Car and Golf Cart Rental in Punta Cana: Getting Around Hard Rock and Cana Bay

Do you actually need a car?

If you’re staying in an all-inclusive resort, probably not: everything is on site, and a transfer from the airport plus the odd excursion pickup covers it. Staying in an apartment in the Hard Rock / Cana Bay area is different. You’ll want to buy groceries, try the fish shacks atMacao Beach, eat out in Bávaro and perhaps play golf. None of that is walking distance from a gated community next to a main road.

Three setups work well:

Renting a car in Punta Cana

What you need

• Driver’s license: a valid US, Canadian, UK or EU license is accepted for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
• International Driving Permit: not legally required, but recommended; it helps at police checkpoints and with insurance. In the US it’s issued only by AAA and AATA.
• Passport, booking confirmation and a credit card in the main driver’s name, for the deposit.

Insurance: the part that decides the real price

The cheap daily rate you see online is rarely what you pay. Dominican law requires liability insurance, and rental companies almost always insist on their own collision cover (CDW) too. Many travellers expect their credit card to cover this; in the Dominican Republic, agencies typically still require their CDW or put a much larger hold on your card if you decline it.

Ranges from 2026 Dominican car rental guides (sources below). Always compare the total with insurance, not the headline rate.

Even “full” cover often excludes tires, windshield and undercarriage. Ask what’s excluded, and what the deductible is, before you sign.

At the pickup desk

1. Film the car inside and out, including the tires and the fuel gauge, before you drive off, and again when you return it.
2. Check the fuel policy (full-to-full is simplest) and the spare tire.
3. Get the emergency number of the rental company saved in your phone.
4. Choose a compact car unless you really need space; parking and speed bumps are easier.

Driving around Punta Cana

Driving here is manageable if you drive defensively. What to expect:

• Right-hand traffic, like the US and continental Europe.
• Speed limits are typically 60 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on rural roads and 100–120 km/h on the toll highways.
• Motorbikes everywhere. Scooters and motoconchos (motorbike taxis) appear on both sides. Check mirrors constantly; a short horn tap simply means “I’m here”.
• Speed bumps. Locally called policías acostados (“sleeping policemen”), often unmarked, especially near villages. Slow down when you see houses.
• Avoid rural roads at night: unlit vehicles, animals and potholes. Main roads around the resorts are fine.
• Navigation: Waze tends to be more up to date than Google Maps here.
• Fuel: stations are attendant-served. Stick to branded stations and say “lleno” for a full tank.
• Tolls: the Autopista del Coral towards La Romana and Santo Domingo is tolled. Carry Dominican pesos in cash.

If you have an accident

1. Stop, make sure everyone is safe, and call 911 and the rental company.
2. Wait for the traffic police (AMET) to file a report. The insurance claim needs it.
3. Photograph everything and don’t agree to a cash settlement on the spot.

Golf carts: perfect inside Cana Bay

Cana Bay is a large gated community of 1.28 million m² with the golf course running through it, and its internal roads are quiet and slow. That’s exactly where a golf cart shines: to the Beach Club, the golf clubhouse, the racquet courts or just an evening loop around the course.

Cana Bay’s rules

• Drivers must be over 16, and staff can check.
• Speed limit: 20 km/h throughout the resort.
• Drivers need a valid license, and vehicles need insurance covering damage to third parties. Ask the rental company what’s included.
• Park only in designated spots. Blocking a parking space or a road can get a vehicle towed.

How to get one

• Ask your host first. Some rentals in the area include a cart or can arrange one.
• Local rental companies deliver carts to Cana Bay and the Hard Rock area. Prices we’ve seen quoted in the area range from roughly US$60 to US$90 per day; ask for a weekly rate.
• Before you accept it, check the battery charge and how charging works at your building, who pays for damage, and whether there’s a deposit.

Where not to take it: anywhere outside Cana Bay. Reaching Hard Rock, Macao or the shops means the Boulevard Turístico del Este, a fast main road that’s no place for a golf cart. Playing golf? You don’t need your own cart at all: green fees at Hard Rock Golf Clubinclude one.

Taxis and transfers

• Airport transfer: the airport (PUJ) is typically around 25–35 minutes from the Hard Rock / Cana Bay area by car. Pre-booking a transfer means a fixed price and someone waiting with your name.
• Taxis wait at the big resorts and usually work on set fares. Always agree the price before you get in, and arrange your return pickup, since you won’t find cabs cruising outside the resort areas.
• For Cana Bay: tell your host when a taxi or transfer is coming. Cana Bay asks residents to notify security about incoming transport, which saves waiting at the gate.

Typical trips from Cana Bay

Our recommendation

For a week in Cana Bay: take a transfer from the airport, rent a car for two or three days in the middle of your stay for the supermarket, Macao and a day trip, and use a golf cart inside Cana Bay if your plans revolve around the beach club or golf. You’ll pay for wheels only on the days you use them, which is the same logic as buying only the Hard Rock days you want.

Our apartment in Cana Rock Universe has free parking on site, so a rental car is easy. See the apartment.