Barranquitas, Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Barranquitas is a small mountain town located in the central region of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, south of Corozal
Corozal, Puerto Rico
Corozal is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south Vega Alta; southwest of Toa Alta; east of Morovis and Orocovis; and west of Naranjito. Corozal is spread over 12 wards and Corozal Pueblo...
and Naranjito
Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Naranjito is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, south of Toa Alta; north of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Corozal; and west of Bayamón. Naranjito is spread over 15 wards and Naranjito Pueblo...
; north of Coamo
Coamo, Puerto Rico
Coamo is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern region, north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo is spread over 10 wards and Coamo Pueblo...
and Aibonito
Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerio; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo...
; west of Comerío
Comerío, Puerto Rico
Comerío is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center-eastern region of island, north of Aibonito; south of Naranjito and Bayamón; east of Barranquitas; and west of Cidra and Aguas Buenas. Comerío is spread over 7 wards and Comerío Pueblo...
and Cidra
Cidra, Puerto Rico
Cidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo...
; and east of Orocovis
Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Orocovis is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range, north of Villalba and Coamo; south of Morovis and Corozal; southeast of Ciales; east of Jayuya; and west of Barranquitas...
. Barranquitas is spread over 6 wards and Barranquitas Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Barranquitas is about one hour by winding roads from San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, the capital. It is nestled amid hills and mountains, and nearby, between Barranquitas and Aibonito, is located the "cañón de San Cristóbal" (Canyon of San Cristopher); one of the deepest canyons in the Indies. For years, the overlook was used as a municipal garbage; in the last decade, the refuse was removed and the site restored.
History
Barranquitas's local Taino Indian Cacique (Chief) was called OrocobixOrocobix
Orocobix was the principal regional Taino Cacique of the central mountain region of Puerto Rico called Jatibonicu in the 16th century. The Jatibonicu territorial region covered the present day municipalities of Aibonito, Orocovis, Barranquitas, Morovis and Corozal...
and his yucayeque or tribe was known as the Jatibonicu Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
.
The town was founded in 1803 by Antonio Aponte Ramos.
Early in the 20th century, Barranquitas residents, known as Barranquiteños, had a short but legendary territory war with residents of the city of Comerío
Comerío, Puerto Rico
Comerío is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center-eastern region of island, north of Aibonito; south of Naranjito and Bayamón; east of Barranquitas; and west of Cidra and Aguas Buenas. Comerío is spread over 7 wards and Comerío Pueblo...
.
Demographics
Among Puerto Ricans on the island, people born in Barranquitas are known to be "good looking" . Most of the Puerto Ricans born in the town are known to have light-colored eyes and have strong European features. Many also have an apparent mestizo look to them. The reason for this phenomenon is due to the migration of many Taino Indians during the Spanish colonization. Many Tainos fled to the mountainous region to escape slavery. Many poor Spanish and other European immigrants moved to this region as well and settled as coffee growers. Eventually, the Taino and European immigrants intermarried and created what is called the "mestizoMestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
".
Barrios (Districts/Wards)
- Barrancas
- Barranquitas Pueblo
- Cañabón
- Helechal
- Honduras
- Palo Hincado
- Quebrada Grande
- Quebradillas
Geo/Topography
Rivers: Río de BarranquitasRío de Barranquitas
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río Grande de Manatí
Río Grande de Manatí
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río de la Plata
Rio de la Plata (Puerto Rico)
The Rio de la Plata is the longest river in the island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the north coast of the island. It flows from south to north, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean about 11 miles west of San Juan...
, Piñonas, Río Hondo
Río Hondo (Comerio, Puerto Rico)
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, and Río Usabón
Río Usabón
-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
.
Landmarks and places of interest
Barranquitas is the burial place of two prominent Puerto RicanPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
politicians, Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico....
(who was born in town) and his son, Governor Luis Muñoz Marín
Luis Muñoz Marín
Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. Regarded as the "father of modern Puerto Rico," he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Marín was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera, a renowned autonomist leader...
(who was born in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
). This has made Barranquitas a popular tourist attraction among Puerto Ricans. The birthplace of Muñoz Rivera has been turned into a museum.
- Camp Morton
- El Cortijo Castle
- Hacienda Grande Ruins
- Luis Muñoz Rivera Cultural Center
- Luis Muñoz Rivera Museum
- San Cristóbal Gorge
Festivals and events
- De la Vega Festival - May
- San Antonio de Padua Patron Festivities - June
- National Artesans Fair - July
Sports
Barranquitas has no professional sports teams, but there are some amateur sports teams that play there. A yearly craft fair is held in town.Education in Barranquitas
List of Schools:| School | Level | Ward | Public | Location(s) | Coords |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escuela La Torre | K-6 | Cañabón Cañabón Cañabón is one of the eleven wards in Caguas, Puerto Rico.-Area:Cañabón has a total land area of out of its total area space of... |
Yes | Carr 770 Km 2 Hm 1 Sector La Torre | 18.207048°N 66.338311°W |
| Escuela Cañabón Abajo | K-6 | Barrancas | Yes | Carr 172 | |
| Escuela Mana Abajo | K-6 | Barrancas | Yes | Carr 771 Km 9 Hm 2 Sector Mana Abajo | 18.235955°N 66.306095°W |
| Escuela El Portón | K-6 | Honduras Honduras Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize... |
Yes | Carr 156 Km 17 Hm 7 Sector El Portón | 18.191368°N 66.306278°W |
| Escuela El Farallón | K-6 | Quebradillas | Yes | Carr 152 Km 7 Hm 6 | 18.237845°N 66.293371°W |
| Escuela Sinforoso Aponte | K-6 | Quebradillas | Yes | Carr 152 Km 7 Hm 6 | 18.212475°N 66.290946°W |
| Escuela Petroamérica Pagán | K-6 | Pueblo Pueblo Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material... |
Yes | Calle Muñoz Rivera #14 | 18.186292°N 66.307554°W |
| Escuela La Vega (Stephen S. Huse) | K-6 | Pueblo Pueblo Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material... |
Yes | Carr 771 Km 0 Hm 3 Bda La Vega | 18.190083°N 66.315011°W |
| Escuela S.U. Palo Hincado (Federico Degetau) | K-9 | Palo Hincado | Yes | Carr 156 Km 11 Hm 4 | 18.189742°N 66.342675°W |
| Escuela S.U. La Loma (Antonio Vázquez Ramos) | K-9 | Quebrada Grande | Yes | Carr 156 Km 20 Hm 1 | 18.184485°N 66.277771°W |
| Escuela S.U. Helechal | K-9 | Helechal | Yes | Carr 162 Km 7 Hm 4 | 18.169233°N 66.314842°W |
| Escuela S.U. Lajitas (Ramon T Rivera) | K-9 | Barrancas | Yes | Carr 771 Km 5 Hm 4 | 18.223767°N 66.31327°W |
| Escuela Pedro Laboy | 7-9 | Quebradillas | Yes | Carr 152 Km 6 Hm 5 | 18.23034°N 66.284873°W |
| Escuela José Berríos Berdecia | 7-9 | Pueblo Pueblo Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material... |
Yes | Calle Melitón Pereles | 18.187759°N 66.309088°W |
| Escuela Pablo Colón Berdecia (Superior Vocational) | 10-12 | Pueblo Pueblo Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material... |
Yes | Calle Barcelo Final | 18.186302°N 66.301289°W |
| Escuela Luis Muñoz Marín (Superior Commerce) | 10-12 | Quebradillas | Yes | Calle A Sector Nuevo | 18.191551°N 66.307908°W |
| San Francisco de Asís School | K-9 | Helechal | No | Carr 719 Km 2 Hm 5 Sector Hoya Honda | 18.168068°N 66.30937°W |