Camuy Caverns Park is ready to receive visitors

governor Pedro Pierluisi announced today, along with the secretary Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNER), Rafael Machargo, the executive director of Tourism Company (CTPR), Carlos Mercado, and the mayor of Camuy, Gabriel Hernandez, reopening Rio Camuy Cave Park, which remained closed after Hurricane María passed in 2017 and it was necessary to carry out cleaning work and the necessary arrangements for its conditioning and reopening.

The park will be open from Wednesday to Sunday between 8:00 and 17:00, and visits, which will be scheduled, 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 Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy is of extreme importance not only for the municipality, but also 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 pleased with the great teamwork that has been done here between the Tourism Company, the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Foundation for Puerto Rico and the municipality of Camuy to receive visitors again in this iconic place. Puerto Rico is an incredible 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 our efforts of orientation and prevention, so that everyone on the island, tourists and locals, continue to comply with the requirements of the Executive Order. We are slowly returning to normal and enjoying tourist areas such as the Camuy Caverns, but it is important that security protocols, such as physical distancing and the use of a mask, continue to be followed. ”

For his part, the DNER Secretary said that “the reopening of the cave and cave system of the third largest underground river in the world has enormous significance, not only because of its tourist attraction and what it can mean for the economy, but also because of what it represents at an ecological, historical and cultural level ”.

“It is a resource that has been formed and expanded in an impressive way with the passage of groundwater, which has caused this massive system of caves of over 15 kilometers of millions of years. In the DNER National Parks Program we are satisfied and, of course, we are more dedicated than ever to the protection, conservation and reopening of this and other ecotourism attractions that, every year, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and contribute to both our economy and to our pride ”, added the DNER secretary who indicated that the Park received over 100,000 visitors annually before its closure in 2017.

Meanwhile, the executive director of Tourism stressed that “we have worked hard to achieve the safe reopening of the Río Camuy Caverns National Park. This tourist attraction, recognized for its importance and beauty worldwide, is an invaluable resource to promote the development of tourism on the island and its opening will result in an injection of economic activity and job creation throughout the region.

“In order to achieve our goal in the shortest time, in recent weeks we have increased efforts to collaborate with actions such as supporting cleaning tasks with the brigades of CTPR employees and promoting the details of reopening in the media. It is definitely a pleasure to be here and to have completed the process that will allow us to enjoy this incredible place again “, added Mercado.

In turn, Mayor Camuy said that the reopening of Las Cavernas del Río Camuy Park is an extraordinary event for the city due to its tourist attraction, especially during periods when domestic tourism has aroused great interest for the islanders.

“In addition to increasing the number of tourists in Camuy, it encourages the purchase of goods in local businesses, such as restaurants and craftsmen, among other services. This is good news for my people, “said Hernandez.

To reopen this important tourist park, CTPR and DNER signed a collaboration agreement in October last year in which Tourism contributed $ 68,000 for the purchase of materials and service items that were used to make improvements and necessary repairs in the installations. DRNA also hired 5 new tour guides and allocated $ 100,000 for the purchase of 5 carts, plus $ 147,000 was allocated for the repair of the Cueva Clara lighting system, which will be ready for the second phase of reopening.

Similarly, the Puerto Rico Foundation contributed $ 125,000 for improvements to the electrical system, sidewalks used to access the caverns, air conditioning and sound system of the theater, and for bathroom repairs, purchases of helmets for employees and visitors and the purchase of a passenger vehicle.

Founder and Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Foundation, Jon Borschow, stated that, “with this initiative, the Foundation for Puerto Rico once again fulfills our promise to strengthen and stimulate socio-economic development. Rehabilitation of landmarks, such as the Camuy Caves, is essential because they serve as magnets that attract significant flows of visitors to their localities and thus revitalize the socioeconomies of Puerto Rico’s most needy communities. We are committed to identifying these distinctive assets in all regions of the island and to launching collaborative efforts to save them. The effort to restore and promote these assets is one that becomes increasingly urgent as the island and the world move forward in their post-pandemic normalization processes. ”