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Naguabo, Puerto Rico

Coordinates: 18°13′10″N 65°44′12″W / 18.21944°N 65.73667°W / 18.21944; -65.73667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Naguabo
Municipio Autónomo de Naguabo
Town and Municipality
View of Naguabo from El Yunque
View of Naguabo from El Yunque
Flag of Naguabo
Flag
Coat of arms of Naguabo
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"Cuna de Grandes Artistas", "Los Enchumbaos"
Anthem: "Mi Naguabo del querer, Mi Naguabo del soñar"[1]
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Naguabo Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Naguabo Municipality
Coordinates: 18°13′10″N 65°44′12″W / 18.21944°N 65.73667°W / 18.21944; -65.73667
Sovereign state United States
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Settled1794
FoundedJuly 15, 1821
Founded byLuis de Gaztambide, Juan Viera, Antonio Viera, and Juan Méndez
Barrios
10 barrios
Government
 • MayorMiraidaliz Rosario Pagán (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist.7 - Humacao
 • Representative dist.35
Area
 • Total
60.07 sq mi (155.57 km2)
 • Land52 sq mi (135 km2)
 • Water7.94 sq mi (20.57 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
23,386
 • Rank52nd in Puerto Rico
 • Density449/sq mi (173/km2)
DemonymNaguabeños[2]
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes
00718, 00744
Area code787/939
Major routes

Naguabo (Spanish pronunciation: [naˈɣwaβo], locally [naˈwaβo]) is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the east coast of the island bordered by the Vieques Passage, north of Humacao; south of Río Grande and Ceiba; and east of Las Piedras.[3] Naguabo is spread over eight barrios and Naguabo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). The municipality is composed of the barrios of Daguao, Río, Mariana, Peña Pobre, Pueblo, Río Blanco, Maizales, Santiago y Lima, and Duque.[2] It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Naguabo is renowned as the birthplace of the pastelillo de chapín, a popular dish in Puerto Rico. It is trunkfish wrapped inside deep-fried flour dough. Pastelillos de chapín can be found in almost any seaside establishment on the island. It is derived from the Taíno term Daguao, and the nickname "El Pueblo de los Enchumbaos" -an expression meaning "soaked"- comes from the abundant water sources and frequent rain.[3][2] The latter is due to Naguabo's proximity to El Yunque, a large rainforest reserve.[4]

History

[edit]

The first settlement in the area, Santiago, was built in 1513 near the Río Daguao with the intent of warding off Carib incursions.[5] The Spanish failed in this task and abandoned it a year later.[5] The current town of Naguabo was resettled in 1794 near a ravine on the east coast and relocated in 1821 to its current location.[3] In 1878, Naguabo had the following barrios: Pueblo, Maizales, Duque, Mariana, Quebrada Palma, Daguao, Santiago y Lima, Húcares, Río, Peña Pobre and Río Blanco. In 1521, Daguao was burned down by Caribs.[6][7][8]

Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Naguabo was 10,873. By 2008, the estimated population was 24,803.[3]

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Naguabo, the sector Playa Húcares on the coast was the most affected, with most homes destroyed or losing their roofs. The boardwalk was destroyed, and over 6,000 people reported losses.[9]

Geography

[edit]

Naguabo is located in the southeast region of Puerto Rico. The highest point in the municipality is Pico del Este in the Sierra de Luquillo at 3,419 feet (1,042 m) of elevation.[10][11][12]

Río Blanco and Río Espíritu Santo are located in Naguabo.[13] The Río Blanco river runs through Naguabo, ending in the Caribbean Sea near the municipal port.[14] Nearby, there is a recreational center named Centro Yudelmi.[15] In the zone, there are also Taíno petroglyphs carved into the stones.[16] The river is born from Río Cubuy, which originates in Luquillo[17] Lago Punta Lima and the mangroves of Bahía Corcho are also within its jurisdiction.[18][19]

Barrios

[edit]
Subdivisions of Naguabo.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Naguabo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo".[20][21][22][23]

  1. Daguao
  2. Duque
  3. Húcares
  4. Maizales
  5. Mariana
  6. Naguabo barrio-pueblo[24]
  7. Peña Pobre
  8. Río
  9. Río Blanco
  10. Santiago y Lima

Sectors

[edit]
Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Naguabo, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[24] and subbarrios,[25] are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[26][27][28]

Special Communities

[edit]
Main article: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens experience some degree of social exclusion. A map shows that these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Naguabo: Relámpago neighborhood, Río, Santiago y Lima, Daguao, La Florida, Casco Urbano in barrio-pueblo, Húcares, Maizales, Parcelas La Fe, and Río Blanco.[29]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
190010,873—
191014,36532.1%
192015,7889.9%
193018,21215.4%
194019,1805.3%
195021,0199.6%
196017,195−18.2%
197017,9964.7%
198020,61714.6%
199022,6209.7%
200023,7535.0%
201026,72012.5%
202023,386−12.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[30]
1899 (shown as 1900)[31] 1910-1930[32]
1930-1950[33] 1960-2000[34] 2010[22] 2020[35]

Its nickname, Pueblo de los Artistas, comes from several figures born there, including Carmen Delia Dipini and Cuqui Torres.[37] Independence militant Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, political figure Inés Mendoza, and athlete Elmer Williams were also born at Naguabo.[37] Both Diplo and Flores have yearly events held in their honor by the municipal government.[38] Near the original settlement of Santiago is Daguao, the area with the highest Afro-Caribbean population in the municipality.[5]

Tourism

[edit]

Landmarks and places of interest

[edit]
Beach, boardwalk, street lamps and people in Naguabo

There are 31 beaches in Naguabo.[39]

Near the Humacao coastal border lies Playa Tropical, a popular spot for surfers and other aquatic sports enthusiasts.[40] Sea turtles regularly make their nests on the coast of the area known as La Fansuca, from which the name is derived.[41] After being rescued and healed, Moíses (a manatee that gained celebrity status during the 1990s) was freed in the zone, being often sighted at Bahía El Corcho in Daguao.[42] Besides these sea mammals the bay also houses several species of mangroves, birds and fish.[43]

The main attractions in Naguabo are:

Buildings

[edit]

City Hall was built in 1929.[46] The town church was built between 1841 and 1856.[47] A 1900 Victorian-style building known as El Castillo Villa Del Mar, found at Playa Húcares, is recognized as a historic building and is on the national register.[48] A structure from 1920 was refurbished to house the municipal theatre, named after Diplo.[49] Other ancient buildings have been restored to house shops and a bank, the municipal gym building dates back to 1923.[50] The ruins of a historic lighthouse are managed by the municipal government.[51]

Modern additions include a set of statues depicting Diplo and Pedro Flores that adorn the municipal plaza.[52] The Malecón was built in 1990 and borders Naguabo's Bahía del Malecón, which is near the municipal pier and surrounded by food and artisanal businesses.[53] A stadium and coliseum are used to house sports, while another coliseum is specifically used to house cock fights.[54] The Plaza de Recreo hosts an acoustic shell.[55] A small fraction of the derelict military base formerly known as Roosevelt Roads is located at Daguao.[56]

Natural reserves

[edit]

The Bosque Urbano, a small forest found within the municipality's centre, houses tropical species, including the endangered ceiba.[57] The protected El Islote de Naguabo is a bird and reptile reserve.[58] Cayo Santiago was settled by pre-Columbian civilizations that left remains there.[59] It was later used as a refuge by pirates and other outlaws. In 1938, a population of monkeys was introduced for scientific purposes.[60] Their population has since grown, reaching more than a thousand individuals at its peak. Cayo Santiago has also become a tourist spot, with trips being offered by boat to the area adjacent to it and other keys.[60]

Cayo Algodones houses the eponymous and Punta Lima bays and serves as a nesting spot for herons, also features many rock formations that are tourist attractions, one shaped like a cocodrile's head (Piedra Zumbadora) and another tied to local folklore (Piedra del Indio).[61] Reefs and a submerged rock colloquially known as Piedra Ahogada require particular attention while navigating the zone of Cayo Algodones.[62]

Culture

[edit]

Festivals and events

[edit]

Naguabo celebrates its patron saint festival in October.[63] The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Virgen del Rosario is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[12]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Naguabo include:

  • Maratón Cervecero en Naguabo - January
  • Chapín Festival - February, held to celebrate the municipality's fishing tradition.[63]
  • Pedro Flores Week - March
  • Diplo Festival - June
  • Virgen del Carmen Fiesta - July 16

Economy

[edit]

Fishing is one of the municipality's main economic activities, and has been a historical anchor of its local economy.[64] Naguabo runs an industrial, agricultural (it produces coffee, coconut, sugar cane, Malpighia emarginata, among others) and cattle economy.[2] By 2008, ecotourism was on the rise.[65]

Symbols

[edit]

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[66]

Flag

[edit]

This municipality has a flag.[67]

Coat of arms

[edit]

This municipality has a coat of arms.[67]

Transportation

[edit]

A trolley offers public transportation in Naguabo.[68] It operates from 6:00 a.m. using the "Pisicorre" bus.[69][70] There are 52 bridges in Naguabo.[71]

Government

[edit]

A mayor administers all municipalities in Puerto Rico and is elected every four years. The current mayor of Naguabo is Miraidaliz Rosario Pagán, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). She was first elected at the 2020 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which two Senators represent. In 2024, Wanda Soto Tolentino and Luis Daniel Colón La Santa were elected as District Senators.[72]

Books about Naguabo

[edit]

Historia de Naguabo by Carmelo Rosario Natal

[edit]
  • Río Blanco reservoir in Naguabo
    Río Blanco reservoir in Naguabo
  • Street in Naguabo
    Street in Naguabo
  • Residential street in Naguabo
    Residential street in Naguabo
  • Highway from Naguabo to Ceiba
    Highway from Naguabo to Ceiba
  • Northeast Puerto Rico from atop El Yunque
    Northeast Puerto Rico from atop El Yunque
  • Radar towers in Naguabo
    Radar towers in Naguabo

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 9
  2. ^ a b c d Rivera 2008, pp. 12
  3. ^ a b c d Rivera 2008, pp. 11
  4. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 18
  5. ^ a b c Rivera 2008, pp. 86
  6. ^ De Córdova, Pedro Tomás, Memorias geográficas, históricas, económicas y estadisticas de la Isa de Puerto Rico, 1831, tomo 2, pág. 299
  7. ^ de Ubeda y Delgado, Manuel (1878). Puerto Rico: Estudio Histórico, Geográfico y Estadístico de la Misma. HathiTrust. p. 277. Retrieved October 29, 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ "La Historia de Puerto Rico a través de sus Barrios: Daguao de Naguabo [The History of Puerto Rico through its Barrios: Daguao in Naguabo]". www.pbslearningmedia.org (in Spanish). Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades. Archived from the original (video) on July 17, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  9. ^ "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. María empujó la costa y borró el malecón de Naguabo" [Maria, a name we won't forget. María pushed the coast and erased the boardwalk of Naguabo]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  10. ^ "Pico del Este (1611654)". www.usgs.gov/. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  11. ^ "Barrios de Puerto Rico: Barrio Daguao de Naguabo". PBS Learning Media. Florida PBS. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Naguabo Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  13. ^ "Rescatan a seis personas por inundaciones en Naguabo [Six people rescued after flooding in Naguabo]". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). July 30, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  14. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 28
  15. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 22
  16. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 27
  17. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 29
  18. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 14
  19. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 15
  20. ^ Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. (September 6, 1969). Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  21. ^ Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  22. ^ a b Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  23. ^ "Map of Naguabo at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  25. ^ "P.L. 94-171 VTD/SLD Reference Map (2010 Census): Naguabo Municipio, PR" (PDF). www2.census.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  26. ^ "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  27. ^ Rivera Quintero, Marcia (September 6, 2023), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón (published 2014), ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  28. ^ "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  29. ^ Rivera Quintero, Marcia (September 6, 2023), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (Primera edición ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón (published 2014), p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  30. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  31. ^ "Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899". War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  32. ^ "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  33. ^ "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  34. ^ "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  35. ^ "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  37. ^ a b Rivera 2008, pp. 103
  38. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 104
  39. ^ "Las 1,200 playas de Puerto Rico [The 1200 beaches of Puerto Rico]". Primera Hora (in Spanish). April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  40. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 46
  41. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 50
  42. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 92
  43. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 94
  44. ^ "Naguabo está lindo para la foto" [Naguabo is pretty for photos]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  45. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 23
  46. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 60
  47. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 66
  48. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 80
  49. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 68
  50. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 69
  51. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 52
  52. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 56
  53. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 36
  54. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 71
  55. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 58
  56. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 101
  57. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 33
  58. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 49
  59. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 116
  60. ^ a b Rivera 2008, pp. 112
  61. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 123
  62. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 130
  63. ^ a b Rivera 2008, pp. 106
  64. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 76
  65. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 13
  66. ^ "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  67. ^ a b "NAGUABO". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  68. ^ Rivera 2008, pp. 59
  69. ^ María Isabel Quiñones Arocho (2004). El fin del reino de lo propio ensayos de antropologia cultural. Siglo XXI. pp. 104–. ISBN 968-23-2494-7. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  70. ^ Garcia, Themis. "Understanding Collective Transportation". Medium. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  71. ^ "Naguabo Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  72. ^ Elecciones Generales 2024: Escrutinio General Archived November 15, 2024, at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR

Bibliography

  • Rivera Hernández, Ángel L. (2008). Naguabo: Gran paraíso turístico de Puerto Rico. Casa Editora Rivera.
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