Government to transform cruise ship departure zone into Puerto Plata terminal
The Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, together with the Executive Unit for the Readaptation of Neighborhoods and Environments (URBE), is working on an urban transformation project that would directly impact the departure area of cruise passengers from the Taíno Bay Cruise Terminal, located in the lower part of the Historic Center of Puerto Plata.
The proposal includes interventions around the Old Pier, Francisco Alberto Caamaño Avenue, the lower part of Duarte Street, and the old railway line, aiming to create an organized, accessible space in line with the international flow of visitors the city receives.
According to the preliminary design, “Puerto Plata Cruise Ship Terminal Project,” the proposal includes a comprehensive public-space intervention, including elevated pedestrian walkways, universal-access ramps, sidewalk improvements, pedestrian protection islands, bollards, and new street furniture.
The plan also includes circular benches with central planters, bio-infiltration planters, a structural pergola with integrated lighting, murals, and a galvanized steel pedestrian grill.
One component of the initiative is the recovery and enhancement of the end of the old railway line, a space that could integrate a museum, bathrooms for cruise passengers, and tourist information points.
The intervention seeks to improve the environment visitors pass through when leaving the Taíno Bay cruise terminal and strengthen connections between the port area, the Historic Center, and other tourist attractions in Puerto Plata.
The project also relocates the Civil Defense, currently operating in the area, to a site with better working conditions. The proposal incorporates elements of pedestrian mobility, accessibility, landscaping, road safety, and public space reclamation, ensuring that the cruise ship departure area has adequate urban infrastructure for residents and visitors.
Before formally presenting the proposal, complementary studies will be carried out on the area’s water table level, especially regarding drainage and possible flooding.
Once these analyses are completed, Minister Paliza plans to present the project to the City Council of Puerto Plata, where its details and scope will be revealed.
