I turned 50 in February, and all I wanted was to visit a beachfront Caribbean resort for the first time. I got my wish by visiting Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro. As some of you know, I am from Germany, and all our money and vacation time was always spent flying back home with the kids. Sometimes, I went twice a year for 4-5 weeks.
Since the kids are both graduating this year as well it felt like a great way to celebrate it all. To be honest, I didn’t even know where to start with the search or booking and I’m so glad we asked for help from a travel agent who also is one of my husband’s cousin’s closest friends. I told her that we are beach lovers who wanted an affordable Caribbean all-inclusive resort with no high-rise buildings. She gave us a few options and when I saw the cover photo of the Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro’s website, I knew I had found what we wanted. It also helped to know that she had stayed here twice already and liked it a lot.
The Location And Accessibility of Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro
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When we arrived at PUJ Punta Cana International Airport, we were taken to our Iberostar resort by Amstar Transfers. It was about a half-hour shuttle ride to the resort’s main lobby and then an extra short golf cart ride to the check-in at the Coral Level lobby which was close to our room and also features a bar and snack area.
Iberostar resorts are a Spanish company with all-inclusive resorts in Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Portugal, and Jamaica. It is a popular resort company for Germans and there were a large number of German guests at the resort.
Here is a map to show you the large size of the whole resort complex and adjoining resorts. There are resorts for long stretches on Playa de Arena Gorda Beach on either side,, which made it possible for me to walk my daily miles, and I always felt safe. Walking on the beach is my favorite thing in the world, and I walked daily for one to two hours.
To the left side of the resort is Iberostar Waves Dominicana or Iberostar Dominicana.
To the right side of the resort is JOIA Bávaro or Iberostar Grand Bavaro which is an upscale adults only resort and you do not have access to that Iberostar location.
After the Grand Bavaro on the right is this beautiful, untouched stretch where I took the photo below.
Coral Level at Iberostar Selection Bavaro Amenities
- El Faro breakfast and lunch buffet
- Unlimited speciality dinners
- Free snack bar
- Daily restocked minibar in your room
- 24-hour room service
- 24-hour bellhop concierge and valet service
- Bar with domestic and international beverages
- A daily sports and recreation program (gym access)
- An hour per day of non-motorized aquatic activities (Hobie Cat, kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing)
- Star Camp children’s activities
- Nightly live entertainment and music
- One free hydrotherapy treatment at the spa
- Daily fresh beach towels
- Access to facilities and restaurants at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana
Here you can see the two Coral level rooms on the ground floor that we were staying in. Our son is lying on the chaise. The rooms were connected with a door which was nice too. My husband and I had a king-sized bed and our two adult kids had two queen-sized beds.
This is the view the other way coming out of our rooms. My daughter is laying on the chaise in the outdoor pool and my husband is sitting on the pool ledge.
Here is a zoomed-in aerial map to show you the proximity to our rooms to the beach. You can also see the infinity pool on the beach that sold me on this trip. The houses with the red roofs are a little street with shops as well as a place where you can book diving and snorkeling trips.
Short Video Of Our Stay at Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro (Coral Level)
I made a short video for my Instagram and my TikTok page as well as this one below. Some things are just better captured on video than photos. If it doesn’t load for you then you can watch it on my YouTube Channel instead as well.
The Food And Dining Options for Coral Level Guests
When booking the coral level, you have access to many different restaurants, including the buffet place El Faro, with the upstairs Salt & Soul Restaurant.
I got up early every morning to sit on a chaise on the beach with a cup of coffee and then moved to the buffet terrace. We also ate lunch at El Faro every day. The kids didn’t even want to try anything else for lunch because it was so good and so nice to just walk right off the beach and eat.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photos of the food, which I usually do. We couldn’t get dinner reservations at the steak house or the Japanese restaurant, so we ate at the Mexican restaurant María Bonita (which didn’t need reservations), Salt & Soul, and another large buffet called Los Haitises. They were all great!
Below is the beautiful setting of the other large buffet where you can sit right by the water under the palm trees. There are also ducks, geese, and peacocks walking around.
I loved the lit palm trees at night while walking to our dinners and the hammock area was extra special.
Access to other restaurants
- Los Haitises (buffet)
- Il Forno Italian Restaurant
- Mediterranean dishes at La Dorada
- Japanese at Kabuki
- Brave Steakhouse
- Cajun at Jambalaya
- Traditional Mexican cuisine at María Bonita
- Gourmet dishes at a Sibila
- Fish at La Marimba
- American at the Star Rock
Beach And Pool Areas
There are several pools and a large pool with an activity area for children. We stayed at the coral-level pools, meaning the one in front of our rooms and the infinity pool in my first image.
Do you see the palm trees in the distance? The family photo after the next one is the view back to the resort and I love it. One of my favorite things was definitely that I could walk for a long distance on the beach in both directions without any problems or feeling unsafe. I’ve seen a lot of resorts where that isn’t possible because of safety concerns or landscape. I wanted my long walk on the beach and I got them.
This is the iconic palm tree (marked as Plage on Google Maps) on the beach at Riu Palace Bavaro which is next to the Iberostar complex.
Service And Staff
I have only positive things to say about the staff. They were super friendly, helpful, and incredibly hardworking.
When you want your room to be cleaned you set the front door light to green and if you want to be left alone you set it to red.
Entertainment And Activities
My husband and daughter did parasailing with the guys that sell them on the beach but my son and I are afraid of heights and skipped that.
We also booked a snorkeling trip through the resort and not the guys walking on the beach. We loved the video footage they took of us with a drone. You can see them in my video.
You can also book dune buggy rides, horseback riding on the beach, a trip to see monkeys, and a ziplining excursion.
The ocean water temperature was perfect. Not too cold and not too warm!
In the evening, they had different entertainment. In my video, you can see the dancing and fire show on the beach. On Monday was Dominican night on the El Faro patio with a dance show and dancing for the Coral Level guests. They even got my kids and husband to dance,, which says a lot.
Little random things I bought for my trip
We were told to bring blow-up rafts for the pool and possibly for the ocean. We did bring them and actually used them for both. My husband tied himself to the rope in the ocean used for defining the swimming areas on the beach and just floated out there for a bit. My daughter and I used them in the Coral Level pool.
I’ve also been trying hard not to buy many new things and shop from small businesses if I do. As always Etsy has great options. Last year I ruined my favorite flat sandals and have been eyeing up Greek sandals. For this trip, I finally bought some handmade Greek sandals and love them. I bought the non-braided version. You can also buy them with cowrie shells which is super cute but I didn’t want to spend the extra money.
(I got the thin gold ankle bracelet and matching necklace for Christmas from my husband)
These handcrafted sandals are also available on Amazon if Etsy isn’t your thing.
This 50-year-old lady has to wear reading glasses now too I also bought a gold cowrie pendant on Etsy to add to my layering necklaces. I made the larger pendant myself and I bought the macrame cowrie necklace a couple of years ago as well as the earrings.
Conclusion And Final Thoughts
I don’t really have any real complaints about our stay. The only thing that disappointed me was that we couldn’t get a reservation at one of the other restaurants. Since the other food was great, I got over it right away.
It was also worth it to book the extra exclusivity of the Coral Level and facing the Coral Level pool area.
I’ve read some other reviews where people complained about the locals walking on the beach and trying to sell services like braiding hair or souvenirs. That doesn’t bother me at all! It is normal in any tourist destination, and they are only trying to make a living. They are all very friendly!
We definitely loved our trip and I could see us coming here again especially in early March when the weather in Pennsylvania is still terrible. It was an enjoyable relaxing visit and the perfect escape!
My husband got a bit of an upset stomach on our last day even though he was really careful with the water and we all ate the same things.
With that said, it was devastating to hear about the disappearance of the young American college student, Sudiksha Konanki, the morning after our departure. I walked the Playa de Arena Gorda Beach every day for long walks and never felt unsafe. I can’t imagine what her poor family is going through. It is an awful mystery how she can just vanish like this. I told my own daughter that the number one rule is for her and her friends to never leave someone behind! You come together and you leave together!
Check out all of our trips to Europe and other locations for some more travel inspo.
Tschüß,
