Manati Park
For nature enthusiasts, Manati Park, located within the Bávaro area, is a family-friendly theme park with an incredible landscape of wonderful gardens overflowing with orchids and tropical plants. Manati Park offers horse, parrot, dolphin and sea lion shows, restaurants, local crafts and souvenir shops. Also, its “Taino Village” is a unique reconstruction of the culture and folklore of the island. Fascinating animals such as Iguanas, flamingos, tropical birds, snakes, crabs, and sea lions are also within its grounds. Visitors also have the option to swim with the dolphins (advanced reservation required).
Those visiting Manati Park are likely to be attracted to the “Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park” within the ground of PuntaCana Resort (PCRC). This is a 1,500 acre private reserve owned and maintained by the PuntaCana Ecological Foundation. The Indigenous Eyes (Ojos Indigenas) are crystal clear, freshwater lagoons fed by the underground river Yauya. The Taino Indians referred to the lagoons as “eyes” because of their shape. They are part of a lowland subtropical forest situated on top of limestone, and home to over 500 species of plants and 100 species of birds. At the entrance to the lagoons you’ll find an info booth for guided tours. Refreshments and souvenirs from the Eco Foundation are available here. There is also a large map showing a network of trails covering about 1.5km. Each trail is marked with the distance to the next lagoon. It takes about 40 minutes to walk the whole trail. There are 12 lagoons, 3 of which you can swim in on the guided tours.