Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain ...
“Punta” means
Tip,
Point; or,
Cape in the geographical sense (as a bit of land that extends to water). “Punta Cana” basically means
Point of the Cana or
Cana Point. "Cana" is the colloquial name of a native palm species that was an important building material in the country. The thatched roofs of Punta Cana International Airport are made out of that.
Quote:
The palm tree was an important resource for the native Taino people, and some of the earliest anthropological evidence of human life in the Dominican Republic shows the importance of the palm leaf in Taino culture. The Taino used the leaves for sustenance and survival, fashioning clothing and tools out of the leaves. This art has not been lost as cana hats are still popular with workers on the resort, and woven baskets, known as “macutos,” are sold throughout the region. The Taino legacy also lives on in one other important way: the words “cana” and “macuto” are both Taino in origin and are used in Punta Cana to discuss palm leaves.
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