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A short history of Punta Cana: from Punta Borrachón to resort town

We have been going on and on about Punta Cana but we never shared the history of this town. In this edition of BOP, we go back in time. History of a jungle town 48 years ago there was no Punta Cana as we know it today. No roads, just jungle, and untouched beaches. At that…

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May 2, 2019

Semana Santa, the Holy Week

We’d like to chat about one of the most important weeks in the Dominican Republic: Semana Santa! This Holy Week starts on the 14th of April and ends on the 20th of April, one day before Easter Sunday. Lots of things are happening during this week, and be assured: we’ll definitely keep you updated! But…

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April 16, 2019

Spotlight on Dominican films

As Latin America was a big winner of this year’s Oscars with Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water winning Best Picture, Chile’s A Fantastic Woman  winning Best Foreign Film and Coco, an animated film on Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos, winning Best Animated Feature, we would like to celebrate by focusing on Dominican films and their culture! Dominican films As we know, the Dominican people are a huge mix of cultures and ethnical backgrounds, with roots in Europe as well as African and native influences. This fact alone could create deeply interesting stories from a diverse mix of people – perfect for film. But how big is the Dominican film industry? Good news: it’s an emerging one! Cinema arrived to the Dominican Republic in 1900, when the Lumière brothers brought film to the Curiel theater in San Felipe…

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March 7, 2018

Juan Bautista: “I was born in the jungle of Bavaro”

In this edition of BOP faces, we take you back into time. Juan Bautista was born in Bavaro, Punta Cana and saw it develop from a young age. No schools, no roads, no hotels, no buildings, just jungle. “Sometimes I did not see money for years. Not one single peso. Nothing. Or I would not see a single person for years other than my family.” Juan Bautista (55), proudly stands in the little shop where he works in Bibijagua. He is surrounded by bottles of Mamajuana, organic Cocoa butter, and cigars. It is the place he has been working for 18 years. Here everyone calls him Cigolo and he is also known as the Mamajuana man since he makes this local drink himself. His friend Gringo, an American that has been living in the Dominican Republic selling tours, is there…

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February 17, 2018