Guánica (, ) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an o ...
and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
in southwestern
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 ...
, bordering the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexic ...
, south of
Sabana Grande, east of
Lajas, and west of
Yauco
Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana G ...
. It is part of the
Yauco metropolitan statistical area
The Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in southwestern Puerto Rico. A July 1, 2009 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 125,266, a 6.10% increase over the 20 ...
.
The town of
Guánica, also known as
Pueblo de Guánica, is the principal town of the municipality. The town's population in 2000 was 9,247 people among 3,808 housing units over a land area of . The town is located on a deeply indented
harbor
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
of the same name. The harbor resembles a tropical
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icel ...
, narrow and bordered by rugged hills, barely a quarter-mile wide, but about from mouth to the town. The town is about and over two hours' driving distance from
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, and about west of
Ponce.
Guánica's postal ZIP Code is 00653 and telephone area codes are 787 and 939. The urban settlement of
Ensenada has a separate postal ZIP Code of 00647.
History
Settlement
Juan Ponce de Leon
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, ...
landed in the
Guánica harbor on August 12, 1508, and founded a town called
Guaynía, a word derived from the
Taíno
The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...
language that is popularly said to mean "''Here is a place with water''". The town, considered the first capital of the island of Puerto Rico (which was at that time named ''Isla de San Juan Bautista''), was destroyed during the indigenous uprising of 1511, and the area was abandoned by Europeans for some years, during which time
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
(itself at first called Puerto Rico) became the capital of the island.
Puerto Rico was ceded by
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
in the aftermath 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 = (clock ...
under the terms of the
Treaty of Paris of 1898
The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898 ( fil, Kasunduan sa Paris ng 1898; es, Tratado de París de 1898), was a treaty signed by Spain and the United Stat ...
and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
conducted a
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Guánica was 2,700.
The re-founded town of Guánica was at first a barrio of the municipality of
Yauco
Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana G ...
until Guánica was established as a separate municipality on March 13, 1914. Víctor Ángel Sallaberry Safini was Guánica's first mayor.
Invasion
On July 25, 1898, American forces (who included the young poet-writer
Carl Sandburg
Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...
led by General
Nelson A. Miles) landed in Guánica as part of the course of the
Puerto Rican Campaign in 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 = (clock ...
. This invasion led to Puerto Rico being acquired by the United States. The invasion, just one small part of the war between Spain and United States, occurred in Guánica due to its sheltered harbor and proximity to
Ponce, besides being such an unexpected site for such an attack, which had been anticipated at the heavily fortified city of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
. The ''Gloucester'' was the first ship to set anchor in the
Bay of Guánica. Twenty-eight sailors and
Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
, under the command of lieutenants H. P. Huse and Wood, departed from the ship on rafts and landed on the beach. The Marines lowered the
Spanish flag from the beach flagpole and replaced it with the
American flag
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...
. They then proceeded to set up a machine gun nest and placed
barbed wire
A close-up view of a barbed wire
Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is ...
around their perimeter. The first land skirmish in Puerto Rico between the Puerto Rican militia and the American forces occurred when Lt. Méndez López and his men attacked and opened fire on the Americans. During the small battle which followed, the Americans returned fire with their machine gun and the ''Gloucester'' began to bombard the Spanish position. Lt. Méndez López and three of his men were wounded and the militia unit was forced to retreat to the town of
Yauco
Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana G ...
.
The invasion is commemorated by a contentious monument on the waterfront: along a broad paseo (''el malecón''), there is a large coral boulder known as the
Guánica Rock (''Piedra de Guánica'') marked by the carved words, ''"3rd Battalion, 1st U.S.V. Engineers, September 16, 1898."'' July 25 was subsequently commemorated in Puerto Rico as Occupation Day, later renamed Constitution Day (see
Public holidays in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico celebrates all official U.S. holidays, and a number of other official holidays established by the Commonwealth government.
Additionally, many municipalities celebrate their own Patron Saint Festivals (''fiestas patronales'' in Spa ...
).
Today
Guánica is a modern town that maintains roots and connections to a traditional past. Known as ''el pueblo de la amistad'' ('the town of friendship'), it is also occasionally referred to as ''el pueblo de las doce calles'' ('the town of the twelve streets'). The
central part of town consists of five streets running north–south crossing seven other streets that run east–west, resulting in a compact grid of 24 square blocks, one of which is the main town square. Facing the square are the Catholic church, city hall, a school, and many shops; the plaza itself contains greenery, walks, and a music stand. In recent years this central area of the twelve streets has been extensively supplemented by suburbs in the south and west. Hills surround the town and harbor, including the hill to the east of town, itself topped by the tiny
Fort Caprón. Two large factories, one producing fertilizer, partially distract the eye from the pleasant landscape, but both have been important to the economy of the town, at one time dominated by the sugar plantations of
Central Guánica. The resort chain known as
Club Med
Club Med SAS, commonly known as Club Med and previously known as Club Méditerranée SA, is a French travel and tourism operator headquartered in Paris, specializing in all-inclusive holidays. Founded in 1950, the company has been primarily o ...
once attempted to set up a luxury resort on beaches east of the town but withdrew due to local opposition which was apprehensive about both environmental and community degradation. East of the town some of land, including of beach, have been intermittently for sale. It is a fishing village; commercial fishermen still ply their traditional trade beyond the harbor entrance.
Copamarina Beach Resort & Spa offers beach access and a short boat ride to
Gilligan Island, the westernmost key of the
Cayos de Caña Gorda
The Cayos de Caña Gorda ( eng, italic=yes, Caña Gorda Keys or ''Cays'') is a group of three uninhabited, mangrove-covered keys, located at off the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. They belong to barrio Carenero of Guánica municipio. The ...
, which is a great spot to go
snorkeling
Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...
. The water is crystal clear and shallow, in which old pieces of coral and fish can be seen. People can walk or swim from one island to another.
On September 20, 2017,
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...
struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Guánica, 951 homes were damaged or destroyed.
On January 6, 2020, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake was felt in Guánica and nearby municipalities, and several residences and cars were destroyed. On January 7, 2020, a
6.4 magnitude earthquake hit.
Geography
Guánica has mountains and a dry forest. The
Guánica State Forest
The Guánica State Forest ( es, Bosque Estatal de Guánica), popularly known as the Guánica Dry Forest (Spanish: ''Bosque seco de Guánica'') is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico. The area was designated as a forest reserv ...
(''Bosque Estatal de Guánica'') is also the name of a
dry forest reserve east and west of the town, the largest remaining tract of tropical dry coastal forest in the world and designated an international
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in 1981. The park comprising much of the dry forest is known as ''Bosque Seco de Guánica''.
Highway Route 116, the nearest principal road, heads west toward
Lajas and east toward
Ponce, passing through the island of Puerto Rico's driest area. The largely
intact forest of the Guánica Dry Forest reserve hosts the greatest number of bird species found on the island, including several bird species seldom found anywhere else: the
Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo
The Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo (''Coccyzus vieilloti'') is a species of bird in the tribe Phaenicophaeini, subfamily Cuculinae of the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the ...
,
Puerto Rican woodpecker
The Puerto Rican woodpecker (''Melanerpes portoricensis'') is the only woodpecker endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and is one of the five species of the genus ''Melanerpes'' that occur in the Antilles. Furthermore, it is the only resid ...
, the
Puerto Rican nightjar
The Puerto Rican nightjar or Puerto Rican Whip-poor-will (''Antrostomus noctitherus'') is a bird in the nightjar family found in the coastal dry scrub forests in localized areas of southwestern Puerto Rico. It was described in 1916 from bones fo ...
, and the
Puerto Rican emerald
The Puerto Rican emerald (''Riccordia maugaeus''), or zumbadorcito de Puerto Rico in Spanish, is species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.Bündgen, R. and P. F. D. Boes ...
hummingbird. Other animals thought to be extinct in Puerto Rico have turned up in this forest. Many different types of cacti grow here, a stunning contrast to the lush
Caribbean National Forest
El Yunque National Forest ( es, Bosque Nacional El Yunque), formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest (or ''Bosque Nacional del Caribe''), is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rainforest in the United Sta ...
in the northeast part of the island, which is a
tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equator ...
. The contrast is due to the mountain ridge ''
Cordillera Central'' which separates Guánica from the northeast part of the island; while the northeast receives over of precipitation each year, Guánica receives less than 30, and some regions of the forest reserve are said to receive only six inches.
The forest reserve of some contains of trails through four different forest types:
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
trees, a coastal region with tree-size
milkweed
''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to hum ...
and
prickly pear cactus, a
mahogany
Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus '' Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: U ...
forest, and twisted
gumbo limbo trees. There are about 700 varieties of plants, including ''aroma'' (
acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...
) and ''
guayacan
''Guaiacum'' (''OED'' 2nd edition, 1989.[Entry "guaiacum"](_blank)
in
Puerto Rican nightjar
The Puerto Rican nightjar or Puerto Rican Whip-poor-will (''Antrostomus noctitherus'') is a bird in the nightjar family found in the coastal dry scrub forests in localized areas of southwestern Puerto Rico. It was described in 1916 from bones fo ...
), found nowhere else. Also found in the area are the Puerto Rico crested toad (''
Peltophryne lemur
The Puerto Rican crested toad (''Peltophryne lemur''), or simply Puerto Rican toad, is a species of toad found only in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is the only species of toad native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The species ...
'') and, sometimes on the beaches,
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...
and
leatherback turtles, though their eggs suffer severe predation from
mongoose
A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...
s one time introduced to fight
rats in
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
fields.
Barrios
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Guánica is subdivided into
barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as .
#
Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
#
Caño
#
Carenero
#
Ciénaga
#
Ensenada
#
Guánica barrio-pueblo
Guánica barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center (seat) of Guánica, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 3,514.
As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called '' pueblo'' wh ...
#
Montalva
#
Susúa Baja
Sectors
Barrios (which are like
minor civil divisions
A minor civil division (MCD) is a term used by the United States Census Bureau for primary governmental and/or administrative divisions of a county or county-equivalent, typically a municipal government such as a city, town, or civil township. MCD ...
)
and subbarrios,
in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units 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
(Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of
social exclusion
Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
. 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 Guánica: Esperanza neighborhood, Callejón Magüeyes, El Batey, El Tumbao, Ensenada, Fuig, La Luna, and Playa Santa.
Tourism
Landmarks and places of interest
Guánica has 39 beaches, including .
* Guánica Parador 1929 is a historic inn near the sugar mill
*Museum of Art and History of Guánica (former town hall)
*Azul Beach
* Ballenas Bay
* Ballenas Beach (is considered a dangerous beach)
*
Caprón Fortress
*Casa Alejada
*Cayo Aurora (popularly known as
Gilligan's Island
''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...
)
*
Copamarina Beach Resort
*El Malecón (Boardwalk)
*
Guánica Bay
*Playa Manglillo is a beach near Playa Santa.
*Playa Santa Beach
*Punta de Brea, a surf spot
*Punta Jorobao
*
Hacienda Santa Rita
*Serra Beach
*
Central Guánica (Sugar Cane Refinery)
*
Guánica State Forest
The Guánica State Forest ( es, Bosque Estatal de Guánica), popularly known as the Guánica Dry Forest (Spanish: ''Bosque seco de Guánica'') is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico. The area was designated as a forest reserv ...
, also called Guánica Dry Forest is a 9,000-acre forest
*Mimi's Guest House, a small guest in the Guánica State Forest
*''Mary Lee's By the Sea''
*
Guánica Light
Guánica Light ( es, Faro de Guánica) was a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico in the Guánica State Forest. It was first lit in 1893 and deactivated in 1950. The light marked the entrance to Guánica Bay an ...
house ruins
Economy
Agriculture
*Salt and Sugarcane
Industry
*Manufacture (apparel)
Culture
Festivals and events
Guánica celebrates its
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
festival in July. The 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 Guánica include:
*Fish Festival – April
*July 25 Parade – July
*
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santerv� ...
Celebration – August
Demographics
Government
Like all municipalities in
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 ...
, Guánica is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is
Ismael (Titi) Rodríguez Ramos, from the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Rodríguez was elected in the
2020 general election after a close race with Santos Seda (Papichy) from the
New Progressive Party (PNP). While both candidates received almost the same share of the vote, 2,000 ballots where write in votes mostly for Edgardo Cruz Vélez an independent candidate. This resulted in a vote recount and while the initial results signaled Vélez was the victor, after weeks of counting, Rodríguez was declared the winner. Vélez initially conceded the race but then petitioned a court to adjudge early voting ballots to his count. This court case and subsequent court appeal where both dismissed.
The city belongs to the
Puerto Rico Senatorial district V
Puerto Rico Senatorial District V, also known as the Senatorial District of Ponce, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Marially González Huertas and Ramón Ruiz Nieves (both from the Popular ...
, which is represented by two senators. In
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
Ramón Ruiz
Ramón Ruiz Nieves is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Ruiz was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2012. Ruiz was elected once again in the election in 2020 as District Senator.
Ruiz was born in Arecibo. ...
and
Martín Vargas Morales
Martín Vargas Morales (born December 12, 1971) is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Vargas served as Mayor of Guánica for three consecutive terms (2000-2012). He was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in ...
, from the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD), were elected as District Senators. In
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
,
Marially Gozález and
Ramón Ruiz
Ramón Ruiz Nieves is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Ruiz was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2012. Ruiz was elected once again in the election in 2020 as District Senator.
Ruiz was born in Arecibo. ...
, from the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD), were elected as District Senators.
Symbols
The has an official flag and coat of arms.
Flag
The five waves, blue and yellow represent the Guánica Bay, a fragment of the Official Shield of Guánica.
Coat of arms
Shield divided in four quarters. In the superior right side, it has a "bohío" (a
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
hut) under a crown that represents Cacique
Agüeybaná, whose yucayeque (Indian territory) was in this region. In the superior left quarter, a lion representing
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santerv� ...
. The red and yellow checkered strips over a silver-plated background in the inferior right side represent the shields of Don
Cristóbal de Sotomayor, founder of the town of Tavara, the actual location of Guánica. The waved stripes represent the bay of this town. The branches surrounding the shield represent the
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
industry that was very important in this region.
Notable "Guaniqueños"
*
Agüeybaná and
Agüeybaná II
Agüeybaná II (c. 14701511), born Güeybaná and also known as Agüeybaná El Bravo (English: ''Agüeybaná The Brave''), was one of the two principal and most powerful ''caciques'' of the Taíno people in " Borikén" when the Spaniards first arr ...
,
Taíno
The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...
chiefs
*
Rose Franco (b. 1932), first Puerto Rican woman Chief Warrant Officer in U.S. Marine Corps
* Primitivo Anglada – Activist in obtaining Guánica's municipal independence. First secretary of the town council.
* Miguel A. Morciglio – Member of the House of Representatives for District 24 (1961–64).
* Carmen Ramírez Vargas (Lolita Vargas) – Singer, actress, and educator.
* Rubén del Rosario – Educator, writer, and linguist.
* Víctor Sallaberry – First mayor elected by the people, in 1914.
* Pedro Santana Ronda – Writer, poet, and journalist. Was published in the weekly paper ''El Erizo''.
* Domingo Suárez Cruz – Civic leader, political orator, and writer. Was keeper of the Guánica Lighthouse. The public library was named in his honor.
* María Heliodora Vargas – Educator and author of the poem «La bandera de los guaniqueños» ('The Flag of the Guaniqueños').
* Pedro Juan Vargas Mercado – Journalist and historian.
* Pedro Vargas Rodríguez – Secretary of the Separation Committee that achieved the emancipation of the municipality. Poet, orator, musician, writer, and journalist. Founded ''El Fósforo'' (1908) and ''Brisas del Caribe'' (1915), the first newspapers in Guánica.
Transportation
At one time during 1937, Guánica received domestic, commercial airline flights from
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
on Puerto Rico's national airline,
Puertorriqueña de Aviación.
There are 25 bridges in Guánica.
Gallery
Guanica mangroves (6482328887).jpg, Guánica mangroves
Playa Jaboncillo, Guánica Puerto Rico.jpg,
Playa Jaboncillo y Bosque Seco.jpg, and in Guánica
Embarcadero en Guánica, Puerto Rico.jpg, Pier in Guánica
Fortín Caprón.jpg,
Fuerte Caprón.jpg,
Fuerte Caprón, rotonda.jpg, Facade of
Malecón de Guánica, Puerto Rico.jpg, Guánica boardwalk
Adventist Temple in Guánica, Puerto Rico.jpg, Adventist Temple in Guánica
Books
*Torres, Angel Luis, Walter Torres, and Miguel Canals. ''En el Bosque Seco de Guánica''. San Juan, Puerto Rico: La Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico (Colección San Pedrito), 1995. – Children's picture book about a trip through the dry forest of Guánica with a sea turtle.
*La Muerte de un Gigante: historia de la central guanica, autora Aria E. Ramos
La Muerte de Un Gigante: Historia de la Central Guanica y el poblado de Ensenada: Maria E. Ramos: 9781563281471: Amazon.com: Books
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
History of Puerto Rico
The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people between 430 BC and AD 1000. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taí ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Guánica, Puerto Rico
*
Did you know-Puerto Rico?
References
External links
Visit the Guanica dry forest*
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060117033219/http://ponce.inter.edu/acad/cursos/ciencia/pages/guanica.htm Bosque Seco de GuánicaEl Bosque Estatal de GuánicaWelcome to Puerto Rico! Guánica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guanica, Puerto Rico
Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Populated coastal places in Puerto Rico
Populated places established in 1508
1511 disestablishments
Yauco metropolitan area
1508 establishments in the Spanish Empire