I’ve been to Punta Cana before and loved it, but at this stage in my life I’m really trying to only visit new places. However, this winter was so long and dreadful that we were desperate to get away. Dominican always has the best prices and it’s such an easy trip! It’s a short flight and the resorts are close to the airport, which is nice when you are just in the mood to lay on a beach for a week. It’s also been a long time since we have done an all-inclusive trip, so we pulled the trigger on a trip to Punta Cana after finding Sanctuary Cap Cana online. It looked amazing, has been recently renovated and the reviews were really good. Since the internet is such a negative place, I find if the reviews are mostly positive you know it’s going to be decent.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the resort. The decor, grounds, lobby and buildings are beautiful! The castle is stunning and the architecture makes it seem like you are somewhere in Europe. There’s so many colourful buildings and lots of pink which I of course loved!

       

The pools are stunning and there’s many to choose from. The castle pool was by far our favourite. Staff were very friendly and accommodating which made the trip even better.

The spa located inside the castle was incredible. We got one day of rain so we booked the spa. The outdoor area was so relaxing – I had a nap in a lounger outside just listening to the rain. You can do the hot tubs and cold dip etc. I got a massage and it was one of the best massages I have ever had.

When we first arrived we had booked an ocean view and our room was really nice, but we were in the older section of the resort and the view was definitely not an ocean view. We complained and they moved us to the main lobby building which was stunning and we had a beautiful view of the entire resort and ocean. Was so happy that they were able to move us! It made the trip even better.

Food was mostly great. Definitely talk to people when you arrive to figure out how to do the restaurants right. At the teppanyaki, skip the whole teppanyaki wok experience. Instead, order sushi from the outdoor area menu and sit on the patio. At the steak house, they have the option to cook your own steak at your table – we didn’t know about this and definitely wish we had. Order the souffle – it is massive and so delicious. The buffet was great for breakfast and lunch – so many gluten free options and the smoothie bar in the morning was amazing. The Fusion restaurant is quite an experience – the staff play super loud music and dance while they cook – they were also super accommodating of my gluten allergy. The Italian restaurant was my fav, so we booked it for two nights.

The beach is small and private which we really liked, but if you are a fan of big beaches where you can walk for miles, this isn’t for you. However, there are bigger beaches nearby that you can visit. The water is a bit murky right on the shore with seaweed. I’ve been to enough perfect beaches, so I really didn’t mind the bit of murky water. The views are still turquoise water and the sand is really nice. The beach chairs and cabanas are beautiful.

We took a trip to Scape Park one day and it was fun to have a change of scenery and experience the zip lines and waterfalls. Beware though that the place is a little sketchy. The staff try to charge you for everything at every turn. They even try to get you to not take photos because they want you to buy their photos. We ended up just still taking photos and videos etc. however some people were really mad about this.

   

This one-piece swimsuit is from La Vie En Rose and I love it so much! It fits really beautifully and looks expensive. I love that you can wear it with or without straps as well. (gifted)

We also took a trip to the beach near Cap Cana Marina where the cruise ships dock. The beach here is stunning and the water is super warm. It was really nice. My husband also went golfing at the Cap Cana Golf Course and said it was the nicest course he has ever golfed. It has stunning views and is right on the ocean. Worth it to check out the photos. It’s expensive, but worth it.

Overall, we had such a great week and I would recommend this resort. This post is not sponsored in any way.