Puerto Rico officially reopened for tourism on Wednesday, with a host of health and safety protocols for incoming travelers, and on Thursday promptly began a rollback of much of its service industry.

On Thursday, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced announced that the island’s bars, casinos and theaters would be closed, reduced restaurant capacity to a max of 50 percent and announced that sunbathing on beaches would be banned, too.

The move came just a day after the island had officially reopened its tourism sector.

Still planning a trip? Here’s how to do it.

Travelers to Puerto Rico must complete an online travel declaration form (you can find it here); the forms can also be done upon arrival, as it is a requirement to exit the airport. 

Most importantly, travelers must show proof of a negative “molecular COVID-19 test result,” meaning a nasal or throat swab test, taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival. (Here’s a resource for places where you can get tested in the U.S.)

Travelers will receive an “Airport Exit Confirmation Code” when they upload their test results to the Puerto Rico Health Department’s online portal. 

All arriving travelers will be screened by thermographic cameras to monitor temperatures, while the airport has implemented “enhanced protocols” at baggage claim before exiting the airport. (For more information on the protocols, visit Discover Puerto Rico’s Travel Advisory here). 

Travelers with symptoms of COVID-19 will have to undergo rapid COVID-19 tests at the airport (a finger-prick blood test); even those who test negative will have to quarantine until the traveler can prove a negative test taken on the island. 

It’s a complicated way of saying don’t travel to Puerto Rico unless you have already received your negative test result within 72 hours of arrival and can upload it before you get on the plane.

“Puerto Rico has exercised an abundance of caution since the onset of COVID-19, and strict locally mandated regulations are being enforced such as social distancing, face covering requirements in public places and a variety of measures for businesses – including reduced capacities,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “The tourism sector is vital to the Island’s economy as it employs an estimated 80,000 Island residents.”

So what’s open in Puerto Rico right now?

The island’s famous El Yunque rainforest is partially open, with social distancing enforced. 

Restaurants have reopened at 50 percent capacity, with temperature checks for all guests; and supermarkets, gas stations and the like are open (supermarket delivery services are available through midnight). 

On the hotel front, Marriott has reopened five of its Puerto Rico hotels and resorts: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; the San Juan Marriott; the Aloft San Juan, the AC Hotel San Juan Condado and the Sheraton Puerto Rico. 

Other options include the O:live Boutique Hotel, the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar resort; the Condado Vanderbilt, La Concha Renaissance Resort; the InterContinental San Juan, the CasaBlanca boutique hotel, among others. 

For more, visit Discover Puerto Rico. 

The post Puerto Rico Reopens for Tourism, Then Begins Rollback appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Caribbean Airlines is relaunching its flights from Kingston, Jamaica to both Antigua and Barbados. 

Beginning July 25, the Trinidad-based carrier will be resuming flights to the two destinations from its hub at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport. 

Caribbean Airlines will be operating both routes on Saturday and Sundays, according to a statement. 

“The re-introduction of the flights is part of the airline’s phased re-start of its commercial operations out of Jamaica,” the company said. 

The announcement comes after Caribbean Airlines relaunched its service fro Kingston to both New York and Toronto. 

— CJ

The post Caribbean Airlines Relaunching Antigua, Barbados Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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It’s just 18 minutes from Cancun by boat, just 4.3 miles long and less than half a mile wide — and the tiny island of Isla Mujeres still remains something of a well-guarded secret. 

It wasn’t until a few decades ago that the island was more than a small fishing village, and now Isla Mujeres is a refreshing oasis just across the water from the massive tourism engine of Cancun and the Riviera Maya. 

“It feels quite away from the dense tourism and all-inclusive hotels of Cancun and the Riviera Maya and what most travelers perceive as the Mexico experience,” says Jeffrey Alan, owner of the Coco B Isla and Casa Coco By Isla boutique resort, the island’s top small hotels. (Along with a selection of private Isla Mujeres villas). 

In recent years, though, the island has evolved, Alan tells Caribbean Journal. 

“‘Isla’ has not lost its roots, with its local fishing fleet cutting through the waters every morning before sunrise, “ he says. “But as the sun rises it has evolved into a bustling enclave of water based tourism and Mexican Caribbean life.”

And Isla Mujeres quietly reopened last month as part of a wider relaunch of the Mexican Caribbean. 

“The island is waking up from its recent nap and many restaurants, hotels, and private villas are open,” Alan says. That’s along with dive shops and other tour operators. 

And what hasn’t changed, either, is the marine environment, which has drawn lovers of scuba diving, snorkeling and the water to its shores. 

Isla Mujeres even offers the opportunity to swim with whale sharks and with sailfish (the latter even brought Sir Richard Branson to the island, Alan says). 

As for Casa Coco and Coco B Isla, the property’s team is “COVID-19 trained,” having completed state certification on top of the property’s existing protocols. 

“The property has great open air spaces, that are not crowded and we have created ample amenities, procedures, spacing, and options to eliminate concerns for our guests,” Alan says. “The same cleaning and proactive practices are implemented for guest rooms, and we also offer pre check-in via web or mobile device.”

“We are an upscale bed and breakfast style offering but with a Caribbean chic feel,” he says. 

And amid the new realities of travel, a tiny, spaced-out beachy destination is just what many travelers are looking for. 

For more, visit Coco B Isla. 

— CJ

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