Naguabo, Puerto Rico

Naguabo 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. Naguabo is spread over 8 barrios and Naguabo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Naguabo is renowned for and is said to be the birthplace of the pastelillo de chapín, which is a popular food 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.

History
The town of Naguabo was founded near a ravine on the east coast and relocated in 1821 to its current location. 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.

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.

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

Geography
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.

Río Blanco and Río Espiritu Santo are located in Naguabo.

Barrios
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".


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

Sectors
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, 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.

Special Communities
Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows 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.

Landmarks and places of interest
There are 31 beaches in Naguabo. The main attractions in Naguabo are:
 * Algodones Key
 * El Yunque National Forest (South Side via PR State Road 191 - Closed at KM 13 (mile marker 8.1) (approx.) due to Road Closure)
 * Naguabo Beach
 * Punta Lima Beach
 * Ramón Rivero "Diplo" Monument
 * Tropical Beach
 * Yudelmi Center
 * Pedro Flores Monument
 * Hucares Waterfront (El Malecón - the boardwalk)
 * the main town square (Plaza De Recreo)
 * Charco El Hippie

Festivals and events
Naguabo celebrates its patron saint festival in October. 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.

Other festivals and events celebrated in Naguabo include:
 * Maratón Cervecero en Naguabo -January
 * Chapín Festival - February
 * Pedro Flores Week - March
 * Diplo Festival - June
 * Virgen del Carmen Fiesta - July 16

Symbols
The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag
This municipality has a flag.

Coat of arms
This municipality has a coat of arms.

Transportation
There is public transportation in Naguabo. It operates from 6:00 a.m. using the "Pisicorre" bus. There are 52 bridges in Naguabo.

Government
Naguabo is led by a mayor. On January 2, 2021, Miraidaliz Rosario Pagán from the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) began her term as mayor of Naguabo.

Books about Naguabo
Historia de Naguabo by Carmelo Rosario Natal