Majestic Mirage Punta Cana review: a week in a swim-up suite with our kid

Punta Cana resort review, April 11–18, 2022, seven nights

On trips, our family usually walks a lot and sees as much as we can. But over spring break in 2022, when our kid was still young, we spent an entire week in Punta Cana without leaving the resort except once, eating and playing.

Each morning the only decisions were which restaurant to try first, whether to swim in the pool or the ocean, and what to drink. The more I think back on that week, the more I appreciate how easy it was.

Our day-by-day itinerary and transfers are in Punta Cana with our kid: seven nights in a Majestic Mirage swim-up suite over spring break.

This Majestic Mirage Punta Cana review regroups that week by topic for anyone booking a Punta Cana resort for the first time: why we chose this one and how it compares with its neighbors, arrival and check-in, the swim-up suite, the pools and beach, restaurants and bars, the spa and play areas, a typical day with our kid, what was included and what cost extra, and day trips nearby.

What kind of resort is Majestic Mirage Punta Cana?

Majestic Mirage Punta Cana is an all-inclusive resort on the Arena Gorda stretch, north of Bávaro beach. It sits right next to two sister properties, Majestic Colonial and Majestic Elegance, and the three are linked by a walkway called Caribbean Street. Mirage is the newest of the three, opened in December 2016, and every room is a suite.

The resort is divided into the Family Club, with no age limit, and the Mirage Club, for guests 18 and over. Either way, a butler and 24-hour room service come with the stay. As of October 2026, the official site lists 12 pools (including four swim-up bars), eight restaurants (six of them à la carte, meaning you order from a menu instead of a buffet) and 11 bars, plus three more reserved for Mirage Club guests. Pools and thatched-roof gazebos run between the room buildings, so water is close wherever you step out.

Why we chose it

With our kid’s spring break coming up, we spent a long time weighing Cancún against Punta Cana. We’d been to Mexico briefly before, so this time we were curious about the Dominican Republic, where none of us had been. Flights cost about the same, and hotels were cheaper in Punta Cana. Friends who had gone before us had come back happy.

Within the chain, we went for the one with the best reviews. We’d be spending most of the trip at the resort, so it seemed likely to make or break the week, and we didn’t want to regret seven days of meals. That’s why we switched from Elegance, our first booking, to Mirage, one step up. Our first requirement was a swim-up room, where you get into the pool straight from your room. After that came being close to the ocean and having a hot tub the whole family could use.

When choosing a Punta Cana resort, it helps to check a few things first: whether it’s adults-only or open to families, how close it is to the ocean, and, if you have kids, how good the kids’ programs are.

Some resorts are themed to look like castles or palaces. Kids may find those cute and exciting, so it’s worth looking around with your child’s age and tastes in mind. Mirage checked all of our boxes, so that’s where we landed.

How it differs from its neighbors, Elegance and Colonial

While staying at Mirage, we also walked over to use the neighboring resorts’ pools and kids’ water area. On day two we tried the buffet at Colonial for lunch. We walked through a lobby hung with a huge chandelier and out onto the plaza, which was wet from a short shower around lunchtime.

Same chain, slightly different feel. The big dining room under wooden rafters was packed, and the pool between the red-roofed buildings was livelier than Mirage’s. Mirage’s restaurants suited us better, so we ate there for the rest of the week. During our stay, Mirage guests could also eat at the other two resorts’ restaurants. That may have changed, so ask the resort when you book and confirm with your butler at check-in.

The three resorts are close enough to walk between, so it’s easiest to compare rates for the same dates side by side.

Arrival and check-in

At the airport we got into the private car included in our package. Just outside the airport, the main road was lined with Dominican restaurants, fast-food places and a building that looked like the Punta Cana venue of Coco Bongo, the show club well known in Cancún. From there we drove north along a road lined with palm trees. Around 5:30 p.m. we passed the entrance to the Punta Blanca complex, signed for both Majestic and Royalton resorts, and reached our resort about five minutes later.

If your package doesn’t include an airport transfer, it’s less stressful to book a car before you land.

The lobby was huge. A large pinecone-shaped fixture hung from the center of a high wooden ceiling, and the floor, which looked like marble, gleamed. It felt more upscale than other resorts we’d stayed at. A glass display case on one side held small sandwiches, wraps, fruit cups and shrimp salad, so we filled plates and ate them with bottled water while we checked in.

One corner of the lobby was set up for kids: four TVs, colorful round seats, a rocking horse and small tables, plus a covered egg chair by the window. While we waited to check in, our kid ate snacks there and crawled into the egg chair to hide.

Our room key was a wooden bracelet with an M on it, handed over at check-in. You keep it on your wrist and tap it on the reader by the door. With no key to carry, going back and forth between the pool and the ocean all week was easy. Once we were done, a staff member showed us around the resort and walked us to our room.

Your butler and WhatsApp

At check-in, each room is assigned a butler you can reach on WhatsApp, so you can ask for things by message. In recent reviews, the task guests hand their butler most often is booking à la carte restaurants (several 2026 reviews on Tripadvisor). Install WhatsApp on your phone before you leave and you can use it from the day you arrive.

Our room: a ground-floor swim-up suite in the Family Club

We stayed in a ground-floor Swim Up Suite in the Family Club, and we booked that room type from the start. Past the dining table by the door is the living room. A sliding door separates it from the bedroom, which has a king bed and a bench. On the covered terrace sits a stone-edged Jacuzzi. Beyond a patch of lawn is a long, canal-like pool, and the ground-floor rooms line up along it.

A ceiling fan with wooden blades turns over the living room, and a TV and a long cabinet run along one wall to the entrance. The room was big enough that even with a sofa bed pulled out, there was plenty of space to walk around. During downtime we hooked the Nintendo we had brought from home up to the TV.

We had once stayed in a room with direct pool access in Phuket and liked it, so we chose the same kind of room here. With a kid along, it turned out even more useful. Getting into the pool out front was the first thing our kid did every morning, and after playing on the beach or in the main pool, they would jump straight back in from the terrace as soon as we got back to the room. The channel runs past every ground-floor room, but being able to step in right outside our own door was convenient, and we liked it.

On day 3 we ordered breakfast from room service. Around 10:25 a.m., a staff member set the round table next to the Bali bed with fried eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, a bread basket, orange juice and coffee, all under plastic wrap. We ate slowly, looking out at the pool. Twenty-four-hour room service was part of our stay, so it cost nothing extra.

Toward evening on day 4, we came back from the main pool and filled the terrace Jacuzzi. While our kid sat in it, we hung the damp swimsuits on the drying rack. The adults put cola, beer, small sandwiches and chocolate on the table by the Bali bed and took a break.

Check your room when you arrive

During our stay, painting and repair work was going on around the resort, and maybe that is why everything was clean. On the morning of day 4, a staff member was fixing the bottom of a wall in the corridor of our building. The Jacuzzi and Bali bed in our room were well kept too (as of April 2022). When you check in, take a look around the room, and if anything is wrong, tell your butler right away.

Pools

The pools are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (per the resort, as of October 2026). Besides the channel outside our room, pools continue all along the way from the room buildings to the ocean, so we could hop into whichever one we passed. The resort map posted along the path shows the long waterway running between the buildings. The pools were well maintained, and the water was always clear.

The main pool has a swim-up bar under a pointed, pyramid-like roof, where we got drinks without leaving our underwater stools. The curtained Bali beds around it were free for anyone to use when empty. Because it was all-inclusive, we moved between the pool, the bars and the beach without a wallet, and now and then handed over a small tip.

On day 2 we spent the morning in the ocean, and on the way back we went into the pool again and swam underwater. In the afternoon we settled onto a Bali bed with frozen drinks and cocktails and took our time.

The Caribbean sun is much stronger than you expect. Add the glare off the water and the white pool floors, and sunscreen and sunglasses are not optional.

Pack a water-resistant sunscreen you can reapply between swims.

The kids’ water play area

We often went to the kids’ water play area on the Colonial side. It has pirate sculptures and rock-shaped slides, and our kid went down the slides with children from all over. The kids’ club is at the Colonial, and Mirage guests can walk over and use it. It is split into Splash Kids for ages 4 to 12 and Babyland for younger children. If you would rather have a quiet adults-only stay, the Mirage Club section is for guests 18 and older. We didn’t use the kids’ club; we stayed with our kid and spent the time together.

In the afternoon, staff held a jump-rope game, swinging the rope and lining the kids up for turns. Between shouts of “Coca-Cola, Fanta!” as they jumped, kids who had never met were soon playing together.

We had packed a water-skipping ball from home, and it was great for throwing and catching in the pool.

It takes up almost no room, so toss it in with the swimsuits.

The beach

Arena Gorda beach is a short walk from the room buildings. The water was clear and clean, good for swimming. In mid-April, when we were there, only a few strands of sargassum (a floating seaweed) showed up at the water’s edge, and staff cleared even that much as it came in. Sargassum looks bad and smells when it piles up, but Majestic, at least, kept its beach well. Temperatures stayed warm the whole time, between 24 and 28°C (75 and 82°F).

Sargassum varies a lot from year to year and month to month. It is usually light from November through March, starts to build in April and May, and peaks between June and August. A guest who stayed in May 2026 said that even when it piled up during the day, staff kept clearing it (Tripadvisor). If you’re going in late spring or summer, read recent reviews right before you leave.

We brought two floating pool hammocks for the ocean and used them a lot.

Deflated, they fold flat, so two of them barely add to your luggage.

What went on at the beach

During the day there were bachata lessons on the beach. Bachata is a dance that started in the Dominican Republic. Around 11 a.m. on day 7, we joined the guests gathered on the sand and learned too. The instructor and the guests from Latin America moved differently from the very first step, starting with their hips, and that alone was worth watching. When else would we get to try something like this? That made it more fun.

On the morning of day 5, staff set water bottles on a small table for a game of knocking them down with a flying disc, and the kids lined up for their turns. Another family playing beach volleyball let us join for a while, and we hit the ball back and forth with them. At a resort you run into the same people every day, so after one of these games, everyone got friendly fast.

The beach at sunset and after dark

At sunset the beach felt different again. On the afternoon of day 6, we saw that someone had written PUNTA CANA 2022 in the sand, and that evening there was a full moon, so we went back down to the beach to look at the ocean at night.

Around 9:30 p.m. on day 3, a stage with purple lights went up on the beach and a club-style party started. The sand filled with people, and our kid loved the atmosphere. Next to the stage hung a swing that read MAJESTIC PUNTA CANA.

Boat snorkeling

The only time we left the resort was for boat snorkeling on the afternoon of day 7, which we signed up for right on the beach. Before heading out, we had lunch at Seaside, the beachfront restaurant, where our kid came back with several freshly baked rolls.

Clouds rolled in around noon, and the afternoon stayed gray. We went out by boat around 2:15 p.m. The first thing we saw was a school of needle-thin fish. Then, in water so clear we could see the sandy bottom, a crowd of silver fish gathered around us, and I think some yellowtail snapper were mixed in.

The guide got in the water and adjusted our kid’s gear next to the boat, then stayed close so our kid could see the fish. That put us at ease, too. Tours sold at the resort are run by outside companies, so you pay for them separately from your stay.

You can sign up on the beach, but comparing schedules and what’s included before you go makes it easier to pick a good-weather day.

A snorkel mask that fits your kid’s face is better brought from home.

Restaurants and bars

Everything we ate at the resort was good. The steakhouse and the Italian restaurant stood out most. Breakfast and lunch were mostly at the buffets; for dinner we worked our way through the à la carte restaurants, where you order from a menu.

Place	What it is
The Marketplace	Buffet
Seaside	Beachside restaurant Buffet by day, seafood at dinner
Don Jaume	Argentine steakhouse
Kabuki	Japanese, with a sushi bar and teppanyaki tables
La Rinascita	Italian
L’Essence	Gourmet restaurant Ages 12 and up, reservations required
Draft Sports Bar	American menu, open 24 hours
Café Español	Coffee and pastries

Breakfast buffet

Breakfast was the best meal of the day. There are buffets in several spots around the resort, but we liked Seaside, open on all sides near the beach, and went there often. On our second morning we ate under its white roof hung with turquoise lamps, with the sea breeze coming through. At the omelet station a cook made each omelet to order with whatever fillings you picked, and didn’t skimp on them.

As we filled our plates with grilled vegetables, ham and toast, the buffet staff would let out their signature “ooh-la-la.” I can still hear it.

On our fourth morning I built a salmon bagel at the bagel sandwich station, where you choose from smoked salmon, tuna, tomato and lettuce, and had it with fruit and orange juice.

On the last morning we took fruit cups from the rows set out on ice and had crêpes made on the spot.

Lunch

Lunch was usually at Seaside too, where the palms and the sea show between the columns.

On our third day I had salad and a pasta a cook tossed over high heat right in front of us.

At the beach buffet on our fourth day, a whole leg of jamón sat on its stand and was carved to order. The juice station had tropical juices with Spanish labels: watermelon, sapote, papaya, banana milk.

Beyond the restaurants, snack stations around the resort always had fruit, cookies, chips and chocolate out, so we grabbed things as we walked by.

On our fifth day we had a late lunch at the indoor buffet. There was a whole roasted mahi-mahi (also called dorado) served with vegetables. Our kid went for cream pasta, the adults for pizza and tomato risotto. For dessert we picked small fruit pastries and cupcakes.

Dinner buffet

On the first evening, after unpacking, we went to the buffet and started with salad and seafood. The salads ran down a long counter, and at one station they grilled the fish and shellfish you picked on a flat-top right away.

The seafood station had crab and clams piled high, and next to a tower of shrimp sat antipasti like olives and cheese. The sushi station was always there too, so it was easy to grab a few rolls and pieces of sushi, and there was pizza from a wood-fired oven.

On the dessert side there was a case full of cakes, a pink chocolate fondue, small fruit pastries and a fruit tower.

Don Jaume (steakhouse)

We liked Don Jaume, the Argentine steakhouse, enough to eat there every night from our third evening through our fifth. With stone walls, arches and a high wooden ceiling, it was kept fairly dark, with soft lamps along the walls. A warm onion soup came first. My wife and I had our steaks with white and red wine. The steaks came with fries or a baked potato, and our kid had ribs and corn. We still rank that steak as the best of the trip.

Around opening time the line got long. On our fourth evening people were already lining up outside at about 6:20 p.m. Reviews from August 2026 also mention long waits for the steakhouse. Dessert was a cheesecake topped with a red fruit sauce.

On our fifth evening we sat out in the courtyard, surrounded by white stone buildings strung with lights, a good place to eat in the night breeze. We started with fried seafood, salad and soup in a stone bowl, then had steak and ribs with baked potatoes. For dessert we shared cheesecake, a chocolate brownie and a nut pastry.

Teppanyaki at Kabuki

On our sixth evening we sat at one of Kabuki’s teppanyaki grills. The chef put on a show, cooking eggs and shrimp on the grill, then tossed a piece of meat toward our kid, who opened wide and caught it on the first try. Everyone at the table cheered, and the mood stayed great from there.

The fried rice came shaped into a heart, and the plate also held beef with stir-fried noodles and vegetables. The adults had beer with it. Besides the grills, Kabuki has a separate sushi bar where you sit down to eat. Even at our teppanyaki table, a small plate with a few pieces of sushi came out. There are only nine teppanyaki tables, so reservations are needed; ask your butler as soon as you arrive.

La Rinascita and L’Essence

On our seventh day, at about 6:40 p.m., we went to La Rinascita, the Italian restaurant, with its purple patterned sofas and walls painted with an Italian palace. Focaccia with white cheese and olive oil came first, then pizza and pasta. The pizza was especially good. L’Essence, the gourmet restaurant, only admits guests 12 and older, so we skipped it this time.

Café Español

Café Español serves coffee and pastries, but if you ask, they’ll also make panini and chicken wraps. It stays open late: on our third night we stopped in around 10 p.m., after the beach party, for cheesecake with strawberry sauce, drinks and a panini. The case held small cakes topped with the Majestic logo and strawberry pastries.

We came back on our fifth day at about 10:15 a.m. for iced coffee with panini, a croissant sandwich and a chicken wrap. On our second day we also picked up a beet juice there.

Bars and drinks

There were bars all over the resort: in the pools, next to the beach, on the plaza and outside the restaurants. For my wife and me, the piña colada was the most-ordered drink, with strawberry frozen drinks and mojitos close behind. On the first night we picked up a piña colada and a strawberry frozen drink at the Beach Bar and walked along the sand. Menus were available through a QR code at each bar.

For beer, the adults had Presidente, often called the Dominican Republic’s national beer. It was poured everywhere, and an easy can to sip while sitting in the pool outside our room.

On our sixth afternoon we rested at the Bali bed with a passion fruit frozen drink on the side table. Even during the evening shows, staff came to our seats to take orders, passion fruit cocktails and the like. The shows put us in a good mood, so we tipped every time a drink arrived.

Dress code at dinner

The à la carte restaurants have a dress code at dinner. According to the resort’s current guidelines, men need a shirt with a collar and sleeves, long pants and closed-toe shoes; T-shirts aren’t allowed (as of October 2026). A cover-up over swimwear won’t get you in, so pack one restaurant outfit per person.

Spa, sports and play areas

Spa

Around 3 p.m. on our fourth day, my wife and I stopped at the Majestic Spa front desk to confirm our booking and had massages together. The spa is on the resort grounds but is paid separately from the stay. We used a US$100 spa credit that came with our package. Not every booking is a package, so if you book one, check whether a spa credit is included.

The spa building has a thatched roof, and you reach it by a wooden bridge over the water. Turtles and fish swam in the pond below, and a common gallinule with a red bill walked among the water plants.

Pickleball and ping-pong

There are four tennis courts, and the pickleball court hosts free group lessons. We went to play pickleball on both our fifth and sixth afternoons; just picking up the ball and running around was enough to keep our kid happy. On our third afternoon we got out of the pool and played ping-pong together at the table next to the main pool. The resort lends paddles and balls, but if you bring your own, you can play whenever you like.

A light set that fits a kid’s hands means you can head out as soon as a court opens up.

Pool table and the sports bar

Draft Sports Bar, open 24 hours, has a pool table. Our kid wanted to play pool, so we stopped by almost every evening, and we also played a game or two on the table in the game room near the guest buildings. Buffalo wings, fries and beer can all be ordered at the sports bar, and all of it is included. Around 11 p.m. on our sixth night we ordered wings between games.

Kids’ playroom

On the Colonial side next door there’s an indoor playroom with a climbing net set against a wall painted with an ocean scene, and our kid played there on the morning and afternoon of our fourth day. The Mirage Family Club had a lounge where kids could take a break, with a TV, toys, and cupcakes, donuts, snacks and drinks always set out. It was close to our room, so we often stopped in on the way past. There were lots of lizards around the resort, plus egrets and ducks, and our kid liked that too.

Souvenir shop

Caribbean Street also has a souvenir shop where you can browse Dominican coffee, rum, paintings and wood carvings.

A day with our kid

Our days looked much the same, so the week went by like a single day.

Our daily routine

1. BreakfastBuffet or room service on the terraceOmelets and fruit, no rushMeal
2. MorningPlayroom and kids’ splash areaA walk over to the neighboring resortPlay
3. LunchBeachside buffetLunch with an ocean viewMeal
4. AfternoonBeach, main pool, pool outside our roomA drink from the bar in betweenSwimming
5. DinnerÀ la carte restaurantsDon Jaume, Kabuki, La RinascitaMeal
6. NightShows and the plazaDancing in the plaza after the showShow

A show every night

The show schedule was posted by day of the week on FUNJESTIC boards around the resort. Shows usually started at 9:30 p.m., and the boards also listed live music in the plaza and events at the sports bar.

Day	Show
Day 1	Michael Jackson tribute (outdoor stage)
Day 2	Circus show (indoor theater)
Day 3	Beach party (on the beach)
Day 4	Show Just MIRAGE (medley of swing, Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Havana, A Star Is Born)
Day 5	TRIBUTO, a tribute to Juan Luis Guerra
Day 6	Latin Zone show (Santana tribute, cha-cha)
Day 7	Magic show

At the Michael Jackson tribute on our first night, our kid danced along in the aisle at the back of the venue until the very end. Because of that, people recognized our kid and said hello first, right up to the day we left.

Show Just MIRAGE on our fourth night had singers and dancers working through songs from different decades in front of a live band. It opened with Sing Sing Swing and ran all the way to songs from the movie A Star Is Born. On our sixth night there was a Latin show dedicated to Santana.

On our seventh night we watched the magic show in the indoor theater. A long bar along one side served drinks even during the performance, so that night the adults watched with a Bloody Mary. The lineup changes from season to season, so check the boards around the resort when you arrive.

Nights in the plaza

After the show, the music carried on at the plaza stage, and my wife and our kid joined the crowd and danced. Every evening a live band played or a singer performed on the gazebo stage.

Later in the evening, people gathered to talk at the tables around the plaza, with its string lights and clock tower. On our third evening, a row of food booths draped in blue, white and red went up along one side of the plaza.

A friend made during the stay

Our kid became friends with a child of about the same age we kept seeing around the resort, from an Argentine family living in Panama. The two traded looks from the start and soon were inseparable, swimming and playing in the sand together. When they ran into each other at the breakfast buffet, they talked for ages, plates in hand, and they met up again at the evening shows. On the beach, the two of them drew pictures in the sand.

As it happened, our flights home also connected through Panama, so our two families traveled to the airport together. The day we got home, our kid cried about never seeing that friend again.

Easter activities

Easter fell during our week, so there were plenty of kids’ activities. On our seventh day there was T-shirt painting on the beach, and our kid painted a lobster on a white shirt. We got the shirt in a roomy size, and it was worn for a long time after we got home. The shirt and the activities were all included in the stay.

In the afternoon there was egg painting at a table by the pool, and a bunny-shaped cake came out too.

At that evening’s buffet, painted chocolate Easter eggs were stacked in tiers, and our kid picked one out and brought it back on a plate. Next to them, Easter bread and fried pastries were set out in their paper bags.

What was included and what we paid extra for

“All-inclusive” covers different things depending on what you book. Ours was a package that bundled the hotel with an airport pickup; we bought our flights separately. After a week there, we were happy with what the package covered.

Item	Our booking
Room and three meals a day	Included
Bar drinks, including alcohol	Included
24-hour room service	Included
In-room minibar	Included Restocked daily
Butler	Included
Shows and live music in the plaza	Included
Private round-trip airport transfer	Included Part of our packageCheck availability on GetYourGuide→ (opens in a new tab)
Spa massage	Paid with spa credit US$100 credit came with our package
Boat snorkeling trip	Paid extraCheck availability on GetYourGuide→ (opens in a new tab)
Flights	Booked separatelyCompare flights on Trip.com→ (opens in a new tab)

The resort is about 27 km (17 mi) from the airport. If your rate doesn’t include a transfer, book one separately. Drivers are often tipped too; in our car, a small sign asking for tips hung from the rearview mirror.

Back to the airport

On the last day, the private car from our package picked us up at around 12:20 p.m.

Punta Cana’s airport is an open-air building with thatched roofs and wooden pillars, so the resort mood starts the moment you walk in. Past security there were plenty of souvenir shops and a food court. We bought Dominican coffee there to take home.

After takeoff, the coastline showed through the clouds, edged with white surf.

Good to know before you go

• Restaurant reservationsKabuki’s teppanyaki tables and L’Essence need reservations. Ask your butler on the day you arrive.
• Repeat visitsSome à la carte restaurants limit how often you can eat there per day or per stay. It varies by resort and season, so check when you arrive.
• Pool hours8 a.m.–6 p.m. (official info, as of October 2026)
• WhatsAppYou’ll message your butler on it, so install it before you leave.
• TippingEven with service charges in the rate, tipping is common at all-inclusives. Bring a few small US dollar bills.
• Entry formThe Dominican Republic’s electronic entry and exit form (e-Ticket) is free. Fill it out on the official site and avoid third-party sites that charge for it.

The e-reader we were glad we packed

I brought an e-reader and used it a lot on the flights. At the resort there was always something else going on, so I read less than I’d planned, but it was light and easy for a few pages at a time on a pool lounger. Even in strong sun by the pool, the text stayed sharp.

A whole stack of books weighs the same as one, which helps if you’re trying to pack light.

More to do nearby

This trip was about making the most of the resort, so we saved the full-day tours for another time. These are the ones we’d like to do once our kid is a little older.

Santo Domingo’s old town

If we spent a day outside the resort, the place we’d most want to see is the old town of Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital. It’s one of the first European-built cities in the Americas, and its colonial city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Punta Cana it’s a full-day round trip by road.

Compare whether hotel pickup and lunch are included, and how many hours you get to walk the old town.

Saona Island

Saona Island (Isla Saona), inside East National Park (Parque del Este), is the most popular island trip from Punta Cana. The boat stops at a shallow natural pool where starfish live, and lunch is on the island.

Jungle buggies and a cave swim

For a day on land instead of water, there are tours that take you along dirt roads by buggy, stop for a swim in a cenote (a spring inside a cave), and visit Macao Beach (Playa Macao).

Scuba diving at Catalina Island

A friend we met later told us scuba diving was the highlight of their Punta Cana trip. The waters off Catalina Island (Isla Catalina) are a marine protected area, and there are discovery dives where you go down paired with an instructor, no certification needed.

FAQ

Cancun or Punta Cana?

We went back and forth on this for a long time. For our dates, flights cost about the same and the resorts were cheaper in Punta Cana. Friends who had been there before us came back happy, which also helped. Prices change by date, so the most reliable comparison is resort rates for both places on the same dates, side by side.

Is Majestic Mirage good for families with kids?

It was for us. The Family Club has swim-up rooms, and between the kids’ water play area and indoor playroom next door and the nightly shows, our kid never got bored. A few places do have age limits, though; L’Essence, the gourmet restaurant, only admits guests 12 and up.

Does it work for adults without kids?

Yes. The Mirage Club section is for guests 18 and over. During our stay, couples and groups of adults without kids were staying in the Family Club too.

Will we get bored staying inside the resort?

Our only trip outside the resort all week was the boat snorkeling, and we never ran out of things to do. Between the pools, the beach, the restaurants and the shows, the days went fast. If you want to see something beyond your Punta Cana resort for a day, add a Santo Domingo or Saona Island tour.

How long is the drive from the airport?

Arena Gorda is about 27 km (17 mi) from Punta Cana airport, roughly 35 minutes by private car. We used the transfer that came with our package.

Where should we book?

Majestic Mirage is all-inclusive, with meals and drinks in the room rate, so on a hotel booking site you only need to pick the room. Check separately whether an airport transfer is included, and if it isn’t, book one at the same time.

Wrapping up

The best part of our week at Majestic Mirage Punta Cana was the weather: sunny almost every day. Between the pool outside our door, the clear sea, the good restaurants and the friendly Dominican staff, nothing put us in a bad mood once. For a first trip to Punta Cana, I’d recommend it as is; if we went back, we’d probably try one of the neighboring resorts. Looking at the photos now, it still feels like a dream.

Related posts

Topic	Post
Full itinerary	Punta Cana with our kid: a spring break week in a Majestic Mirage swim-up suite Day-by-day plan, transfers and shows
Swim-up rooms	Phuket with our kid: 10 days from Surin to Kata and Patong Our first swim-up room, in Phuket

What we used on this trip

Bookings

• Where we stayedWe booked a ground-floor swim-up suite in the Family Club from the start.Majestic Mirage Punta Cana
• Airport transferIncluded in our package.Private airport transfer
• Boat snorkelingWe signed up on the beach. To book a catamaran trip ahead instead:Catamaran snorkeling

Worth packing

• WhatsAppHow we messaged our butler.
• Water hammocksWe brought two and used them together in the sea.Floating water hammock
• Water-skipping ballOur kid and I tossed it back and forth in the pool.Water-skipping ball
• Pickleball paddles, ping-pong paddlesThe resort lends them, but with your own you don’t have to go borrow them.Pickleball paddle setPing-pong paddle set
• E-readerWell used on the flights.Kindle
• Sunscreen, sunglassesA must; the sun is strong.Water-resistant sunscreen
• Dinner clothesCollared shirt, long pants, closed-toe shoes