By The Star Staff
The Boquemar Inn (Parador Boquemar) in Cabo Rojo celebrated its 50th anniversary Sunday.
The inn opened its doors in April 1973, specifically on a day during Holy Week, at a time when the neighborhood of Boquerón was in a stage of development and expansion at the population and economic level.
Boquemar owner Ángel Rodríguez said the inn began with 20 rooms. Subsequently, another 44 were added and now there are 75 rooms.
“As we have grown, the village of Boquerón has grown,” Rodríguez said. “We gave life to the area, in addition to attracting a lot of local and foreign tourism.”
The businessman said that through the 50 years the inn located in the southwest corner of the island has faced several challenges, among which was the construction of a sewage system that the town did not have up until that time. However, thanks to the efforts of the business sector, the goal was achieved.
Another challenge they had to overcome was the lack of a pumping system to bring drinking water to the shops and residences of Boquerón. Finally, they also had to deal with several situations related to electrical service. Fortunately, little by little things have stabilized in the seaside village.
“Thanks to the fact that we have both cisterns and power plants we have never stopped operating due to lack of water or electricity, since our northern star is always to please customers,” he said.
Upcoming projects for Boquemar include more multi-room renovations and an ambitious maintenance plan for the surrounding area, including the swimming pool. Rodríguez did not rule out that at some point the restaurant could reopen.
Rodríguez foresees significant growth in tourism in Cabo Rojo, with the arrival of more visitors from different countries. However, he stressed that more funds should be allocated to the Tourism Company to continue its work of sponsoring the island’s attractions.