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Punta Cana Facts & Worksheets

Punta Cana is a resort town situated in the Municipality of Higuey, province of Altagracia, on the far eastern point of the Dominican Republic.

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Punta Cana is a resort town situated in the Municipality of Higuey, province of Altagracia, on the far eastern point of the Dominican Republic. It is the most sought after tourist destination of the Caribbean and known for its beautiful and pristine beaches. The beaches are lined with an alley of dense palm trees.

See the fact file below for more information on the Punta Cana or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Punta Cana worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

  • The name Punta Cana refers to the cane palms in the region, and literally means “Tip of the White Cane Palms”.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The history of Punta Cana started way back in 1969 when a group of investors from the U.S. bought 30 sq. Miles of undeveloped land in an area that bordered the east coast of the Dominican Republic.
  • When they bought the land, it pretty much comprised of thick bush and forbidding jungle with no access road. The only signs of life were a couple of tiny fishing villages along the coast.
  • The beach stood out on its white sand, coconut palms, crystal clear waters, and lush coral reefs that was seen by these savvy investors.
  • Frank R. Rainieri, a Dominican entrepreneur joined the group of American investors a few years after they bought the land in Altagracia province.
  • They envisioned establishing a resort community that would give tourists a chance to enjoy a world-class holiday while ensuring the protection of the natural habitat.
  • Rainieri decided to change the name of the land from Punta Borrachon (‘Drunken Point’) into Punta Cana, after the Punta Cana Club, a local hotel.
  • The Punta Cana Club was built in 1971, which was the first hotel in Punta Cana.
  • Punta Cana was slowly recognized by the rest of the world.
  • Some famous early guests and investors were Dominican fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and international music artist Julio Iglesias.
  • In 1978, the largest resort club was built, namely the Club Med Punta Cana by Club Med, a French resort chain.
  • Punta Cana still needed roads – it was still relatively isolated, with the nearest town, Higuey almost six hours away.
  • Toothpaste company Colgate stepped in and constructed a new highway which reduced the journey to Higuey to only 30 minutes.
  • In 1982, after several years of negotiation, the Dominican government gave permission to the owners of the Punta Cana Resort to build a real airport.
  • By 1984, the first real airport was operational and launched the maiden international flight touching the runway in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • There were 2,976 passengers during the first year and grew to just under 4 million as of 2009.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

  • Punta Cana has a total area of 475.3 km2 (183.5 sq mi) and an annual growth rate of 6% or 50,000 estimated population.
  • From north to south, the main beaches are Uvero Alto, Macao, Arena Gorda, Bávaro, El Cortecito, Las Corales, and Cabeza de Toro, all north of the cape; and Cabo Engaño, Punta Cana, and Juanillo south of the cape.
  • Punta Cana has a tropical climate. The weather is fairly consistent with an average temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) all year round.
  • The hot and humid season lasts from May to October, and during the day, temperatures might reach 35 °C (95 °F).
  • From November to March, temperatures during the evening are around 20 °C (68 °F).

ECONOMY

  • Currently Punta Cana boasts an excess of 100 resorts and hotels spanning 40 kilometers of gorgeous white sandy beaches.
  • Because of this, approximately a quarter of the country’s GDP is made in Punta Cana.
  • The region became the fastest growing tourist hub across the Caribbean, with millions of travelers from all around the globe coming to visit every year.
  • As Punta Cana continuously growing, it has plans of a new coral highway that will connect Punta Cana to La Romana already underway.

INFRASTRUCTURE

  • Punta Cana’s electricity is powered by Consorcio Energetico Punta Cana Macao (CEPM). It is wind and solar energy produced by US-based Argentine businessman Rolando Gonzalez-Bunster.

TOURISM

  • The Punta Cana International Airport, built in open air style with roofs covered in palm fronds, is the primary airport of Punta Cana, Eastern Dominican Republic.
  • In 2014, the airport became the second busiest airport in the Caribbean.
  • Diving is one of the tourist activities of Punta Cana due to its location at the Caribbean Sea. The marine area surrounding Punta Cana was declared a marine reserve in 2012.
  • Many of the activities are near the water, it being a beach destination, and include snorkeling, windsurfing, banana boat rides, speedboats, scuba diving, catamaran cruises, party boats, deep sea fishing, as well as swimming with dolphins and sharks, and stingrays snorkeling.
  • There are also land based trips such as safari tours, horseback riding, and riding dune buggies.
  • Visitors may visit the Dominican Republic’s smaller Caribbean islands of Saona and Catalina which is a day trip from Punta Cana. The capital city, Santo Domingo, and Los Haitises National Park, Samaná, can be traveled to within a couple of hours. The Basilica Catholic Monument, is in nearby Higuey, the 500-year-old capital of the province.

Punta Cana Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Punta Cana across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Punta Cana worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Punta Cana which is a resort town situated in the Municipality of Higuey, province of Altagracia, on the far eastern point of the Dominican Republic. It is the most sought after tourist destination of the Caribbean and known for its beautiful and pristine beaches. The beaches are lined with an alley of dense palm trees.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Punta Cana Facts
  • Origin of Punta Cana
  • Poem Making
  • The Two-Firsts Hotels
  • Punta Cana Timeline
  • The Investors
  • Beach Activities
  • Punta Cana Roadmap
  • Iterinary in Punta Cana
  • Tourism Poster
  • My Project

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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