Compiled by FatPassport's travel experts

Punta Cana is an area along a beautiful 30 mile stretch of the east coast of the Dominican Republic. Travelers come here specifically for a beach vacation.

The quality of the beaches is generally very high, with the best of the lot having the beautiful white sand and coconut palms that you see in the travel brochures. Quality of the beaches does vary, and in part depends on how well each resort maintains their strip of the beach.

Punta Cana is a fine fit for families, as the resorts often have kids clubs and lots of kid-friendly activities. With the nice beach, this is also an understandably popular spot for weddings and honeymoons.

Punta Cana is dominated by large, all-inclusive hotels and resorts. There’s no real local town or city here, so your dining and entertainment options are in the hotels. Many of the hotels also have discos or nightclubs, casinos, and/or nice spas. Punta Cana is very popular with Europeans and Latin Americans; depending on where you stay, Americans may feel like a distinct minority.

There are several golf courses around, as well as para-sailing and the usual beach water sport activities. There are excursions into the surrounding area which get mixed reviews.

Punta Cana is a manufactured resort area, and the experience here has nothing to do with the “real” Dominican Republic. However, if you simply want hassle-free sun and sand, then this may be a great choice.

Weather here is warm year around, with daytime highs most of the year around 80 degrees. Summer (June-August) gets a little hotter and more humid; hurricane season runs from June to November, with August through October traditionally the months of highest risk. Winter is the most popular time to visit, with great weather…and lots of Europeans getting away from the cold.

Some travelers can get upset stomachs from the local water (and from uncooked foods), so drink bottled water and only eat foods that have been cooked or peeled.