select Bávaro — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Grand Palladium Select BávaroArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
16 room categories · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Great location” and “Limited parking” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $1,823 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Majestic Elegance Punta Cana — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Majestic Elegance Punta CanaArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
9 room categories · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Good location and beach access” and “Breakfast service described as bad/inconsistent” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $2,126 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price
Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro — the resort's own picture — photo supplied by the resort
Not stayed yet
Iberostar Selection Coral BavaroArena Gorda · 25–35 min from PUJ
46 room categories · spa · facts from the resortGuests mention “Great facilities” and “Room cleanliness issues” · Nuitee guest reviews
from $2,323 all-in · Nov 12–17Check the price

Read next

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Members' rate for Arena Gorda resorts

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Prices on this page: Nov 12–17, 2026 · 2 adults · 5 nights · all-inclusive · taxes included.

Written by Alex, checked by Javi and Victor
Updated Sep 2026 · we paid for 20 of our 21 stays · how we score