A colleaue shared this news with me this week - very exciting investment which will strengthen this relatively unknown part of the Dominican Republic.  Positioned within the warm waters of Samana Bay where the whales migrate, this project will become a major tourist attraction.

The new airport at El Catey will place travelers within approx 30 minute drive.

A 100 million dollar investment by the company Valley Forge Corporation is expected to put an end to the almost total inactivity of Samaná's Arroyo Barril port (northeast).  This remodeling project includes a 500 slip marina and dockage for several cruise ships simultaneously.

Around 1,000 boats would visit Arroyo Barril with nearly 3 million tourists every year, said the executive Rodrigo Montealegre Saturday.

The project, expected to conclude in five years, includes a passenger terminal, offices, a hotel of approximately 100 rooms, an ecological museum and yacht club, according to Carolina Llobregat, an architect of the company. "This proposal's fundamental concept is a sustainable environmental offering, that includes taking advantage of the place's environment, creating spaces of ecological zones."

The port's remodeling is based on a 30-year concession contract signed with the Dominican State.

See full article at: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/tourism/2008/10/6/29651/US100M-to-revamp-Samanas-port-Arroyo-Barril