The $118m project will offer integrated adjacency to San Juan’s cruise terminal and provide new cultural entertainment just steps from arriving ships.
IDEAS said Bahía Urbana will be a first-of-its-kind destination for Puerto Rico, bringing the best of the island’s artistic tradition, cuisine, storytelling and natural splendor to one walkable oceanfront destination.
Authentically animating San Juan’s story
IDEAS will work with local consultants to create attractions that authentically animate San Juan’s story. Three distinctly themed areas are planned for Bahía Urbana: a waterfront promenade, an urban eco-adventure park and 'Beach on the Bay.'
Visitors will encounter the historic charm of San Juan by strolling alongside an authentic 'chinchorro' dining offering, hands-on artisan workshops, a marketplace and spontaneous street performances with musicians and artists.
Observation drop tower
Bahía Urbana aims to transform one of the port’s piers into a lush urban park, landscaped to recreate Puerto Rico’s diverse horticultural and zoological biomes providing the setting for wildlife encounters and an ingenious tree canopy walk. The park will host a bayfront amphitheater for entertainment and name acts.
An observation drop tower will anchor the pier, inviting visitors to ascend 200 feet aboard a 360-degree observation lounge with the option to make a free fall back via a separate ride system.
Beach on the Bay
'Beach on the Bay' will provide a beach experience hosted on sand-surfaced floating islands just off the pier. Visitors can go head-to-head in beach volleyball and tennis or attend performances at Bahia Urbana Park’s Theater from the shade of the surrounding landscape or on the sunny waterfront sand terraces.
Along with an influx of new tourism, Bahía Urbana is expected to add more than 180 jobs during its construction along with 250 jobs when it enters operation in addition to hosting signature regional restaurants and artisanal craft shops and kiosks.
Bob Allen, chief storytelling officer of IDEAS, said: 'From its mountainsides to the teeming streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico truly is the Enchanted Island. Our team couldn’t be prouder or more enthused to share the best of what the island has to offer at Bahía Urbana. We believe this development will set a new gold standard for cultural storytelling and redefine what a port destination can be.'
IDEAS designs destination experiences for cruise lines and destination developers domestically, in the Caribbean and across the globe.
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