When the area was called Punta Borrachón (Punta del Borrachón), Frank Rainieri wisely decided to change the name to Punta Cana, in honor of the fan-shaped Cana palm leaf that flourishes in the area. Sabal causiarum, commonly known as Puerto Rico's hat palm. The area is known for its white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters and spas that overlook the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is hot most of the year, especially in late summer and fall, when the northern tropics receive the most direct sunlight.
The meaning of Punta Cana is literally the crown of the palm tree. If we separate the words, Punta means peak and Cana is the name of the white palm or cane palm that is very abundant in the region. Punta Cana is the ultimate getaway of water, sun and sand. Thanks to its wide sand and shallow waters, Arena Gorda is a favorite of families visiting Punta Cana.
In this definition, Punta Cana is an enormous area of around 40 miles of coastline and more than 70 all-inclusive resorts lined up along the beach. Most of the all-inclusive resorts are located on Playa Bávaro, the most iconic and beautiful beach in Punta Cana. European businessmen, especially Spanish hotel chains, own all but two of the more than 50 mega-resorts in the tourist destination of Punta Cana. Most of the resorts are located in Bávaro and not in Punta Cana because, as mentioned above, the Punta Cana district only contains a small area around the international airport.
In 1978, the Mediterranean Club of Paris joined the Grupo Punta Cana SA project and built a 350-room hotel as part of the project. Geographically, Punta Cana is just a small city with a small town, a few scattered luxury villas and barely 50,000 inhabitants. The main area of the tourist destination of Punta Cana is actually called Bávaro, which has a small urban center with several businesses. Punta Cana is my base of operations here in the country and I would love to tell you more about how to experience Punta Cana off the beaten path and give you all the tips you want to know for your vacation in Punta Cana.
Punta Cana Village is home to many Airbnbs next to the airport and is also historically considered the original Punta Cana: the main part of the tourist destination is located in neighboring Bávaro. While the southern part of Punta Cana is officially located in the Caribbean Sea, all hotels in the north have their beach on the Atlantic coast. Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) is the most connected airport in the Caribbean and Central America, receiving flights from 26 countries and up to two million passengers a year. However, when talking about tourism, Punta Cana and Bávaro can be used synonymously because they describe the entire tourist area.
Punta Cana has a public transportation system and is home to all the infrastructure you need to live here or spend your holidays. However, since Punta Cana is absolutely focused on tourism, it is very safe, with different prices and features than the rest of the Dominican Republic, locals sometimes jokingly call it the “Independent Republic of Punta Cana”.
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