SANTO DOMINGO – The reconstruction of La Caleta Underwater National Park will include a 2.74-kilometer promenade commemorating the countries of the Americas and the Caribbean. The project will encompass a total area of 119,925 square meters, in addition to approximately 20,000 square meters of plazas and internal pathways.
President Luis Abinader and Tourism Minister David Collado inaugurated the renovation project yesterday, with a projected investment of 395 million pesos. The president stated that other maritime areas and coastal zones throughout the country are also being revitalized, supporting tourist areas with a rapid response to small- and medium-scale infrastructure projects.
“Obviously, with the numbers we have in tourism, that tells us that it is yielding results and the projects and objectives we have set for ourselves have been successful,” Abinader said.
He also urged society to get involved in the projects being carried out and to ensure the care of the works.
The restructuring of La Caleta Park includes the restoration of 45 monoliths located at the exit of Las Américas International Airport (AILA). It also includes landscaping throughout the park, always prioritizing the conservation and preservation of existing species. In addition, it will feature the construction of new pedestrian paths, parking areas, plazas, recreational areas, viewpoints, a children's play area, and a pergola structure for vendors.
The execution of the work will be carried out by the Executive Committee for Infrastructure of Tourist Zones (CEIZTUR), and a service module with offices, bathrooms and a Politur office will also be built.
David Collado highlighted the impact of this work as emblematic and symbolic, as an entrance and exit point to the city of Santo Domingo.
“Today we are here with you fulfilling our promise to address a long-standing demand to rebuild this Underwater National Park, a special symbol of this entire area and the country,” the official stated.
About the park
It was established in 1986 in an effort to protect the underwater cultural and biological heritage present in the area. Within the park is the Taino Ethnological and Archaeological Museum, discovered on the beach in the 1970s, which houses an important collection of Taino artifacts.
The wreck of the frigate Nuestra Señora de Begoña lies at the bottom of the sea in La Caleta.
