The Dominican Republic is one of the countries in the Caribbean welcoming the rise of cruise tourism with open arms — and newer ports.
In March, 2025, construction began on a new cruise ship terminal at the Port of Barahona — a project that will allow cruise ships to dock in the area for the first time.
Barahona is located on the island’s southern coast, which is generally considered to be very remote and inaccessible — an issue that new cruise ports are slowly solving for tourists.
The current port is only built to handle cargo ships and smaller vessels — but by 2026 it will be able to provide docking options for medium-sized cruise ships.
The cruise industry has had a huge impact on the economy in the Dominican Republic — and expanding the offerings at the Port of Barahona, it will transform and create a major tourist destination in the southern region of the country.
The new cruise terminal will cost $11.37 million — and will feature a 5,980 square meter central plaza and a gazebo area for parking cars and buses.
Currently, the construction area for the terminal project is 6,329 square meters — while the intervention area, where the central plaza and commercial spaces will be, is a massive 23,096 square meters.
To put this into perspective, the size of the 23,096 square meters is roughly equivalent to about 4.3 football fields.
This area will house 35 commercial spaces — as well as several recreational spaces such as bars, restaurants, a church, and even areas dedicated to recreating the rum-making experience. Additional touches will include a security area lighting, restrooms, and signage.
During the event to kick off the construction, the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, expressed the importance of the success and launch of the cruise port as Barahona is relying on a boom in tourism and real estate.
The president also announced that David Collado — the Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic — would be working closely with the country’s business sector to make the project successful.
“We are here, having begun work on the tourist pier, a much-needed and necessary project for this beautiful province of Barahona,” added Collado.
This project is being carried out by both the Tourism Zone Infrastructure Executive Committee (CEIZTUR) of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), aiming to be completed by 2026 ahead of the winter cruise season.
The goal is for the more modern pier to increase the flow of tourism in the province and surrounding areas, so much so that the economic impact spills over into the community.
New Ports in the Dominican Republic
In 2024, the Dominican Republic welcomed 2.6 million passengers — becoming the third most visited destination by cruise tourists in the Caribbean last year.
The new cruise terminal at the Port of Barahona is part of a broader effort to develop cruise ports in the southern region of the country, following other recent developments.
In January, 2024, Cabo Rojo in Pedernales welcomed a cruise ship — Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,394 passenger Norwegian Pearl — to its port for the first time ever.
While there were a total of 5 cruise calls in 2024, the port remained under development for much of the year. Still, cruise tourism brought in $2 million to the local economy in 2024 — with estimated figures for 2025 being $15 million.
The port’s second phase was inaugurated on October 16, 2024 — expanding dock capabilities to accommodate 2 large cruise ships simultaneously, with the capacity for up to 15,000 passengers.
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The budget for the new cruise terminal at Barahona is 91% less than the one used to build in Cabo Rojo, so it would come by no surprise if the mooring accommodations will be more limited.
However, specifications about the dock in Barahona is currently unknown beyond the construction area size.
Regardless, this new dock — along with the one in Cabo Rojo — is setting the southern side of the island up for success with both cruise companies and passengers alike, offering fresh destinations and new facilities.
