A new tourism hub in the Dominican Republic?

By Alexander Britell
CJ Editor in Chief

A major new tourism development has launched in the southern region of the Dominican Republic.

It’s called Puntarena, and the $1.5 billion project is the brainchild of the Puntacana, Rizek, Selman and Reid groups, aimed at creating a significant new tourism hub in the Dominican province of Peravia.

The project is located specifically in Sabana Buey in the municipality of Bani, with the site covering a total of 15.5 million square meters and boasting eight miles of coastline on its southern boundary.

Its location is crucial, as Bani is just about 30 miles from the country’s capital and air traffic hub, Santo Domingo.

Just six million square meters will be developed, however, safeguarding the remaining 9.5 million square meters, according to developers.

The project has been divided into five stages, with the first stage, Bahia Flamenco, already having launched.

Bahia Flamenco will include single-family residential lots, a condo-hotel with 600 apartment units with mountain and ocean views; a hotel area with 4,400 rooms, recreational areas including a beach club, sports club, restaurants, a yacht marina, stables and ecological trails and commercial and service areas.

It’s estimated to create an average of 1,800 direct and indirect jobs in he short and medium-term, with projections for 4,000 jobs in the long term, according to the company.

The project will also feature an ecological reserve area and a public beach, with all services managed by the GPC Foundation Institute.

According to developers, the vision is to build a “family-oriented destination that seeks to create long-term relationships and loyal guests, in which we serve as a model for sustainable and low-impact development positioning us as one of the leading projects in the Caribbean.”

Given the involvement of the Puntacana group, some are calling this a “second Punta Cana.” And if it comes to fruition, it’s likely that it will become a new pole of tourism in the Dominican Republic.

The post A New $1.5 Billion Dominican Republic Resort Project: Puntarena appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

JetBlue is expanding its service to the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.

The New York City-based carrier will be launching a new nonstop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Curaçao, meaning a total of three weekly flights between New York and the island.

Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao.

JetBlue had been offering nonstop flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays; the new flight will be operating on Thursdays.

JetBlue is the only airline offering nonstop flights between New York and Curaçao.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

The post JetBlue Adding More Nonstop Flights to Curaçao appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

It’s one of if not the most popular activity for Caribbean travelers: snorkeling. Aside from lounging on the beach and drinking rum, grabbing a mask and fins and heading into the sea is one of the main draws for travelers — and thankfully the Caribbean is full of great places to snorkel. Indeed, it’s not a stretch to say that the Caribbean is the world’s best snorkeling destination. These are our favorite places for snorkeling, looking at everything from ease of access to the number of great snorkeling sites to the number of high-quality snorkeling excursions.

Bonaire

There’s nowhere with more easy to access shore snorkeling in the Caribbean, thanks to the spectacular marine park that runs the perimeter of the island. That’s in large part due to the forward-thinking marine conservation practices that have put Bonaire at the forefront of the Caribbean.

The post The Best Islands for Snorkeling in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

If you’re heading underwater, there’s no reason you can do so in style. And finding the right wristwatch is a big part of that. But if you’re heading to the Caribbean Sea, you’re looking for a watch that’s sporty, lightweight and, most importantly, seriously water resistant. That’s where the best Dive Watches come in — whether you’re a professional or amateur diver, or just looking for a watch that’s as elegant as it is practical, these are the ones for you. We’ve listed our five favorite dive watches, long on luxury and on performance. While we tend to prefer the sportier rubber band, many of these come in both metal and rubber straps. We’ve ranked these watches for their mix of underwater performance, design and overall style. Here are the best dive watches.

Breitling Superocean II

Breitling’s flagship dive watch, the Superocean, continues to set the standard for luxury dive watches. The newest self-winding Superocean is thinner, slightly larger and comes with redesigned dial and bezel with the heritage that comes from a nearly 60-year-old marque. The Superocean II is terrific for professionals, with large markers and, most crucially, a countdown of the last 15 dive-time minutes. The clear leader in this portfolio, the rubber-strapped Superocean II is water resistant to 1000m.

Bell & Ross Marine

While it remains a bit under the radar, Bell & Ross is one of our favorite watch brands, dive or otherwise. The brand’s watches are intended to replicate the design of an airplane cockpit instrument, but the style is backed up by serious substance. These are ultra-high-performance wristwatches, aimed at professionals. Indeed, the company’s latest edition, the BR 02-94 Steel Chronograph, is water resistant up to 500 meters and includes a chronograph to measure multiple diving or decompression times simultaneously.

Rolex Submariner

It calls itself the “archetype of the diver’s watch,” and that’s because it is. This is world’s most famous dive watch and the one that turned the dive watch into a style statement. It’s like having a Ferrari on your wrist. While the marque first launched in 1953, the most recent edition has it all: luminescent hour markers, a solid link Oyster bracelet and guaranteed waterproof down to 300m.

Calibre de Cartier Dive Watch 

For sheer luxury, it’s hard to top Cartier’s Calibre de Cartier dive range. Also water resistant to 300M, the self-winding wristwatch is all about the small details, from sword-shaped hands to Super-LumiNova illuminated markers. This watch comes with a rubber strap and a steel ardillon buckle. It’s a stunner.

OMEGA Seamaster 

OMEGA is famous as the watch worn by James Band, and the company’s newest dive release is a signature 007 model. The newest self-winding Seamaster, the Seamaster 300 OMEGA Master Co-Axial 41 MM, water resistant to 300M, has a 60-hour power reserve and is even resistant to magnetic fields than 15,000 gauss. The “Spectre” limited edition has got a chronometer, special “lollipop” hands, a transparent case back and 007 on the strap. Its fit for the world’s most famous secret agent — and you.

The post The 5 Best Dive Watches appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

The U.S. Virgin Islands could soon be home to a pair of world-class horse racetracks, thanks to a major bet by private company VIGL.

The company plans to invest more than $30 million in the expansion and modernization of local horse racing facilities.

The agreement calls for VIGL to take over management of both the Clinton E. Phipps racetrack on St Thomas and the Randall “Doc” James racetrack on St. Croix.

The plan is for VIGL to partner with the government to transform the local horse racing industry and potentially bring in new revenue streams and jobs.

VIGL currently operates the recently-renovated Caravelle Hotel and Casino in Christiansted.

US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp is calling the territory’s legislature into a special session Nov. 28 to ratify the franchise agreement and update the laws that govern local horseracing.

Terms of the deal included the refurbishment and expansion of the two tracks; construction of bars, restaurants, lounges, restrooms, viewing stands, jockey locker rooms and vendor kiosks; new barns, quarantine areas and veterinary care facilities for horses; a minimum of 18 live race days annually on both islands in the first three years and minimum purse sizes of $100,000 per race day, among other tenets.

“The end result will be two new racetracks,” Mapp said.  “Numerous new jobs will be created in both the construction and operations phase and we anticipate substantial new revenue streams.”

VIGL will not be eligible for tax benefits under the deal; Mapp said the company would be paying higher taxes on its gaming revenues than standard taxes paid by casino operators.

“Horseracing has a long history in the territory, but has fallen on hard times here and elsewhere,” Mapp said. “The Agreement we have reached with VIGL, and the legislation that will accompany it, will bring a substantial infusion of investment into the Territory, a fresh source of Government revenues, and the rebirth of the Virgin Islands’ storied horse racing industry.”

The post Investors Making $30 Million Bet on U.S. Virgin Islands Horse Racing appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico