This initiative, announced in April 2019, aims to generate a tourist destination that protects and enhances the cultural, historical and natural advantages of San Lucas Island. Under the coordination of the Office of the First Lady of Costa Rica, the project is promoted by the central government, Municipality of Puntarenas, Legislative Power, civil society, communities and the private sector. In parallel to destinations such as Alcatraz, and Coiba, it is intended to position the Island as a sustainable tourist attraction and focus of economic recovery directly linked to productive chains in the islands of the Gulf of Nicoya and Puntarenas.
Adjustments and developments to the Reactivation Route were announced, such as the construction of a tourist berth to protect the heritage of the island and the decision to allocate the resources of the Second Debt Exchange for Nature between the governments of the United States and Costa Rica to prepare the Infrastructure Master Plan for the San Lucas Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Results
Construction process will be in 2019 and 2020 and budget is ¢150 million. Work is expected to begin in 2020, for which ¢ 418 million are available. «In coordination with INCOP, progress is being made in an application for the tour of the heritage structures of the Island, while SINAC and the National Museum will train 24 tour guides, a process that is being coordinated with the Chamber of Tourism of Puntarenas.
New projects
The design of the Infrastructure Master Plan for the Natural Wildlife Refuge with a sustainable development approach is in the bidding phase, seeking to turn this site into an economic revitalizer for Puntarenas and the Gulf of Nicoya. The First Lady reported that the Costa Rican Tourism Institute invests in preliminary studies, design and supervision of construction work for the tourist berth.
The project will be located next to the current dock or berth, in a site that presents the best conditions of waves and bathymetry, according to studies contracted to the Maritime, Rivers and Estuaries Engineering Unit of the UCR. The actors for the San Lucas Island Reactivation Route include the central government, Municipality of Puntarenas, Legislative Power, civil society, communities and the private sector.
Among others, there are the Ministries of Environment and Energy, Culture and Youth, Planning, ICT, INCOP, local government, Tourism Promotion Board of Puntarenas and the Chamber of Tourism of Puntarenas.