Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean andAtlantic, and it has been a popular tourist destination since the 1970s. The Punta Cana area has an estimated population of 100,000 with a growth rate of six percent. To the north, it borders the village and beach of Cabeza de Toro, and then the Bávaro and El Cortecito beaches.
The nearest city, the 500-year-old capital of the Province Higüey, is 45 kilometres (28 mi) away, and it takes about an hour to drive there. Europeans, particularly Spanish hotel chains, own all but two of the 50+ megaresorts of the Punta Cana tourism destination. Punta Cana-Bavaro's resorts show an eclectic variety of architecture and interior design inspired by Spanish and native Dominican cultures. Areas bordering Punta Cana include Cap Cana to the south and the original tiny fishing-village of Cabo San Rafael. A 100 metres (330 ft) high cliff is located more to the south, near of Boca de Yuma town, a fishing village dated from the 16th century. Nearby, you can find the Ponce de Leon's Fortress, in San Rafael del Yuma town. This is one of the most isolated areas within the La Altagracia Province though.
The province's 100 kilometres (62 mi) coastline tends to be mildly windy. The ocean waters are mainly shallows, with several natural marine pools in which visitors can bathe without any danger. North to South the main beaches are: Uvero Alto, Macao, Arena Gorda, Bávaro, El Cortecito – all north of the cape – and Cabeza de Toro, Cabo Engaño, Punta Cana, Juanillo – south of the cape.
