JUNCOS, Puerto Rico – Four Puerto Rican inmates whose basketball dreams were … launched Liga de Baloncesto Puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican Basketball League, or LBP).
For … , a joint program of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation …
Powered by WPeMatico
It’s not Isla Mujeres. Nor Playa del Carmen. The hottest destination on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast is Playa Mujeres — a.k.a. Costa Mujeres — a booming new resort area about a half-hour north of Cancun’s Hotel Zone and 45 minutes from Cancun International Airport.
Until fairly recently, this area near Puerto Juarez was known primarily as the base for the ferry to Isla Mujeres, a laid-back island about eight miles offshore where the prime attractions include quiet beaches, an underwater sculpture park, and — seasonally — the opportunity to swim with migrating whale sharks.
Now, the area is being hailed as the ‘New Cancun.’
In a span of little more than a decade, 10 luxury, mostly all-inclusive resorts have opened on Playa Mujeres, beginning with the Excellence Playa Mujeres, which opened in November 2007, and the most recent being the Aterlier Estudio Playa Mujeres, a 593-unit all-suites resort that debuted in October 2019.
Other Playa Mujeres properties include the Dreams Playa Mujeres Spa and Golf Resort, the sister property Secrets Playa Mujeres Spa and Golf Resort, the Finest Playa Mujeres, the Beloved Playa Mujeres, the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort, the TRS Coral Hotel, and the Paradisus Playa Mujeres.
Yet it was only at the 2019 Cancun Travel Mart that local tourism officials settled on a brand name for the district, choosing “Costa Mujeres” over the more frequently used Playa Mujeres.
It’s a name travelers will be hearing a lot more of.
A total of 15,000 new hotel rooms will be added at Costa Mujeres in the next five years, including new properties from Hilton, Riu, Planet Hollywood, and Mexican hotel company Posadas, which operates resorts under the Live Aqua, Grand Fiesta, and Fiesta Americana brands.
Officials expect that Costa Mujeres will have about 35,000 hotel rooms in the next decade.
Compare that to the 30,000 hotel rooms that have been built during the entire 50-year history of the Cancun Hotel Zone.
Like Cancun’s Hotel Zone, Costa Mujeres is close to the city of Cancun. Unlike Cancun, however, the new hotel district lacks easy access from the airport, with taxis and shuttles required to drive through the city to reach the still-rough roads leading to the beaches. Tourism officials acknowledge that there is still work to be done with infrastructure, transportation, and balancing development with environmental preservation.
Once you arrive, however, the resorts live up to Costa Mujeres’ billing as the “modern luxury” destination in the Mexican Caribbean.
The Atelier Estudio, for example, had a spectacular grand opening, with buildings bathed in multicolored lights, a sprawling pool area spanned by an arched bridge, elevated guest rooms with private pools, open-concept dining areas, and an eye-catching contemporary Mexican design, and a beach with private cabanas and hammocks hung over the gentle surf.
It’s a sign of many things to come in a resort community that will soon be featured just as prominently on the Mexican Caribbean map as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.
The post A “New” Cancun Rises in the Mexican Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
Powered by WPeMatico
Turks and Caicos-based regional airline interCaribbean Airways is adding another new intra-Caribbean route, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Beginning Jan. 15, 2020, interCaribbean will launch new service between Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
“We are happy to Announce our new route connecting the British Virgin Islands and the Eastern Caribbean with the exotic destination of Punta Cana,” the company said in a statement.
Most crucially, the new service opens up Punta Cana’s massive air network to the British Virgin Islands, meaning travelers can fly to the BVI through Punta Cana.
Travelers traditionally reach the BVI by first taking flights to San Juan or St Thomas, then connecting via a second flight or a ferry.
“With this new route, more points in the USA, Canada and South America now have a new way to connect to the BVI,” the company said.
Indeed, Punta Cana International Airport is among the busiest airports in the wider Caribbean region.
“We are working to give more options to travelers from all over the world to go island-hopping around the Caribbean,” interCaribbean said.
The post InterCaribbean Launching Punta Cana-BVI Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
Powered by WPeMatico
… Thanksgiving holiday volunteering in Puerto Rico with his family.
Cuomo … governor says officials from Puerto Rico have been in New … New York without the Puerto Rican community.”
Cuomo said … in the rebuilding efforts of Puerto Rico.
———-
* Follow us …
Powered by WPeMatico
You’re looking out at a frosted window or a flurry. Even going outside is a feat, making you dream about warm waters and palm trees.
Because you could be in the Caribbean right now.
And there are few times of year when the Caribbean is more alluring than the end of fall and the beginning of winter, when the region’s warm romance and idyllic beauty are a strong siren song.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning a getaway for December — here are five of our favorite ideas for your next trip.
Puerto Rico Locals like to say that the island has the longest Christmas season on earth, lasting from November to January — but it’s December when the destination is at its most vibrant. Puerto Rico’s tourism sector has been on a rather impressive comeback push since the storms of 2017, and that means a greater offering than ever, whether you’re looking for a luxe getaway at the St Regis Bahia Beach or Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, or a hip urban getaway at the island’s most exciting new hotel, the OLV Fifty Five in Condado.
The post From Puerto Rico to Aruba, 5 Caribbean Places to Visit in December appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
Powered by WPeMatico