Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

The Pirate’s Hideout

quebradilla guajataca
Guajataca Tunnel

Quebradillas (ke-brah-DEE-yahs) is known as “the pirate’s hideout” or “the pirate city,” “the cooperative city,” and “Guajataca corner”. The municipality is located on the north coast of the island. The patron saint’s day festival is dedicated to Saint Raphael the Archangel, and is celebrated on the days around the Saint’s Day, October 24. Tourist attractions include the El Guajataca Hotel, a theme park, and Guajataca Lake, where there is sports fishing.

Quebradillas is located on the north coast of the island. The town is bordered on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Guajataca Lake (San Sebastián), on the east by Camuy and on the west by Río Guajataca (Isabela). It is part of the northwest plateau. The southern part of the town (part of San Antonio, Guajataca, and Charcas wards) has the topographical and climatic characteristics of the humid northern hills.

This municipality is part of the region called the western coastal valleys, which is uniformly flat. Its alluvial soil is very fertile, and rain is abundant from May to November and scarce from December to March. Rincón also has some ridges from the San Francisco mountain range.

The economy is largely based on agriculture (produce), cattle and dairy farming, as well as the food industry, textiles, machinery, electric and electronic equipment, among others.

Foundation:

Quebradillas was founded, in 1823, by Don Felipe Ruiz and Francisco A. Bravo who donated land, eight acres and one and one-half acres respectively to erect the municipal buildings. Around 1805, the struggle to obtain authorization to populate a town began between the neighbors of what today are known as the municipalities of Quebradillas and Camuy.

In 1815 the neighbors of Camuy Arriba, or Quebradillas, empowered Francisco Jiménez to request from the government authorization to found the town on the site of Quebradillas. After many efforts, on the 6th or 7th of June, 1823, the foundation of San Rafael of Quebradillas was carried out. That same year the municipal works began, fencing out the cemetery, and later followed the construction of the King’s House, which was concluded in 1824.

In 1902 the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved the law Consolidation of Certain Municipal Terms that eliminated the municipality of Quebradillas and incorporated its wards and civil employees to Camuy. Three years later, on March 9, 1905, a new law gave back to Quebradillas its title of municipality with the borders and wards it had in 1902.

Quebradillas derives its name from the existence of numerous small gorges (quebrada/quebradillas) that drain its territory.

Location:

mapa quebradillasQuebradillas is bordered by: the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guajataca River to the west, Camuy to the east, and Guajataca Lake to the south.

Area:

60.0 kilometros cuadrados / 23.0 millas cuadradas

Population:

25,450 (census 2000)

Population Density:

424.1 per sq km / 1,106.5 per sq mi

People are known as:

Quebradillanos

Quebradillas is also known as:

La Guarida del Pirata (The Pirate’s Hideout)
La Ciudad Pirata (Pirate City)
La Ciudad del Cooperativismo (Cooperativism City)
El Rincón de Guajataca (Guajataca’s Nook)

Wards: Quebradillas, Puerto Rico

barrios quebradillas

Census 2000:
Population by Wards – Quebradillas
Habitants
Cacao5,819
Charcas403
Cocos4,569
Guajataca1,622
Quebradillas Pueblo1,402
San Antonio5,262
San José2,532
Terranova3,841
Total 25,450

Source: Censo 2000

Patron:

San Rafael Arcángel
San Rafael Arcangel Parish
110 San Carlos
Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
(787) 895-2035

quebrdilla iglesia
San Rafael Arcangel Parish

Topography:

It belongs to the Northwestern Plateau, but to the south of its territory (Guajataca, Charcas and part of San Antonio) presents the topographic and climatic characteristics of the region of humid hills of the north, in which the elevations above sea level fluctuate between the 200 and 500 meters (656 and 1.640 feet); the Guarionex mountains run through these wards. This municipality is also in the karst region where we find wooded hills, drains, and caverns; all typical of this region.

Hydrography:

To the east flows the Guajataca River and in the south it has the Guajataca Lake.

Economy:

Agriculture; cattle, comerce and tourism.

Average Salary:

$249.71 weekly (1998)

Flag:

quebradillas bandera The flag is a symbol that relates us to this part of Puerto Rico, displaying it to express that we are standing. The flag, outer part of the shield, forms part of the blazons. It has two red quarters. The red stands for struggle, effort and sacrifice. The other two quarters have each five (5) green and white stripes, similar to those that appear in the shield.

The green symbolizes renovation, spring, transformation, as we represent it in the branches and leaves of our friend the tree. The waves remember the small gorges that sing the freshness of our meadows, and also the blue waters of our Guajataca, unique in their beauty. They also recall the athletic vigor of the waves of our sea, from which the warring and well-known soldier name of pirates came from.

Coat Of Arms:

quebradillas escudoThe symbolism of the shield is taken from the name of the town, Quebradillas and from the attributes of its patron saint, Arcángel San Rafael of the Quebradillas.

The three waved stripes represent the quebradillas, over the green background of the vegetation. The fish and the walking stick (distinctive of the traveller), are insignias of San Rafael Arcángel, by allusion from the episodes narrated in the book of Tobías in the Old Testament. These attributes appear in the old seal of the parochial church of San Rafael of the Quebradillas.

Events:

  • Wake of the Three Kings – January
  • Kite festival – February
  • Guajataca Carnival – January/February
  • Serenade to mothers – May
  • Serenade to fathers – June
  • Patron saint’s festival for Saint Raphael the Archangel – October
  • Cultural Festival – December

Places To Visit:

quebradilla lago
Lake Guajataca
  • Old Amador Plantation
  • Noah’s Ark
  • Pedro Albizu Campos Recreational Area (El Merendero)
  • Mosaic murals – inspired Quebradillas.
  • Wechy’s Mini Golf
  • The twin ceiba (silk-cotton) trees
  • Saint Raphael the Archangel Church
  • Guajataca Lake
  • Los Cocos Bakery – famous for its wood oven bread
  • Passive Park Kennedy Subdivision
  • Los Dinosaurios Recreational Park
  • Linares Promenade and Obelisk in honor of Luis Muñoz Marín
  • El Pirata de Charcas – rock sculpture.
  • Shrine of the Magi
  • Ruins of Hermina Port
  • Liberty Theater

Distinguished Citizens:

  • Rafael A. Avila – journalist and founder of the El Progreso weekly
  • Luis Germán Cajigas – painter
  • Julio Cordero – journalist
  • Raymond Dalmau – basketball player
  • Vicenta Deliz – educator
  • Pedro Hernández – athlete
  • Luis M. Hernández Saavedra – writer and historian
  • Angel Muñoz-Igartúa – poet, attorney and political figure. Mayor of Manatí (1940 – 1944). His works include books of poetry such as Savia íntima (1927) and Vibraciones (1960).
  • Manuel Ramos-Hernández – writer
  • Dr. Alejandro Ruiz Soler – first Puerto Rican to hold the position of Commissioner of Public Health, founder of the tuberculosis sanatorium in Río Piedras.
  • Francisco Santiago Sosa – athlete in the Hall of Fame
  • Rafael Sosa Santiago – journalist
  • Guillermo Venegas-Lloveras – journalist, composer, poet, writer, and singer. He collaborated with the newspaper El imparcial. Venega’s books of poetry include Cien caras del amor (1972) and La luna, Puerto Rico, ella y yo (1976). He wrote a book of essays called Marzo and a novel called Así hablará Jesús (1985). His compositions include Génesis, sung by Lucecita Benítez at the Latino Song World Festival in 1969, which was awarded first prize as the best song.

Public Schools sorted by educational levels.

Quebradillas District

Name Level Telephone Address
JOSÉ DE DIEGOELEMENTAL(787) 895-5709PO Box 1437
RAMÓN ÁVILA MOLINARIELEMENTAL(787) 895-3169PO Box 1437
RAMÓN EMETERIO BETANCESELEMENTAL(787) 895-2575PO Box 1559
RAMÓN SAAVEDRAELEMENTAL(787) 895-0275PO Box 1559
DR. PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOSINTERMEDIO(787) 895-2780PO Box 1008
EUGENIO MARIA DE HOSTOSSEGUNDA UNIDAD(787) 895-5077PO Box 1559
HONORIO HERNÁNDEZSEGUNDA UNIDAD(787) 895-2962PO Box 707
LUIS MUÑOZ RIVERASEGUNDA UNIDAD(787) 895-2146HC 2 Box 9693
JUAN ALEJO ARIZMENDISUPERIOR(787) 895-2180PO Box 1555
SUP. MANUEL RAMOS HERNÁNDEZSUPERIOR(787) 895-7117PO Box 1564

Hymn:

By Guillermo Venegas Lloveras

De lejos canto, porque anhela el corazón
cantarle a este rincón que no se olvida.
De lejos canto, mi más sentida canción
que llena de recuerdos nuestras vidas.

Hay que ver como de noche la luna
va castigando el palmar,
y con látigos de plata
va azotando inútilmente el mar.

Y se ven maravillosas
como duendes en retozo,
los destellos intranquilos
en el límpido cristal.

Noche, sutil maravilla
yo vi en Quebradillas
a noche más linda
que pude soñar.

Cálida, salpicada de estrellas,
romance y querellas canciones
que tienen sabor tropical.

How to get to Quebradillas from San Juan.

direction quebradillas

 

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