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There’s no query that Cancun and Punta Cana are two of the preferred locations for an all-inclusive trip. Cancun is probably the most visited Destinations in Mexico, whereas Punta Cana is probably the most visited vacation spot within the Dominican Republic. Each location presents guests a big selection of all-inclusive properties at costs that vary from ultra-luxurious to completely reasonably priced. Both locations have been breaking records this summer time, proving that vacationers are flocking to the areas. For those that are on the fence about which space to decide on, this text will assist decide a winner!
Travel Off Path has pitted every location towards one another in a head-to-head comparability to find out the very best all-inclusive vacation spot. For readability, we’ve damaged issues down into sections, together with pricing and resort choices, seashores, climate, actions, security, in addition to flight connectivity and value, and traveler curiosity.
For this comparability, we assumed a one-week trip throughout January, a peak journey month for each areas. Specifically, we selected January 14th to January 21st, with flights out and in on every of these days as properly. All costs proven are based mostly on two individuals touring collectively.
All Inclusive Costs & Options
One of the driving decision-making elements for holidays is value, so it’s price exploring how Cancun and Punta Cana rank towards one another. To make the comparability of properties related to extra than simply luxurious vacationers, we are going to discover two classes; 4-star properties & 5-star properties. Average prices had been discovered utilizing reserving.com and the dates of January 14th via January 21st.
Only all-inclusive properties had been thought-about, and pricing knowledge was pulled on September 5th. We combed via all accessible properties to get a mean value of every class, and the outcomes are beneath:
4-Star Stack up
Number of Available 4-Star All Inclusives
Average Cost
- Cancun: $276 per evening
- Punta Cana: $239 per evening
Average User Rating Out Of 10
- Cancun: 7.68
- Punta Cana: 7.22
5-Star Stack up
Number of Available 5-Star All Inclusives
Average Cost
- Cancun: $505 per evening
- Punta Cana: $422 per evening
Average User Rating Out Of 10
- Cancun: 8.46
- Punta Cana: 8.08
Pricing: Who Wins?
Based on common costs alone, Punta Cana has the higher hand on this class.
In complete, Cancun has 74 all inclusive properties to select from, whereas Punta Cana has 72. Cancun has extra 4-star choices than Punta Cana, implying extra affordability. However, on common, Cancun’s 4-star properties are over $30 extra per evening than Punta Cana. Similarly, Cancun’s 5-star properties are, on common, about $80 extra per evening than Punta Cana. This isn’t to say that Cancun has no reasonably priced choices, although.
For occasion, the 4-star Hotel Dos Playas Faranda Cancún is simply $200 per evening for the dates explored. The least expensive possibility for a 4-star keep in Punta Cana, the whala!bávaro, comes out somewhat extra reasonably priced at $187 per evening. It also needs to be famous that, on common, Cancun’s 4-star and 5-star properties have barely greater person rankings.
Beaches
What’s a tropical trip with no lovely seaside? That first step onto that white-sand Caribbean seaside is sort of price the price of the flight alone. When selecting between Cancun or Punta Cana, it’s vital to know which has seashores higher suited to your journey model. We’ll break down the highest 5 seashores for every vacation spot and their variations. Beach rankings had been discovered utilizing Tripadvisor.
Top 5 Punta Cana Beaches
Top 5 Cancun Beaches
Biggest Differences
The single largest distinction between seaside days in Cancun vs. Punta Cana is the extent of improvement. In Cancun, the lengthy stretch of sand within the resort zone is jam-packed with eating places, outlets, motels, and limitless actions for vacationers to benefit from.
Conversely, Punta Cana’s seashores are much less developed and provide a extra genuine tropical seaside vibe. While motels actually dot the shores, it’s a lot simpler to discover a secluded stretch of sand to absorb the solar.
Beaches: Who Wins?
When it involves seashores, there’s no particular metric that may determine whether or not Cancun or Punta Cana is the last word winner. However, it will probably actually be an influencing issue when deciding which vacation spot is for you.
If you like your seaside days to be near a seemingly limitless array of actions, Cancun could also be for you. The tradeoff is that the seashores will likely be far more busy and crowded. But if that’s your vibe, then Cancun is ideal!
Punta Cana will likely be a greater place for vacationers who wish to carve out their very own area on the seaside. However, the worth you’ll pay for fewer crowds and seclusion will likely be much less entry to facilities. That’s actually to not say there aren’t actions and eating places to attempt, merely that they aren’t as condensed into one space as they’re in Cancun.
Weather
The beautiful climate provided by each Cancun and Punta Cana is without doubt one of the many causes vacationers flock to those areas over the autumn and winter. Every week of sunshine and heat climate is an excellent option to break up the winter into extra manageable sections. January is the dry season for each places, and rain doesn’t have a tendency to stay round. For days that it does rain, it usually storms for a brief interval and rapidly goes again to lovely sunshine.
Below, we’ve got laid out common temperatures and different info for the month of January in every vacation spot.
Cancun
- Temperature:
- Average – 74.6°F (23.6°C)
- High – 77.7°F (25.4°C)
- Low – 72.3°F (22.4°C)
- Rainfall Average: 9 Days with Rain, averaging 3 inches (51mm)
- Average Humidity: 71%
- Average Water Temperature: 79°F (26°C)
Punta Cana
- Temperature:
- Average – 76.6°F (24.8°C)
- Low – 74.8°F (23.8°C)
- Rainfall Average: 11 Days with Rain, averaging 2 inches (51mm)
- Average Humidity: 76%
- Average Water Temperature: 80°F (27°C)
Weather: Who Wins?
Cancun and Punta Cana have such related averages in January that it’s tough to find out an final winner on this class. Both locations will provide a welcome respite from the chilly of winter. However, for individuals who don’t prefer it too scorching, Cancun could also be higher on common because of the decrease humidity ranges and barely decrease common temperatures.
Activities
Cancun and Punta Cana provide a variety of actions to get pleasure from throughout your keep. The most important distinction in choices is the model of actions accessible. While there are numerous overlaps, reminiscent of snorkeling, watersports, and swimming in cenotes, every vacation spot has its personal really feel and distinctive choices for vacationers to get pleasure from.
Cancun Activities
Cancun’s resort zone is sort of a big 15-mile-long playground. It is the center of tourism in Mexico and is designed to supply limitless leisure to these visiting its shores. Nightclubs, eating places, procuring malls, seaside golf equipment, and extra are all only a fast taxi journey or stroll away whenever you keep within the resort zone. An in depth listing of each exercise accessible would require a number of pages, so we’ve listed just a few of word beneath:
- Xoximilco Cancun – A self-named “Floating Fiesta” awaits guests heading to Xoximilco. Guests board colorfully adorned gondolas with an open bar and a three-course meal. As you enterprise via the park’s canals, you will note many various bands and exhibits. This is only one of Cancun’s many dinner exhibits, however it actually units itself aside from the remaining!
- Nightlife – Cancun’s nightlife is unimaginable, and there are some wildly standard locations to go. Coco Bongo is a should and is arguably Cancun’s most well-known nightclub. With dwell performances, balloons, confetti, bubbles, full stage lighting, unimaginable music, and far more, friends will benefit from the celebration of a lifetime.
- Day Trips Galore – Not solely is Cancun itself filled with issues to do, however it additionally has easy accessibility to some fairly unimaginable day journeys. From Cenotes to historic ruins, many adventures await. Tulum is without doubt one of the hottest day journeys, permitting guests to go to an historic Mayan archaeological web site.
Punta Cana Activities
Punta Cana is a wonderful place for vacationers who respect the outside and have an adventurous spirit. While it additionally has nightlife choices, there aren’t practically as many as Cancun. For an adventurous time without work the resort, vacationers can journey ATVs via the inside forests, zipline via the bushes, swim in a cenote, or journey a horse on the seaside at sundown. Here are just a few actions of word in Punta Cana beneath:
- Scape Park – This 247-acre park is an effective way to participate in a number of outside actions multi function place. Swim in underground caves, zipline alongside a cliff, go caving, snorkel at Bucaneros reef, or float round within the turquoise waters of Hoyo Azul, a hidden cenote.
- Visit Saona Island – Saona Island lies off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and is a nature reserve free from main improvement. If you wish to really feel like you’re strolling alongside the seaside in an untouched tropical paradise, that is the place to do it. Day journeys embody a ship journey to the island, usually with an open bar and a buffet lunch.
- Unique Night Life – While Punta Cana could not have as many choices as Cancun relating to nightlife, it actually has some distinctive ones. One of probably the most attention-grabbing needs to be Imagine Cave Disco. Built proper into pure caves, this nightclub units the tone for what is bound to be a memorable evening.
Activities: Who Wins?
If we base the winner purely on the variety of actions provided, then Cancun is a transparent winner. However, each traveler has their very own distinctive tastes after they go to a brand new place. For vacationers trying to spend extra time outside adventuring, Punta Cana would be the option to go. Cancun is the way in which to go for vacationers searching for a vacation spot that feels far more city and is teeming with limitless issues to do.
Safety
All inclusive properties in Cancun and Punta Cana are thought-about secure locations. When venturing away from the resorts nevertheless, guests ought to train elevated warning. The most typical crime affecting vacationers in each locations is petty theft. Criminals assume that vacationers have some huge cash, smartphones, jewellery, and different valuables.
The U.S State Department classifies The Dominican Republic and the Quintana Roo State (the place Cancun resides) as Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Advice from the state division for Level 2 areas consists of:
- Stay conscious of environment
- Do not resist a theft
- Don’t show indicators of wealth
- Follow native recommendation of resort or tour guides for security
Both nations ought to be secure for vacationers who persist with well-known vacationer areas and actions. However, by the numbers, Cancun comes out forward for security. Mexico has a criminal offense rate of 54.19 whereas the Dominican Republic has a criminal offense price of 61.02. This implies that per each 100,000 individuals, 61 of them are topic to a criminal offense within the Dominican Republic whereas 54 are topic to a criminal offense in Mexico.
Flight Connectivity and Costs
Hotel and basic prices within the space are simply two items of the puzzle when planning a visit. Another sizeable piece is flight prices and the way simple it’s to get to the place you’re going. Below we’ve damaged down how well-connected Cancun and Punta Cana are to the United States and Canada.
Cancun Connectivity and Cost
For the month of January, there are 40 U.S. cities and 16 Canadian cities that fly nonstop to Cancun. Notable U.S. cities with direct flights embody Miami, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Notable Canadian cities with direct flights embody Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Below are some costs for a round-trip ticket to Cancun from January 14th to January 21st.
Toronto to Cancun Round-Trip (YYZ to CUN)
- Price: $512
- Airline: Air Transat
- Luggage: Free Carry On, $54 Checked Bag
New York City to Cancun Round-Trip (JFK to CUN)
- Price: $356
- Airline: American Airlines
- Luggage: Free Carry On, $60 Checked Bag
Punta Cana Connectivity and Cost
For the month of January, there are 20 U.S. cities and eight Canadian cities that fly nonstop to Punta Cana. Notable U.S. cities with direct flights embody Miami, New York City, Atlanta, Austin, and Chicago. The east coast has the higher hand for flights to Punta Cana. There are not any direct flights to Punta Cana additional west than Austin, Texas, for the month of January.
Notable Canadian cities with direct flights embody Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. Below are some costs for a round-trip ticket to Punta Cana from January 14th to January 21st.
Toronto to Punta Cana Round-Trip (YYZ to PUJ)
- Price: $569
- Airline: Air Canada
- Luggage: Free Carry On, $46 Checked Bag
New York City to Punta Cana Round-Trip (JFK to PUJ)
- Price: $470
- Airline: JetBlue
- Luggage: Free Carry On, $60 Checked Bag
Flights: Who Wins?
Cancun is the winner relating to each flight connectivity and flight costs. While flights to Punta Cana aren’t overwhelmingly dearer, Cancun constantly has decrease costs. Also, Cancun has double the variety of direct flights to each the U.S. and Canada. Cancun additionally has additional reaching nonstop flights, whereas Punta Cana solely goes as far west as Austin, Texas. As Punta Cana continues to develop in recognition, we are going to probably see extra cities providing direct flights. For now, nevertheless, Cancun is cheaper and simpler to fly to.
Traveler Interest
One key indication of the overall inhabitants’s curiosity in one thing is how many individuals seek for it on Google. To see how individuals have been in Cancun and Punta Cana over the past yr, we in contrast the 2 utilizing Google Trends.
Looking on the graph above, we will see that for the previous yr, Punta Cana has been about half as standard as Cancun relating to Google searches. However, this doesn’t essentially imply that Cancun is best, merely that it’s looked for extra usually. Also, this solely takes into consideration searches throughout the United States.
The Bottom Line
Cancun and Punta Cana each provide unimaginable all-inclusive experiences for vacationers heading for hotter climate and sandy shores. Which one comes out on high will finally be a call for every particular person traveler.
Cancun is best related and cheaper to fly to, presents limitless actions, and has world-class seashores with unimaginable facilities proper alongside the shore. If you’re after easy accessibility to actions, late-night events, and a extra vigorous vibe, Cancun is for you.
Punta Cana has cheaper lodging, presents extra secluded seaside experiences, and caters to vacationers who get pleasure from adventuring outside after they aren’t enjoyable at certainly one of its luxurious all-inclusive properties. If you’re after a location that feels much less developed and extra genuine, Punta Cana is for you.
Both locations provide superb experiences that will likely be remembered for a lifetime, and both one can be properly price a go to. Punta Cana and Cancun are each winners in our ebook. The greatest recommendation we can provide vacationers questioning which one to decide on can be… select each!
This article initially appeared on Travel Off Path. For the most recent breaking information that may have an effect on your subsequent journey, please go to: Traveloffpath.com
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Disclaimer: Current journey guidelines and restrictions can change with out discover. The resolution to journey is finally your accountability. Contact your consulate and/or native authorities to verify your nationality’s entry and/or any adjustments to journey necessities earlier than touring. Travel Off Path doesn’t endorse touring towards authorities advisories
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