In Brief - Punta Cana, DR

TIME ZONE: Atlantic
AREA CODE: 809
FOUNDED: 1971
POPULATION: 120,000
AIRPORT: Punta Cana Int'l Airport (PUJ)
WEBSITE: www.godominicanrepublic.com

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BY THE NUMBERS

50+ hotels in Punta Cana, which is the Caribbean's fastest growing tourist destination

7+ months of billfish season every year

4.034+ million passengers served in 2010 by Punta Cana Int'l Airport, the DR's busiest

130,000 square meters in Manati Park,an amusement park and animal reserve

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NEWS FLASH

Celebritee /// Since being named Golf Resort of the Year 2011 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, PUNTACANA Resort has announced a new course. The Hacienda Course, designed by the renowned P.B. Dye, is scheduled to open in March and will feature a design similar to his La Cana course. www.puntacana.com

No Kids Allowed /// You love your kids, but sometimes you need a break. Try the Barceló hotel chain's first adultsonly hotel in nearby Bávaro. The new sanctuary for exhausted parents and intolerant singles features two bars and, more importantly, an age limit. www.barcelobavarobeach.com

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CULTURE CALENDAR

Feb. 1013 PUNTA CANA TANGO FEST Slip on your sling backs and shimmy onto the dancefloor for this annual festival. Chow down on authentic Argentine barbecue, then dance offthe calories during basic beginner classes taught by worldrenowned dancers. Once you feel prepared to gancho and giro, find a partner or impress the one you came with — it does, after all, take two to tango. www.puntacanatangofest.com

Feb. 1924 PROCIGAR FESTIVAL Head to nearby Casa de Campo (56 miles from Punta Cana) for this smokin' festival that features tours of some of the world's best cigar factories and sneak puffs of new, previously unreleased cigars. Attend seminars on your favorite smokes and stick around for live entertainment, gala dinners and a premium open bar. www.procigar.org