New San Pedro-Mayagüez ferry route will boost trade between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader announced that the construction of a new ferry route connecting San Pedro de Macorís and Mayagüez will increase passenger traffic, as well as imports and exports between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The project is being developed by the Spanish company Baleària, Spain’s leading ferry operator, which is constructing port terminals in both San Pedro and Mayagüez.

The initiative was first introduced in December 2023 by President Abinader and Jean Luis Rodríguez, the executive director of the Dominican Port Authority (APORDOM), as part of the transformation of the Port of San Pedro de Macorís. At Fitur 2024, APORDOM and Baleària presented plans to convert the port into a cargo and tourism hub with a direct maritime connection to Puerto Rico.

The new ferry route, a 133-nautical-mile journey, will take six hours and accommodate around 1,000 passengers, 350 vehicles, and 300 containers. With a $100 million investment, the service will operate six days a week and is expected to generate 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. The route will be operational by the third quarter of 2024.