Builders break ground for a Caribbean village-style market on Playa Dorada

The idea of creating an attractive artesan market to house beach vendors on Playa Dorada, and also have facilities suitable for restaurants, bars and other services, has brought to fruition a new commercial center for Playa Dorada called El Pueblito.

Inspired by recommendations made by the Puerto Plata Cluster (a USAID-funded marketing and development program for the north coast), El Pueblito will look like a typical Caribbean-style village with streets and parks and sidewalks situated on 220 meters of oceanfront land directly to the west of Jack Tar Village resort.

A kite surfing school will be opened on the beach here to take advantage of the purportedly excellent conditions enjoyed at this part of the beach.

And while attracting tourist trade off the beaches of Playa Dorada and Costa Dorada, El Pueblito promises to represent a new focal center of shopping and nightlife for area residents.

"El Pueblito will be a great addition to our menu of attractions in Puerto Plata while opening up the important kite surfing market for hoteliers," said Carolina Berges, El Pueblito's project director.

El Pueblito's Caribbean style is of the design of Architect Sergio Escarfullery, who is well known for his hotel and resort designs for Club Med, in the Bahamas, Martinique and Turks & Caicos. He also designed Puerto Plata's well known Hemingway's Café.

Other features of El Pueblito include a wedding chapel designed after the town church in Sanchez, a museum depicting life on this island, and a 2,000-seat auditorium for concerts and conventions. The center is slated to open June 2004.

www.elpueblito.info

Jun 14 2003

Puerto Plata, República Dominicana