Qibla · La Altagracia Province
Qibla direction in Punta Cana
To face the Kaaba in Punta Cana, turn to 63.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (26.4° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,029 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Punta Cana should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 63.6°, the Qibla of Punta Cana. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 64° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Punta Cana
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 26.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 63.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 26° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Punta Cana, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Punta Cana to Mecca points to 88.4° (east), a full 24.8° away from the true Qibla of 63.6° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 283 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Punta Cana first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 63.6° obtained? From the coordinates of Punta Cana (18.5818° N, 68.4043° W) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Punta Cana to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,029 km from Punta Cana as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 10,869 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 13 h 29 min, although most pilgrims from Punta Cana connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Punta Cana run 7 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Punta Cana rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Punta Cana
On 77 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Punta Cana while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in June (30 days); for example, on 15 May 2027 it happens at 12:27 local time.
On 288 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 17:40.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 17:40 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 17:27 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 16:55 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 16:22 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 15:45 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 15:06 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 14:18 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 13:40 |
| 1 May 2027 | — | 12:58 |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:00 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:50 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:55 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | 12:45 |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 13:15 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 13:51 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 14:21 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 14:55 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 15:27 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 16:07 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 16:40 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 17:14 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 17:35 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Punta Cana (05:18 and 05:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 17:29 and 28 November 2027 at 17:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Punta Cana points straight to Mecca.
Punta Cana compared with other cities
Compared with Santo Domingo, 157 km away, the Qibla in Punta Cana is turned 0.6° further clockwise (63.6° against 63.0°), and Mecca is 146 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Salvaleón de Higüey (32 km), prays towards 63.5°, a difference of 0.1°.
Among the 10 cities in the Dominican Republic on this site, Punta Cana has the largest Qibla bearing; the smallest is 62.5° in Puerto Plata. Across the country the direction varies by 1.1°.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Dominican Republic.
Qibla in cities near Punta Cana
- Salvaleón de Higüey63.5° · 32 km
- La Romana63.4° · 62 km
- San Pedro de Macorís63.3° · 96 km
- Santo Domingo63.0° · 157 km
- San Cristobal63.0° · 180 km
- San Francisco de Macorís62.7° · 210 km
Qibla in Punta Cana: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Punta Cana?
It is 63.6° from true north, which is north-east: 26.4° north of east.
How far is Punta Cana from Mecca?
11,029 km in a straight line over the globe, and 10,869 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Punta Cana?
On 77 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Punta Cana not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 88.4°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Punta Cana at 63.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 63.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.