Porta Caribe

Porta Caribe is a tourism region in southern Puerto Rico. It was established in 2003 by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, an agency of the Government of Puerto Rico. When created in 2003 it consisted of 14 municipalities in the south central zone (Adjuntas, Arroyo, Coamo, Guayama, Guayanilla, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Villaba, Yauco).[5][6] With the creation of the neighboring Porta Cordillera zone in July 2012, the municipalities of Adjuntas and Jayuya were transferred to the newly created Porta Cordillera zone and Porta Caribe became a 12-municipality tourism region. The name Porta Caribe translates to "Doorway to the Caribbean."[7] Its executive director is Maritza W. Ruiz Cabán.[8]

Porta Caribe
FormationMay 2009 (2009-05)
TypeGovernment-owned agency
Legal statusStatutory
PurposeTourism & Culture
HeadquartersCalle Villa #122
Location
Coordinates18.01106°N 66.61452°W / 18.01106; -66.61452
Region served
Southern Puerto Rico
Director
Tito Reyes (2018 - Incumbent) [1]
Key people
Past directors:
Jose A. Reyes (2009-12)[2]
Nadine de Jesús (2012-15)[3]
Maritza W. Ruiz Cabán (2015-17)
Parent organization
Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Budget
$1 million[4]
Websitewww.portacaribe.com
Part of a series on
Tourism in Puerto Rico
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History
Porta Caribe headquarters on Villa street

The southern region of Puerto Rico had traditionally been considered to consist of 16 municipalities.[9] The establishment of the Porta Caribe region dates to the late 1990s when two bills to the effect were brought before the Puerto Rico Legislature, but failing to garnish the necessary number of votes in both occasions. The region was finally established by Executive Order of Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá in May, 2006.[10] Initially the region consisted of 15 municipalities, but Guanica was subsequently officially moved to join the Porta del Sol.[11][12][13] A budget of $1 million USD was initially assigned to promote tourism for the Porta Caribe region. The director of the Government of Puerto Rico's Puerto Rico Tourism Company called Porta Caribe "Puerto Rico's second tourist destination."[4]

Inventory
La Guancha facing the Caribbean Sea in Ponce

In 2006, the region already provided the following facilities to launch it as a tourist destination:[14]

In addition, the Oficina del Plan de Usos de Terrenos (Office of Land Use Planning) of the Government of Puerto Rico lists 24 officially recognized beaches in the southern region of Puerto Rico. Though by necessity it includes coastal municipalities only, they are all part of the Porta Caribe region.[15]

As of 17 October 2012, the Porta Caribe zone boasted 61 lodging facilities, 292 restaurants and 328 tourist attractions.[16]

Attractions

Top attractions

This is a list of the top attractions in Porta Caribe, according to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.[17]

Cabinetmaking museum Casa Cautiño in Guayama

Other attractions
San Blas de Illescas Church in Coamo

Southern Ecological Tourist Zone

In July 2016, Governor Alejandro García Padilla signed into law Puerto Rico House Bill 2834 creating the Zona Turística Ecológica del Sur (English: Southern Ecological Tourist Zone) composed of a four municipalities in the Porta Caribe tourist region, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Yauco and Guánica, to highlight the high ecological value of that area, and their contributions in the areas of dry forests, caves, diversity of water forms and coffee haciendas.[18]

Similar groupings

In October 2011, Governor Luis Fortuno created what he called "Ruta del Sur" (English: Southern Route) in a political move to show support for the infrastructural development of the municipalities in southern Puerto Rico. Ruta del Sur included the nine municipalities of Guánica, Yauco, Ponce, Guayanilla, Peñuelas, Arroyo, Salinas, Juana Díaz y Santa Isabel. One of its goals is the development of ecotourism.[19]

DISUR, which stands for "Desarrollo Integral del Sur" (English: Southern Integral Development) is a private organization created in 2006 that seeks to "promote and maximize the competitiveness of the municipalities that make up the southern region of Puerto Rico." It consists of 15 southern municipalities as follows: Adjuntas, Arroyo, Coamo, Guánica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Jayuya, Juana Díaz, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Villalba y Yauco.[20] The organization seeks to make strides in the area of tourism by promoting conventions as well as the Centro Oceanografico de Ponce.[21]

The College of Surveyors of Puerto Rico created the "Ruta Agrícola" (English: Agricultural Route) which runs from Salinas, through Santa Isabel and Juana Diaz, and ending in Ponce. Its purpose is "to create a new magnet for tourism".[22]

The Oficina del Plan de Usos de Terrenos (Office of Land Use Planning) of the Government of Puerto Rico defines the Southern Region as including the 10 municipalities of Arroyo, Coamo, Guayama, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas, Santa Isabel and Yauco.[15]

See also

References
  1. Abre nuevo hotel en Ponce: Es la primera hospedería que inauguran tras el paso del huracán. CYBERNEWS. NBC Universal. 1 December 2017. Accessed 10 December 2018.
  2. Nuevos dueños: Ponderan la demolición del Intercontinental., Update: Nuevos dueños: Ponderan la demolición del Intercontinental.. Jason Rodríguez and Omar Alfonso. La Perla Del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 27. Issue 1333. 17–23 June 2009. Pages 6-7. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Accessed 6 June 2016.
  3. Marcan su huella en Porta Caribe., Update: Marcan su huella en Porta Caribe. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1564. Page 27. 20–26 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013. Accessed 6 June 2016.
  4. Luz verde al programa Porta Caribe. 31 May 2006. El Nuevo Dia. Sandra Caquías Cruz. Accessed 18 February 2011.
  5. Puerto Rico Tourism - Municipalities in the Regions Archived 2008-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Now the South is known as Porta Caribe. Archived 2011-02-08 at the Wayback Machine Porta Caribe Official Website. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  7. "Porta Caribe". Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  8. Contact Us. Puerto Rico Tourism Company. 2017. Accessed 25 January 2017.
  9. Hacia la descentralización: Ponce y el Sur se abren camino. Luis Rey Quiñones Soto. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 8 July 2009. Page 19. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  10. Luz verde al programa Porta Caribe. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 31 May 2006.
  11. Welcome to Porta Caribe! Archived 2007-03-25 at the Wayback Machine PortaCaribe.com. 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  12. A revivir e incentivar la economía turística del Sur. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  13. Disfruta y Conoce tu Isla: Haz Turismo Interno. Jose A. Reyes Feliciano. La Perla del Sur. Ponce Puerto Rico. 7 October 2009. Page 18.
  14. Luz verde al programa Porta Caribe. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. 31 May 2006. Accessed 18 February 2011.
  15. Plan de Uso de Terrenos de Puerto Rico: Perfil Regional - Region Sur. Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Junta de Planificacion. Oficina del Plan de Uso de Terrenos. Borrador Preliminar. February 2006. Page 15. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  16. La Isla: sinónimo de riquezas turísticas. Héctor Sánchez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 17 October 2012. Year 30. Issue 1507. Page 38. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  17. Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Archived 2008-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Crean nueva zona turística en el Suroeste. Voces del Sur. vocesdelsurpr.com 27 July 2016. Accessed 26 January 2017.
  19. Millonaria inversión para el municipio de Yauco. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico.31 October 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  20. Ante crisis fiscal: Reestructuración a la vista en DISUR. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  21. Agricultura y Turismo en la agenda de DISUR. Jason Rodriguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 17 June 2009. Page 8. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  22. La Ruta Agrícola: Impulsará el turismo rural en zona Sur. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
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