History
In 1969 a group of
American investors
bought a piece of land
with about 48 square
kilometers in the
jungles of the extreme
east of the Dominican
Republic. This piece of
land had 10 km unspoiled
paradise sandy beaches
and an always green
countryside and was full
of coconut trees, but
had no access roads.
Shortly after, the
Dominican businessman
Frank R. Ranieri joined
the group of investors
and had the idea to use
this area for tourism.
Under the leadership of
Frank R. Ranieri and
Theodre W. Kheel, the
company, "Desarrollo
Turístico, residencial e
industrial, S.A. (CODDETREISA)"
was formed, today Grupo
Punta Cana S.A. In 1971,
a small hotel called the
Punta Cana Club with 10
cabins, each with two
rooms, a clubhouse and a
small village for the
workers, an electric
plant and a small
airport was build.
In total, this hotel
offered room for 40
guests, but it was never
profitable but the hotel
proved that this region
of the Dominican
Republic has an
extraordinary potential.
In 1978 the first hotel
was built with 350
rooms. In 1981, the
first road, Higuey -
Punta Cana, constructed
by the government of the
Dominican Republic, was
completed. During that
time they needed 6
hours, now it takes for
a trip from Higuey to
Punta Cana, only 35
minutes.
Another milestone was
the international
airport. After two years
of construction, the
first private
international airport in
the world was completed
in 1984. At the same
time the Barcelo
brothers bought land in
the north of Punta Cana
and began to built
hotels. From that moment
on, and with the help of
the airport Punta Cana,
this region became one
of the most important
tourist destinations in
the Caribbean.
By the isolated location
and missing of public
support, the promotion
company Grupo Punta
Cana, S.A. had to create
the entire
infrastructure itself.
Since 1997, the owners
of the company are
Theodre W. Kheel, Frank
R. Ranieri, Julio
Iglesias and Oscar de la
Renta.
Punta Cana, the main
tourist area of the
Dominican Republic, is
located on the east side
of the island and is
also known as the
coconut coast - because
of the countless,
characteristic, slender
coconut palms that grow
along the 48 km long
beach with fine white
sand on the shore of the
turquoise sea. In the
middle of Punta Cana is
the 3 km long beach of
Playa Bávaro, thanks to
its natural coral reefs
and the stunning
surroundings of the sea
it counts to the ten
most beautiful beaches
in the world.
There are many
possibilities to make
your vacation
unforgettable such as
sailing, golfing (14
different golf courses),
fishing, diving,
paragliding, surfing,
visits to casinos,
shopping malls, discos,
cinemas, etc. Visit one
of the many restaurants
for international and
regional specialties, or
shop around for local
arts and crafts in the
surrounding gift shops.
From Punta Cana you can
make several trips to
the diverse and
beautiful countryside.
Also very worth is a
trip to the nearby city
of Higuey, where you
find the largest and
most modern Sanctuary of
the Dominican Republic,
the Basilica Nuestra
Señora de la Altagracia,
which is dedicated to
the Virgin of
Altagracia.
