Punta Cana.– When people think of Punta Cana, the mind usually jumps to the usual postcard: endless beaches, luxury resorts and turquoise water. But beneath that glossy surface there is another, quieter universe that keeps everything running: a network of cenotes, lagoons and wetlands that make up one of the most important freshwater systems in the Dominican Republic.
This karst belt of porous limestone —pierced by caves and underground galleries— stretches from Macao to the mouth of the Chavón River in the Cotubanamá National Park. Along this strip lie dozens of cenotes and lagoons, many of them still little known, even among residents of the Eastern region.
From Taíno “sagüeyes” to 21st-century tourism
Long before the first resorts and charter flights arrived, the Taínos already knew the value of these waters. They called them “sagüey” or “jagüey,” words que significan “tierra llena de agua”. Chroniclers such as Fray Bartolomé de las Casas documented these sites in his Historia de las Indias when describing the conquest of Higüey.
For the Taínos, these sagüeyes were not mere puddles. They were sacred places, sources of drinking water, ritual spaces and strategic reserves for survival. Centuries later, they have returned to the center of the story, this time as ecotourism attractions and as key pieces for the water security of the entire Eastern region.
A freshwater corridor in the heart of a tourist powerhouse
The Bávaro–Verón–Punta Cana area sits on a limestone platform drilled over thousands of years by rain and underground rivers. Rainwater infiltrates through the rock, travels below the surface and reappears in the form of lagoons, cenotes and springs, forming an interconnected hydrological system that:
- Feeds freshwater aquifers that supply communities, neighborhoods and the tourism industry.
- Sustains wetlands and mangroves that act as natural shields against saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion.
- Supports a remarkable biodiversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and native and endemic plants.
At the same time, this freshwater network has become an increasingly attractive complement to the classic “sun and beach” product: nature excursions, hiking routes, swimming in cenotes, birdwatching and guided tours through ecological reserves where thousands of Dominican and international visitors discover that the East is much more than all-inclusive resorts.
The Main Lagoons of Bávaro–Verón–Punta Cana
Bávaro Lagoon: the ecological heart of Cabeza de Toro
Located in Cabeza de Toro, just minutes away from large hotels and resorts, Bávaro Lagoon is much more than a picturesque backdrop. It is a wildlife refuge officially protected within the National System of Protected Areas.
Surrounded by mangroves and wetlands, the lagoon and its buffer zone host:
- More than 220 species of native and endemic plants, including four types of mangrove.
- At least 86 bird species, among them herons, migratory ducks and several endemics of the island.
- Reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fish, including a true local jewel: Cyprinodon higuey, a tiny endemic fish that lives only in this lagoon, nowhere else on Earth.
This small golden-toned fish, just a few centimeters long, has become a flagship species: if Bávaro Lagoon disappears, the species disappears with it.
But its importance goes even further. Environmental studies have identified Bávaro Lagoon as a natural barrier against saltwater intrusion, a “stopper” that helps prevent seawater from invading the freshwater aquifers that supply hotels, residential areas and surrounding communities.
Today, the lagoon is used for controlled ecotourism activities such as kayaking, interpretive trails and birdwatching, designed so visitors can enjoy the landscape without losing sight of the need for conservation.
Mala Punta Lagoon: Bávaro’s quiet sister
Near Cabo Engaño, not far from Punta Cana International Airport, lies Mala Punta Lagoon, surrounded by coastal scrub, marshes and mangroves.
Although less famous than Bávaro Lagoon, both are connected by a corridor of wetlands that extends toward the Macao area, forming a continuous lagoon system several kilometers long.
Depending on the season and rainfall levels, Mala Punta’s water level fluctuates, and during rainy periods it can become a vast mirror of water that attracts large numbers of aquatic birds, including many migratory species that use the Eastern Dominican Republic as a resting point on their Caribbean routes.
This ecological connection between Bávaro and Mala Punta is crucial: what happens in terms of landfills, drainage, pollution or habitat alteration in one part of the system ends up affecting the whole.
The “jagüeyes” or cenotes of Punta Cana
In addition to open lagoons, the region is dotted with cenotes —water-filled sinkholes and caves— that have become true icons for tourism, science and local identity. They were formed by the dissolution of limestone and the collapse of cave ceilings, leaving behind these crystal-clear pools connected to the vast underground aquifer.
Hoyo Azul Cenote: the most famous blue pool of the East
Within Scape Park, in Cap Cana, Hoyo Azul is likely the most renowned cenote in the country. Nestled at the base of a limestone cliff about 75 meters high, this natural pool has roughly 14 meters of depth and an intense blue that seems lit from within.
To reach it, visitors follow an ecological trail that winds through tropical forest, rock formations, native flora and even orchid gardens. The route ends at a wooden staircase that descends into the great cavity where light and water combine to create one of the most striking scenes in the Eastern region.
Swimming in Hoyo Azul is more than just a photo for social networks: it is an immersion into the same spring system that helps sustain the territory.
Ojos Indígenas Ecological Reserve: 12 freshwater lagoons in 1,500 acres
On land managed by the Grupo Puntacana Foundation lies the Ojos Indígenas Ecological Reserve, a private protected area of more than 1,500 acres (around 600 hectares) of subtropical forest. There are 12 freshwater “eyes,” small circular lagoons fed by springs that the Taínos called “ojos” for their shape and clarity.
The reserve operates as:
- A living laboratory for scientific research and environmental education.
- A space for hiking, fauna observation, swimming in selected lagoons and guided nature interpretation programs.
It is a concrete example of how the private sector can conserve, study and at the same time offer regulated nature tourism in line with modern sustainability standards.
Hoyo Claro Natural Monument: forest, rock and water
Near kilometer 14 of the Coral Highway, heading south, lies Hoyo Claro, a cenote declared a Natural Monument within the National System of Protected Areas.
There, visitors find:
- Semi-humid tropical forest with tall trees that provide generous shade and a cool microclimate.
- A cenote with clear bluish waters, with depths ranging from about three to more than ten meters —ideal for a quiet swim in a less crowded and more rustic environment than other attractions.
Since it sits on private land and inside a protected area, access is usually managed by authorized operators, allowing regulation of visitor numbers and reduction of environmental impact.
Las Ondas Cenote and other jagüeyes in Scape Park
Also inside Scape Park is Las Ondas Cenote, a mostly underground cave with limited natural light, where the still, freshwater gives the impression of a natural spa hidden beneath the rock.
An ecological path leads to a wooden staircase that descends into the cavern. The cave walls display Taíno pictographs, a reminder that these spaces are not only ecologically valuable, but also archeological and cultural heritage —which raises the responsibility for their proper management.
Hoyos del Salado (Hoyos de Molina): mass tourism in an iconic cenote
In the community of La Ceiba “El Salado,” near the Macao crossroads, are the well-known Hoyos del Salado or “Hoyos de Molina,” a cenote about 50 meters long and around 8 meters deep, with clear freshwater and a striking vault decorated with stalactites and stalagmites.
Hundreds of people visit daily on organized excursions, making it one of the busiest freshwater attractions in the Punta Cana area. That popularity presents a major challenge: how to maintain the economic activity while enforcing visitor limits, managing waste, ensuring sanitary facilities and protecting the cave structure so it does not deteriorate or collapse under irresponsible use.
Yucayeque Cenotes: water, history and rural culture
At the “Domitai Park” ranch in the Macao area, several shallow cenotes (about 4 feet deep) connect to the Anamuya River. Historically, they were a water source for early settlers in the region.
These bodies of water are embedded in a wetland landscape linked to the old settlement of the Morro de Macao, where natural value, historical memory and rural culture converge —an ideal setting for low-impact community-based rural tourism projects.
What’s missing, and what can’t wait
The richness of Punta Cana’s lagoons and cenotes is undeniable. However, acknowledging that value is only the first step. There are urgent tasks that demand attention:
- Making clear the protection categories and legal framework of places such as Bávaro Lagoon, Hoyo Claro and Ojos Indígenas, so the public understands they are not just “pretty spots,” but formally protected areas.
- Communicating concrete biodiversity data: how many species, what kinds of vegetation, which endemic fish and birds depend on these ecosystems.
- Explaining their hydrological role: how wetlands and lagoons hold back saltwater and sustain the same aquifers that power hotels, neighborhoods and local businesses.
- Highlighting the interconnection between Bávaro Lagoon and Mala Punta Lagoon through the wetland corridor toward Macao.
- Addressing historic and current pressures: illegal landfills, poorly planned tourism projects, wastewater discharge, construction permits on saturated or flood-prone soils.
Taken together, these elements transform a simple descriptive story into in-depth environmental reporting. The reader can then understand that these freshwater systems:
- Are the invisible foundation supporting the tourism model of the East.
- Are under growing pressure from urban expansion, weak enforcement and lack of serious planning.
- Could become Punta Cana’s great premium ecotourism brand —if managed with clear limits, scientific criteria, education and rules that are actually enforced.
The real luxury is freshwater
Punta Cana will surely continue promoting itself as a paradise of sun and beach. But the true luxury —the one that cannot be manufactured or replaced overnight— lies in its lagoons, cenotes and wetlands.
Protecting Bávaro Lagoon, Mala Punta, Hoyo Azul, Ojos Indígenas, Hoyo Claro and every jagüey scattered across the region is not an environmental whim. It is an act of safeguarding water, biodiversity, local communities and the future of tourism itself.
If this paradise wants to remain a paradise, the message is as simple as it is blunt:
without healthy sagüeyes, cenotes and lagoons, there is no Punta Cana that can withstand the passage of time.
