Swimming at the blue hole, the famous cenote in Punta Cana
Hoyo Azul, Blue Hole, Blue Lagoon, cenote, the place known for several different names is one of the most famous attractions in Punta Cana. This treasure of nature is a deep natural hole that has formed into a majestic pool full of blue water. Explore how you can visit the incredible Hoyo Azul in Punta Cana.
Hoyo Azul, the cenote in Punta Cana
Hoyo Azul, the official name in Spanish, is one of the top things to do in Punta Cana. These sinkholes are rare to find and while most people will never see one of those, in Punta Cana jumping and swimming in a blue lagoon is a must do experience. Swim in a blue hole, make you feel like you’re in another, more magical dimension of reality. The rocky floor of the cenote is fully visible due to the light refracting through clear waters. It is for good reason that the pre-Hispanic civilizations, in particular the ancient Mayans and Dominican Tainos considered them enchanted, or sacred places.
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Where is the Blue Hole in Punta Cana
Hoyo Azul is located in Cap Cana, which is the south of Punta Cana, the region is surrounded by an exclusive community with high-end resorts, luxury villas and picture-perfect beaches. For visiting this cenote, you’ll need to buy a ticket for the Scape Park. When visiting the Scape Park, in addition to Hoyo Azul, you have 5 exciting ziplining tours included, you can visit an interesting cave system, learn more about the Dominican culture and enjoy the waterfalls which are also part of the park activities included in the price. It’s money well spent to buy the excursion and enjoy the entire day with other fantastic eco-tourism experiences. The full-day ticket and entrance fee for Scape Park, which includes Hoyo Azul as well, is around 130 USD per person.
How to visit the Hoyo Azul
Most hotels offer tours to visit the Scape Park and pick you up at the resorts. If you decide to book a full-day excursion, the round-trip transfers are included and it’s very easy to get from your resort to Hoyo Azul. You just need to wait at the pick-up time and you get shuttled right to Scape Park Cap Cana. From most all-inclusive resorts in the Bavaro Beach area, it is around a 30-minute drive. If you rent a car in the city, you can easily drive and park your car there.
Our experience visiting the Hoyo Azul at Scape Park
As Hoyo Azul is part of Scape Park Cap Cana, once you arrive at the park, it is approximately a 15-minute walk to the cenote. Hoyo Azul’s vegetation presents a tropical rainforest typical for this part of the Dominican Republic. The walk is beautiful and takes you through lush vegetation, a beautiful orchid garden and wooden bridges and staircases. Once you get there, you can see the stunning beauty of the Hoyo Azul cenote.
The place is beautiful with incredible blue colors and crystal-clear water. Over there, the best thing you can do is to dive in and immerse yourself in Hoyo Azul’s cool blue waters. There is a guide looking after everyone jumping in the hole, which is more than 40 feet deep (15-m) and safe, even though it requires a little bit of courage. After diving in, it takes a couple of seconds for your body to get used to the chilly water. It’s fun!
If you can’t swim or are afraid to jump, there are also a few areas with shallow waters where you can take the stairs and enjoy the beautiful place without any kind of adventure. The park also provides lifejackets free of charge if you prefer.
Usually the visit to Hoyo Azul takes around 1-2 hours in total. Try visiting as early as possible in the morning or later in the afternoon, to maximize your chances to avoid the crowd and take great pictures.
The Hoyo Azul in Punta Cana is one of the clearest waters you will find in the Dominican Republic. The place is unique and absolutely worth visiting.
