Cabo Rojo Port surpasses Samaná and Santo Domingo in cruise tourism

Pedernales.-  The new port of Cabo Rojo has rapidly become a key player in the country’s cruise industry, attracting thousands of international tourists and positioning Pedernales as a promising tourism destination.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the port received 81,469 cruise passengers through 19 operations during the first nine months of 2025—an impressive 1,814% increase compared to its initial figures in 2024. The port, inaugurated on January 4, 2024, hosted its first two cruise ships that year, bringing just 4,491 passengers.

By September, Cabo Rojo represented 10% of all maritime arrivals nationwide, welcoming nearly 10,000 visitors that month alone. Vice Minister Jacqueline Mora described the results as “extraordinary,” emphasizing the rapid success of such a new destination. Minister David Collado added that Pedernales now surpasses Samaná and Santo Domingo in cruise passenger arrivals.

Overall, Cabo Rojo accounts for 4% of the country’s total cruise visitors, ranking fourth behind Amber Cove (42%), Taino Bay (39%), and La Romana (10%), out of 2,017,211 cruise passengers received between January and September 2025.