Punta Cana: Buggy Tour to Macao Beach, Caves & Farm Tastings

4.97

(319 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Hands on the wheel, red dust everywhere — that’s how it started. I didn’t realize how loud the buggies would be (or how much mud we’d wear home), but our guide José just grinned and waved us on. The trail cut through thick palm groves, sunlight flickering in stripes across the path. We stopped at this little farm where an older woman handed me a cup of something warm and chocolatey — turns out it was fresh cacao. She laughed when I tried to say “mamajuana” right (I did not). The smell of roasted coffee mixed with the earth after last night’s rain, which I guess is what you remember more than you expect.

The next part was bumpier — my teeth still feel it. We pulled up to a cave, darker and cooler than outside, with water so clear you could see your toes even if you were nervous about jumping in (I hesitated but did it anyway). José told us stories about the caves as we dried off; he said locals come here sometimes just to cool off or think. There was this echo inside that made every laugh sound bigger. Then back in the buggy for another stretch — my shirt now half wet, half covered in dust.

Macao Beach came up suddenly, bright blue against pale cliffs. Kids were playing soccer barefoot near the waterline, and there was this salty breeze that made everything feel lighter somehow. We had maybe twenty minutes there — not enough to do everything but enough to just sit and let your feet sink into the sand while waves came close. On the drive back I kept thinking about that first sip of mamajuana and how different everything tastes when you’re actually here instead of reading about it.