BACKPACKING IN PUNTA CANA – THE BASICS

In Punta Cana, we do resorts well. For other travelers, this town might still be a bit of a mystery, but we promise it’s a good and varied experience! Backpackers, be welcome. We have the perfect backpacking accommodation for you too!

Backpacking in Punta Cana: Engage in Ecotourism

First things first, we at Best of Punta Cana value nature a whole lot. We think of backpackers as equally worldminded people, who care for nature and local culture and just want to experience a country in its purest form. How? Engage in some ecotourism! We wrote about this ‘trend’ before.

“Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting unspoiled and fairly undisturbed natural areas and leaving them that way. We’re talking caring for the environment, cleaning up after ourselves and not misusing local animals or plants in any way.”

Before you backpack, check your environment!

Hostel life

Another easy pick for backpacking in Punta Cana, is the hostel life. We think backpacking is mostly about socializing and making new friends and or international loves for life! Our most famous and most hippie hostel Macao beach hostel is a special place and a colorful paradise, where backpackers can rent a bed OR a tent! Another nice way to meet new people and discuss life in different cultures, is staying at modern Bavaro hostel in Los Corales. A different way of life? Why not go for Casa Paraiso, a big house uniting travelers to spend time together over homecooked meals.

Homestays

Another option for backpacking in Punta Cana, is to use homestays . A little bit more private, you might have your own room, but still local enough and with personal tips from the home owners! Usually, these houses are still quite fancy compared to the average backpacking life. Next to this, they’re all close to the hustle and bustle of town and beach!

For those who are on a backpacking budget but still want to experience a cozy apartment, check out our article on budget hotels and stays!

Couchsurfing

Of course, this is the true dream of every backpacker: a free stay AND a possible new friend who knows all the ins and outs of local life. Backpacking in Punta Cana is relatively new still, but there are already 365 hosts on Couchsurfing, offering you a stay in their home.

Is it safe to couchsurf in the Dominican Republic? This is a tough question – is it really safe to couchsurf anywhere? Sleeping in a stranger’s house might always provide a certain risk, but we can say that Punta Cana is quite a safe city to stay in. Whenever you use common sense and don’t go wandering through dark alleys at night, there’s no neighborhood where you shouldn’t use couchsurfing.

Couchsurfing is generally fun because the platform organizes meetups between travelers, too. So even if you don’t sleep on someone’s couch, you could still use the app to meet fellow travelers at a nice BBQ or walk around town! See – backpacking in Punta Cana isn’t that difficult.

Would you use Couchsurfing or homestays in an unfamiliar place? Why (not)? Let us know! Tag us in your pics or tweets, @bestofpuntacanaofficial!