FROM: Caribbean Business

The Humacao Palmas del Mar resort community has a new $40 million world-class marina and yacht club, developer Carlos Muñiz told CARIBBEAN BUSINESS. The project, which has received support and endorsement from the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., is expected to create 200 new direct and indirect jobs to support the marina and yacht club facilities once fully operational.

Negotiations to secure a renowned stateside restaurant for the new marina are nearly final and expected to be confirmed next month. Two major motion pictures are also scheduled to film on location, leveraging the area’s natural beauty.

The development project, nearing final construction, features a state-of-the-art marina with capacity for 200 boats, 44 that can be megayachts of up to 200 feet long. Marina services include diesel, the latest technology in used-water treatment equipment to avoid water contamination and water and power utilities for visiting boats.

“Those who know the Palmas del Mar resort community know that developing a marina and yacht club were a natural fit for the area. I’ve been involved in this region since 1973 and, for various reasons, it hadn’t happened. The people of Palmas del Mar approached me several years ago and we have been working on developing a marina-club concept with a world-class vision appropriate for that growing segment. I am truly excited about the results and confident there’s no other facility like this one in all of the Caribbean,” Muñiz expressed.

He added the marina’s strategic location is ideal for boats coming in from the Bahamas en route to the Virgin Islands. It is “a perfect stopover to service their boats and access the Palmas del Mar resort community and its world-class amenities, right in the middle of the Caribbean.

“In addition to Palmas del Mar’s natural beauty and world-class facility, it is a U.S.-flag resort where stateside visitors don’t need a passport, there’s zero hassle with customs and, regardless of what our economic situation is at the time, it still enjoys an enviable economic and political stability that can’t be found anywhere else in the region,” the developer continued.

The new Yacht Club at Palmas del Mar, currently in its final construction phase, will have 20,000 square feet of recreational space that includes restaurants, bars, office space, meeting and banquet facilities and leisure space. With PRTC’s support, Muñiz expects the new marina and yacht club also will become a major regional wedding destination. The yacht club, including the new restaurant, is expected to be completed by the summer.