Baños de Coamo
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The Baños de Coamo (; the "Baths of Coamo" or "Coamo Thermal Baths"), located in the municipality of
Coamo Coamo (, ) is a town and municipality founded in 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico, located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo ...
, are one of
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's thermal springs. Used by the Tainos in the pre-Columbian era, the Baños were believed by many to have healing powers. The Baños became a popular tourist attraction among the early Spanish settlers which prompted the construction of a resort by local entrepreneurs. Coamo was the site of an important battle during the Puerto Rico Campaign of the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
and were subject to artillery bombardments which damaged the resort. The historic Baños and resort were restored during the 20th century by the Government of Puerto Rico, becoming once more a popular tourist attraction.


History of the "Baños"

The Taino's who inhabited Puerto Rico before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
and the
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
conquistadors were the first people to discover the hot spring waters of Coamo.Puerto Rico Herald
According to local legend, the first governor of Puerto Rico Juan Ponce de León, heard about the healing powers of the Baños from the Tainos. Believing that the baths were the Fountain of Youth which he was seeking, Ponce de Leon asked where they were located, however he misunderstood the instructions given to him and instead headed by sea towards a new land which resulted in the discovery of
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and his death. During the mid-16th century the word spread among the Spanish settlers of the healing powers of the six sulfur-rich spring waters and as a consequence, many of the settlers began to make the regular journeys from San Juan to the mountainous region to enjoy what they believed were the benefits of said waters. In 1847, Andrés G. Luhring, an entrepreneur from Ponce, built the first structures in "Los Baños". He built a guest house (hostel) made of wood in front of the baths to house the frequent visitors. He later had the main guest house built of stone and wood. Luhring had barriers placed around the baths which provided the visitors with privacy while bathing. Luhring lacked the necessary capital to continue operations and sold his interest in the same to a native Coameño, José Usera Soriano who in 1857 built an elegant 20-room hotel out of brick, rubble masonry and wood. When the United States invaded Puerto Rico as a result of the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...
, the town of Coamo was involved in what is known as the Battle of Coamo during the Puerto Rico Campaign. Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Martinez-Illesas of the Spanish Army with 248 Spanish and Puerto Rican troops under his command held the Baños de Coamo. General
James H. Wilson James Harrison Wilson (September 2, 1837 – February 23, 1925) was a United States Army topographic engineer and a Union Army Major General in the American Civil War. He served as an aide to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan during the Maryland Cam ...
ordered the 3rd and 4th Regular Pennsylvania Artillery to provide artillery support for the frontal assault on the Baños, while Troop C covered the right side against flanking. The troops under Lt. Col. Martínez had already traveled eastward towards the town of Aibonito and only a handful of soldiers remained behind to delay the American advance. Troop C galloped at top speed north from the Baños de Coamo, after finding the resort abandoned by the Spanish. The damages caused by the artillery bombardment during the war are still visible today. In 1879,
Braulio Dueño Colon Braulio is a given name. *Braulio Estima, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist *Braulio García, a Spanish singer-songwriter who is often credited as "Braulio". *Braulio Guerra, Mexican politician *Braulio Mari, a Spanish sin ...
, a Puerto Rican musician and composer, composed the music for the Zarzuela (a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance) "Los Baños de Coamo" which was originally written by Genaro de Arazamendi. By the end 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, the springs gained international recognition. The resort that operated between 1847 and 1958 and which still had the hotel built by Usera Soriano in 1857, welcomed many notable visitors including
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
,
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
, Alexander Graham Bell, and
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...
. The Baños de Coamo resort closed its doors in 1959 and was in ruins and abandonment for many years. In contemporary times, the springs continue to be marketed as a great place to visit.


The Parador Program of Puerto Rico

In 1970 the
Government of Puerto Rico The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.Puerto Rico Herald - CARIBBEAN BUSINESS: Coamo Springs Natural Thermal Spa & Golf Resort


See also

*
Coamo, Puerto Rico Coamo (, ) is a town and municipality founded in 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico, located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo i ...
*
Military history of Puerto Rico The recorded military history of Puerto Rico encompasses the period from the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadores battled native Taínos in the rebellion of 1511, to the present employment of Puerto Ricans in the United States Armed Forces i ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banos de Coamo Hot springs of Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Puerto Rico