Punta Cana

Punta Cana, a tourist town located in the easternmost part of the Dominican Republic, with a population of 138,919 according to the 2022 census. It was incorporated as the “Verón–Punta Cana township” in 2006 and is governed by the province of La Altagracia’s Higüey. With a visitor base that now exceeds other Caribbean towns and ranks as the second most popular in Latin America, the area has quickly developed into a top travel destination. 64% of all planes arriving in the Dominican Republic arrive at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), which is located about three kilometers inland on the roadway that connects Higüey to La Romana. This airport surpasses the traffic at Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo.

Punta Cana is well known for its beautiful white sand beaches, glistening blue seas, and an abundance of balnearios that overlook the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas. Since the Northern Tropics receive the most direct sunshine, the year-round climate is mostly hot, reaching its highest point in late summer and early fall. The projected population of the region in 2011 was 100,000, growing at an annual rate of 11%. Punta Cana borders the beaches of Bávaro and El Cortecito to the north, as well as the community and beach of Cabeza de Toro. The closest notable city, 45 kilometers distant and around an hour’s trip by vehicle, is Higüey, a historically significant location with over 500 years of history.

The tourist infrastructure of Punta Cana is substantial, primarily controlled by European investors, particularly Spanish hotel companies, which own nearly all of the more than 50 megaresorts in the region, save for two. The province features a 100-kilometer coastline characterized by gentle winds and shallow ocean waves, which form several natural marine pools that provide safe bathing opportunities for visitors. The principal beaches, extending from north to south, include Uvero Alto, Macao, Arena Gorda, Bávaro, El Cortecito, Las Corales, Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Engaño, Punta Cana, and Juanillo.

Bávaro, stretching from Cabeza de Toro to Macao Beach, has evolved into a service-oriented center including retail malls, fast-food establishments, pharmacies, upscale eating venues, banks, medical clinics, workshops, supermarkets, and educational institutions. Verón, the largest town of the district, exceeds Higüey in land size and has organically evolved into an urban region marked by considerable poverty. Verón, named for a French timberline entrepreneur from the early 1930s, functions as the living hub for hotel employees and associated staff. The region contains one of only four gas stations in Punta Cana, with the remaining stations being at Fruisa junction in Higüey, south of Macao Beach, and adjacent to the airport along Coral Highway.

Punta Cana Village, home to around 3,000 inhabitants, is being developed according to a master plan established by the Punta Cana Group, which bought the region in 1969. Boulevard Primero de Noviembre, the primary road, is bordered by modest office buildings, with residential zones and tiny apartment complexes situated to the east and west, respectively. A commercial zone, a mall, and many stores are situated adjacent to the airport, with more residential development extending towards the ocean. To the east of the hamlet is the Westin Resort and a golf course. Playa Blanca, a public beach reachable by shuttle from the village’s hotel, greatly augments the area’s allure. Cap Cana, an affluent planned development, is situated south of Punta Cana Village.

Tourism constitutes the foundation of Punta Cana’s economy. In 2014, Punta Cana International Airport accommodated more than 2.4 million passengers, ranking it as the second-busiest airport in the Caribbean. Founded by Grupo Puntacana in 1984, this airport was the inaugural privately owned international airport in the western hemisphere. The area has an extensive array of aquatic sports, such as snorkeling, windsurfing, banana boat excursions, speedboating, scuba diving, catamaran voyages, and deep-sea fishing. Moreover, guests get the opportunity to swim with dolphins and sharks or snorkel with stingrays. For individuals favoring terrestrial excursions, alternatives encompass safari trips, equestrian activities, and dune buggy rides.

Excursions to lesser-known Caribbean islands like Saona and Catalina are favored by visitors. Santo Domingo, the capital city, and Los Haitises National Park in Samaná are reachable within a few hours. The adjacent 500-year-old settlement of Higüey has the Basilica Catholic Monument, built in 1962 by French architects. Diving is a significant attraction because of the marine reserve designation granted to the adjacent seas in 2012.

In 2019, unfavorable publicity arose from a series of American tourist deaths first considered unexplained; however, further investigations by the FBI and the United States Department of State determined that these fatalities were attributable to natural causes. Punta Cana continues to be a predominantly secure tourism destination, consistently drawing travelers worldwide with its scenic vistas and diverse recreational amenities.