UNESCO has a big footprint in the Caribbean’s historical offering

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

In 1972, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) established the World Heritage Site program, which recognizes landmarks of natural and cultural significance and promotes their protection for the benefit of the entire world. There are now 19 of these must-see sites in the Caribbean, stretching from Cuba westward to Barbados and embracing everything from towering volcanoes to colonial neighborhoods and thriving barrier reefs. Here are 10 of our favorite reasons to rouse yourself from your beach chair and explore beyond the sand. How many Caribbean World Heritage Sites have you seen?

Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Founded in 1498, this capital is where the Americas’ first cathedral, hospital and university were built, superimposed on a grid layout that became the model for several Caribbean cities.

The post 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Need to Visit in the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (A-TCET) seized approximately $29,000 in unreported currency in an outbound enforcement action at the San Juan Seaport.

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One of the best beaches in greater San Juan has a brand new beachfront boulevard.

The beach town of Cataño has debuted a revitalized Malecón, located next to its ferry terminal.

The new look is part of an island-wide program aimed at reviving Puerto Rico’s waterfront areas.

“It will be the people of Cataño, who through their initiative and creativity, will give final shape to this place,” Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said at the inauguration event this week. “This boardwalk will be a vital space. This is an extraordinary opportunity for locals to renew its gastronomic, cultural and leisure potential.”

The town is most famous as the home of the Bacardi factory and visitor complex, accessed by a short ferry from the port of San Juan.

— Caribbean Journal Staff

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Cancun’s Underwater Museum of Art has a new addition.

The undersea art museum has unveiled its newest exhibit: “Vestigios” by Elier Amado Gil, the museum’s current resident artist.

According to Gil, the pieces “evoke the future” by showcasing humanity’s ecological footprint and our impact on the natural world.

One of Gil’s pieces before it was submerged.

The exhibit is composed of three sunken relief artwork pieces, intended to represent fossils.

The park, which was founded in 2009, was aimed at preserving the coral reefs on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

All of the artwork is made with materials that are safe for marine life and encourage the formation of artificial reefs. It includes more than 500 submerged works of art.

— Caribbean Journal staff

The post A New Exhibit at Cancun’s Underwater Museum appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and majority owner of Caribbean CAGE LLC, in a letter dated October 25, 2016 to the Puerto Rican Control Board, outlined a $14 billion revenue plan over the next 20 years that the Puerto Rico…

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