Condo in Bavaro

welcome to the forum. use the search function to find out what people have posted on the topics you wish info on and you will be amazed. hope you have a great time in the DR(we certainly do) and if your questions are not answered from the search the people on here are very friendly and will assist

try santa maria del mar
its awesome its clean and nice
beach across the street
restaurants bars everything u neeed

punta cana is very different than Vallarta or playa del carmen. unfortunately here there is not any master plan. there is not ocean drive boulevard, there is not Costera miguel aleman blvd. etc. and everything is very desorganize, so, thats mean you will need to rent a car to go anywhere or use a taxi and go to one specific place. you wont find a street full of bars, clubs and restaurants like in playa del carmen or vallarta.

In El Cortesito area, you will find some good seafood restaurants, but not night live. there are few clubs, Mangu, Imagine, Areito, Hard Rock, Montecristo cafe,Hurricane cafe, HotSpots, etc, but all of them are in different areas, you cant walk from one to another.

the only places you will find something similar than vallarta o playa del carmen is in Cabarete or Sosua.

In Cocotal or Palma real villas, you will find some condos for rent. and there are in good location in front of the palma real shopping mall, where are some restaurants and bars. they have acces to the beach and to the all inclusive melia caribe-tropical.

I dont want to change your plan, but you better choice in punta cana (without having a car), is to go to an all inclusive thats have anything to offer and from there go to a different clubs some nights.
the most complete all incl. in punta cana if you are into the party scene is Bahia Principe (they have a good club inside)
Moon Palace you will be another option if they open before febraury.
good luck

i double most of Johnny's answer.
to be flexible enough for variations each night and day at a condo in PC you would need a car.
PC is geared towards the AI crowd.
with the few exceptions of condos like the Cocotal, where you get access to the AI beach and buffet at the Melia across the street(and even that's quiet a walk), hotels do not offer their beach chairs or restaurants to visitors from Condos, you would need to purchase a daypass which gives you the 1 day AI access at the resort.
while good bars and restaurants and clubs are available in the area, they are not located on one strip, or side by side aso.
in case of nightlife i would look towards the north coast.
in case of punta cana i would check the AI's.
Mike

there are beach chairs that we used when we rented the condo...
many fantastic restaurants
one directly across the street
a supermarket
a wonderful bakery
we took motoconchos everywhere we went very inexspensive
patcha discotheque was great and mangu
yes you can take a taxi or rent a car or a scooter

i was not dissapointed with the night life
there was a great pizzeria within five minutes walking distance
two pools on the premises
santa maria del mar i would recommend it to all my friends
and reasonable for the month 750

We are headed to Cocotal in late Feb. I am trying to find out how far we will have to go to find a market for cooking in a few times and local restaurants nearby the resort for a couple of dinners as well. Any help is appreciated.

Cocotal

I used to live in Cocotal. It is a large residential area and depending on where your condo is you may need a vehicle to get around.
There is a mini market near the entrance next to the Golf Suites, but it doesn't stock much - mostly snacks and drinks. The nearest supermarket is 5min drive away (20min walk from entrance) at Plaza Dorada in Los Corales. There you will also find a bakery and few restaurants. It is also the nearest public beach access.
see maps 4 & 5 here:
Punta Cana Map | punta cana tv

3min walk across from Cocotal entrance is Palma Real Shopping Village - banks, money exchange, pharmacy, restaurants & bars, cinema, shopping.

right on Yumi,
nice to see ya here on DR1.
been a bit in absence myself lately, hope to spend more time here on the bord again now.
for groceries/veggies etc the mentioned Plaza Dorada in Cortecito/entrance to Los Corales is the best spot, just a few driving minutes down the mainroad, you can even catch the public bus for the short ride all day long, every 1 minutes there's one coming by, also available for the short ride back.
for fresh fruits you will find a good 'Frutera' on that same mainroad just 30 driving seconds after you passed the Plaza Dorada, located on the street front between the hotels Barcelo Dominican Beach and the Carabela Resort. good selection and good rates.
the Palma Shopping Centermentioned by Yumi is a fancy Toruist shopping mall, nothing cheap there, a great spot to hang out for a good wine etc in the afternoon, the Cinema there is great, we usually enjoy the Hard Rock Cafe there after the films, pricy but very good place.
Cocotal is a very nice residency,
yep, depending on location of the condo it can be a bit of a hassle without a scooter or car.
have fun on our lovely Isle
Mike

PM sent...

We stayed at the Cocotal Golf Suites in a two bedroom condo last year. If you can get the access card through the owner of the condo as we did, you can go to the Melia resort at night for entertainment and the beach. The resort is unbelievable! As a previous poster stated the upscale mall is across the street from the cocotal entrance. If you are staying any length of time a car or motorcycle would be useful. Everything in the area is spread out. We used the Gwa Gwa for getting around but that isn't everyones cup of tea.

The beach anywhere in Punta Cana and Bavaro is beautiful and long.:cheeky:

PM me if you need the contact email.