There is no doubt that Punta Cana is a beautiful destination that is becoming more and more popular with travelers. However, Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana is elevating the resort experience in the Dominican Republic in a way unlike others.
The adults-only, all-inclusive property opened in 2021, making it the first La Colección Resort on the island. La Colección Resorts is a Mexican hospitality company known for its five different brands that range from high-end luxury to family travel. As a Live Aqua property, Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana marries the luxurious experience that La Colección Resort fans know and love with the beautiful environment, culture, and laid-back vibe of the Dominican Republic.
We recently visited the property to experience this ourselves, and we’ve got the scoop for you.
Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana is a tropical getaway that provides a luxurious experience. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Design
Upon entering Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana, you’ll be impressed by the stunning design and the relaxing scents placed throughout the property. The main building houses the lobby, a theater, dance club, gym, and eight of the eleven restaurants and bars. Those who have VIP status even have their own private lobby with a bar that’s fully stocked with drinks and snacks. You’ll receive a hand massage as you wait for your keys.
A tunnel covered in vines and flowers runs through the property. On either side are glistening blue swimming pools, and just beyond those, the buildings that house the rooms. At the end of the flower tunnel is the main pool which has a swim-up pool bar and is sandwiched between two other restaurants. The beachfront is just steps away and divided into two areas for VIP and regular guests. You’ll love the beach’s soft golden sand and the lack of seaweed or rocks in the roped off swimming area in the ocean.
The resort is incredibly easy to walk around with plenty of seating areas for friends, couples, and families to gather around and enjoy a drink or a snack. We also appreciated the extensive number of covered paths, because if it rains, you can walk from your room to the main building without getting wet.
The Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana offers sophisticated rooms, including swim-up suites. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Rooms
There are a variety of room options at Live Aqua Punta Cana Beach Resort, all with a sophisticated design in earthy color tones. The waterfall showers are spacious, beds are comfortable, mini-fridges are stocked with snacks and drinks, and you have the option to change the room’s scent. No matter the room, all are outfitted with a small couch and a patio that has a Jacuzzi. However, if you want to elevate your experience, go with a suite that has a swim-up pool. There are even a few suites on the beach with ocean views and private plunge pools.
Miraflores is a popular ceviche spot at Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Dining
Live Aqua Punta Cana Beach Resort is all-inclusive, which means all of the food and drink are included in the price. What really impressed us was how most (if not all) of the restaurants are open every evening for dinner – and you don’t have to make reservations.
Like most resorts, there is an international buffet called Liberi that serves three meals a day and has made-to-cook stations. In the evening, you’ll see a barbecue station outside of the restaurant cooking up fresh food for anyone to enjoy. Seishin offers Asian fusion cuisine and hibachi tables, while Sigh brings Italian flavors to the Caribbean. Chez Rose, the French restaurant, is incredibly romantic, while ATL highlights the Mexican culture and cuisine that La Colección Resorts is known for. You can enjoy ocean views and Mediterranean cuisine at Huzur or ceviche at Miraflores.
There is a coffee shop with pastries and five bars throughout the property, though Compton Street is probably the most impressive as it’s a sleek sports bar with pool tables and sports playing on big screens.
The beach at Live Aqua Beach Resort Punta Cana is full of day beds and loungers under palapas. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Amenities
There is so much to see and do at Live Aqua Punta Cana Beach Resort beyond laying out at the beach with a spiked coconut in hand. Many guests start their day at the resort gym or yoga on the beach. In fact, the resort offers different activities throughout the day and displays them on a large calendar near the main building. You can take cooking and dance classes, join a beach volleyball game, watch a circus show by the pool, have rum and cigar tastings, and more. The Feel Harmony Spa is very popular among guests. Hit the water circuit and the sauna before a massage or skin care treatment.
In the evenings, guests gather around an outdoor stage for performances, live music, or karaoke, or head to the theater for different types of performances like an Illusion show. The dance club opens at 11:00 p.m. inviting all to grab a drink and dance the night away.
Ojos Indigenas Reserve in Punta Cana has 13 freshwater lagoons to swim in. (photo via Alex Temblador)
Exploring Punta Cana
If you want to get off the resort and explore Punta Cana, we suggest booking your experiences upon your arrival. The resort works with various tour operators and transportation companies that are knowledgeable about the area and have vans with Wi-Fi and air-conditioning.
Our favorite experiences nearby are the Ojos Indigenas Ecological Reserve and the Dominican Cultural Tour. Ojos Indigenas is a 1,500-square-acre reserve full of 13 freshwater lagoons (or cenotes) that you can spend the day swimming in. The Dominican Cultural Tour with Runners Adventure Park teaches travelers about the island’s history with sugar cane, shows them how Dominican cigars are rolled, and gives you a taste of the island’s national drink of Mamajuana. You’ll also visit a typical Dominican home that makes and sells its own organic coffee and chocolate and serves a traditional Dominican lunch.
