Although it might be tempting to stay at the island's big resort, one of the smaller, more intimate lodges will give you more of the true island experience.
We loved this little detour! There was one sea turtle that was restinf on the beach the entire time we stayed.The sand is fairly sharp, but it's worth it.
The weather was neither hot nor cold. It was perfect. We were there the last week in Jan. and the 1st week of Feb. The locals were unbelievably warm and friendly to us. My husband also speaks fluent Spanish so that helped us with communicating. We stayed in an "all inclusive" resort but left the resort grounds several times to get a little taste of what the town and people are like. I highly recommend scoping out local eateries outside of resorts to eat some delicious local food from small family owned restaraunts. The beaches all around Punta Cana were phoenominal. Clean sand and teal blue water with nice size waves to surf. We enjoyed a snorkeling trip where we swam with nurse sharks and sting rays.
I was rock climbing for the first time and the instructor made sure I was safe and confident. There were a few more people but no one advanced. We had a lot of fun and laughs, the guy wanted us to feel comfortable both with each other and on the wall. Really enjoyable experience!