Bacardi visitor centre reopens after Hurricane Maria

The Casa Bacardí visitor centre in Puerto Rico has reopened following a temporary shutdown because of damage caused by Hurricane Maria.

The Casa Bacardi visitor centre closed after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico

The visitor centre closed in the weeks following Hurricane Maria so repairs could be made and while staff helped provide relief to the community as part of the ‘Bacardi is with you’ initiative.

The centre, which reopened on the 1 November, suffered “minor” damage according to Bacardi, with the landscaping starting to show “signs of recovery”.

Wesley Cullen, general manager at Casa Bacardi said: “We are here to support the industry and are very happy to reopen Casa Bacardi for tourist and locals.”

Casa Bacardi has been welcoming visitors in Puerto Rico since 1961 and has, on average, 200,000 visitors every year.

Cullen added: “Tourism is an essential industry for Puerto Rico. As the island rebuilds, we look forward to welcoming visitors with warm hospitality, cold cocktails, and stories of overcoming adversity, innovation, perseverance and celebration.”

As part of Bacardi’s ongoing commitment to the relief and rebuilding of Puerto Rico, US$5 of each tour admission will be donated to relief organisations until the end of the year.

The newly-reopened centre will give visitors the chance to fill and seal their own bottle of Bacardi rum straight from the barrel as well as offering rum tasting tours and mixology sessions.

In September this year, Bacardi donated US$3 million to disaster relief and recovery efforts for communities affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.