Puntacana and sustainability

To tell you the truth, dear Reader, I hadn’t heard of Puntacana until a month ago. So, I’ll voluntarily withdraw my self-proclaimed Very Knowledgeable World Traveler status.

In early January an unexpected opportunity came up to extend my itinerary to Santo Domingo by a few days to make a special visit. To where? To Puntacana, which as I now know, is the eastern tip of Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Getting there ~~ as they always say ~~ is half the fun. Hence, the previous post about flying down to Puntacana. The first plan was a commercial flight ... then a charter ...then ... well … your basic private plane. Sorry, no further details for the curious.

There really was no flight number and the little prop job did have two green stripes across the white fuselage. There was a pilot and – presto –25 minutes after leaving Santo Domingo we swung low over the pristine white beaches and palm trees of the Caribbean to land at the local airport.

Here’s what I discovered. Puntacana is being developed in an environmentally sustainable manner. ‘Tis true. The “Grupo Puntacana” has been promoting the area since 1971 in an eco-friendly manner (1971 ~~ the first Earth Day, remember?).

Today the hotels have a special water treatment plant and an industrial laundry facility which recycles energy. The golf courses are specially maintained to save on irrigation and watering. The Group has set aside 1,500 acres for its Ecological Foundation which is promoting the Partnership for Ecologically Sustainable Coastal Areas ~~ all this in conjunction with American and European universities. At the Foundation, students demonstrate organic farming skills, the protection of wildlife habitats and the promotion of health care and education for the 1,850 employees. And yes, there is an international school as well as two others set up for the local community.

Good stuff down there on the eastern tip of Hispaniola in the place called Puntacana.