the governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia announced today, alongside the secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), Rafael machargo, The executive director of the Tourism Company (CTPR), Carlos Mercat, And the mayor of Camuy, Gabriel Hernández, The reopening of the Camuy River Caverns Park, Which had been closed after the passage of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and had to carry out cleaning work and necessary arrangements to condition and reopen it.
The park will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and visits, which will be by appointment, will be limited to six groups of 20 people per day. This is to comply with health and safety protocols regarding the pandemic.
“The reopening of the Camuy River Cave Park is of utmost importance not only for the municipality, but for Puerto Rico because it is one of our biggest tourist attractions with a multiplier effect on the economy of the northern region and the island, I am satisfied with the great teamwork that has been done here between the Tourism Company, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Foundation for Puerto Rico and the municipality of Camuy to be able to receive visitors again in this iconic place. Puerto Rico is an amazing tourist destination and we have a lot to offer, ”the governor said in a press release.
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The chief executive added that, “we continue the efforts of guidance and prevention so that everyone on the island, tourists and locals, continue to meet the requirements of the Executive Order. Little by little we are back to normal and enjoy tourist areas such as the Camuy Caves, but it is important that safety protocols such as physical distancing and the use of the mask continue to be complied with. “
For his part, the DRNA secretary said that, “the reopening of the system of caves and caverns of the third largest underground river in the world has enormous significance, not only for its tourist appeal and what this can represent for the economy, but also for what it represents at the ecological, historical and cultural level “.
“It is a resource that has been formed and expanded impressively with the passage of groundwater, which have been millions of years causing this massive system of caves of more than 15 kilometers. In the National Parks Program of the DRNA we are pleased and, of course, more committed than ever to the protection, conservation and reopening of this and other ecotourism attractions that year after year attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and contribute to both our economy and our pride, ”added the DRNA secretary who indicated that the Park receives over 100,000 visitors annually before it closes in 2017.
Meanwhile, the executive director of Tourism stressed that “we have been working hard to achieve the safe reopening of Camuy River Caverns National Park. This tourist attraction, recognized for its importance and beauty worldwide, is an invaluable resource. to boost the island’s tourism development and opening it will result in an injection into economic activity and job creation across the region. “
“To achieve our goal expeditiously, in recent weeks we have been increasing collaborative efforts with actions such as supporting clean-up tasks with brigades of CTPR employees and promoting the details of reopening in “It ‘s definitely a pleasure to be here and to have completed the process that will allow us to enjoy this amazing place again today,” added Mercat.
They reopen the Camuy Caves and take a tour #CamuyEstaDeModa #EnamorateDeCamuy
Posted by Metro Puerto Rico on Wednesday, March 24, 2021
For his part, the Mayor of Camuy said that the reopening of the Camuy River Cave Park is an extraordinary event for the city due to its tourist appeal, especially at a time when domestic tourism has aroused great interest. in the residents of the island.
“In addition to growing the number of tourists in Camuy, it encourages the purchase of goods in local shops such as restaurants and artisans, among other services. This is good news for my town,” Hernandez said.
To achieve the reopening of this important tourist park, the CTPR and the DRNA signed in October last year a collaborative agreement in which Tourism has contributed $ 68 thousand for the purchase of materials and articles of services that were used to make necessary improvements and repairs to the facilities. The DRNA also hired 5 new tour guides and allocated $ 100 thousand for the purchase of 5 carts, in addition, $ 147,000 was allocated for the repair of the Cova Clara lighting system, which will be ready for the second phase of reopening.
Similarly, Foundation for Puerto Rico, contributed $ 125 thousand for improvements to the electrical system, the trails used to access the caves, the air conditioning system and theater sound, as well as for the bathroom repairs, shopping for safety helmets for employees and visitors, and the purchase of a passenger vehicle.
The founder and chief executive officer of the Foundation for Puerto Rico, Jon Borschow, Stated that, “with this initiative Foundation for Puerto Rico once again fulfills our promise to strengthen and stimulate socio-economic development. Rehabilitation of iconic attractions such as the Camuy Caves is essential because they serve as magnets that attract significant flows of visitors to the localities in which they are located and thus revitalize the socio-economies of the most needy communities in Puerto Rico.We have set ourselves the task of identifying these distinctive assets across all regions of the island and launching collaborative efforts “The effort to restore and promote these assets is one of growing urgency as the island and the world move forward in its post-pandemic normalization processes.”