Gatas or, more commonly, Isla de Gatas, is a small
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in barrio
Playa in the municipality of
Ponce in southern
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 ...
. A
tied island
Tied islands, or land-tied islands as they are often known, are landforms consisting of an island that is connected to mainland or another island only by a tombolo: a spit of beach materials connected to land at both ends. St Ninian's Isle i ...
since the
1950s
The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
connected to the Puerto Rico mainland via a
tombolo
A tombolo is a sandy or shingle isthmus. A tombolo, from the Italian ', meaning 'pillow' or 'cushion', and sometimes translated incorrectly as ''ayre'' (an ayre is a shingle beach of any kind), is a deposition landform by which an island become ...
, Isla de Gatas is home to
Club Náutico de Ponce
The Club Náutico de Ponce (''Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club'') is a yacht club in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The club is located contiguously on Isla de Gatas, near the La Guancha recreational and cultural area, and next to the Port of Ponce.
The co ...
, a private sports complex. It is located south of
La Guancha and the
Port of Ponce
The Rafael Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas es, Puerto de las Américas Rafael Cordero Santiago (PLA) is a megaport currently under construction in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The project aims to convert the current Port of Ponce into a value-add ...
. Together with
Caja de Muertos
Caja de Muertos (; also in English: ''Coffin Island'') is an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico, in the municipality of Ponce. The island and its surrounding waters are protected by the Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve, beca ...
,
Morrillito
Morrillito is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The island is protected by the ''Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos'' natural reserve because of its native turtle traffic. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Raton ...
,
Ratones,
Cardona,
Isla del Frio
Isla or ISLA may refer to:
Organizations
* International Securities Lending Association, a trade association
* International School of Los Angeles
* International Bilingual School, later named International School of Los Angeles
People
* Isla (g ...
, and
Isla de Jueyes
Isla de Jueyes are a group of three small uninhabited islands off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Morrillito, Ratones, Cardona, and Isla del Frío, Isla de Jueyes is one of seven islands ascribed to ...
, Gatas is one of seven islands in the municipality of
Ponce.
Location and geography
While geographically it is considered an island on its own right, Gatas is actually physically attached to the Puerto Rico mainland, thanks to the construction of a dike in the
1950s
The 1950s (pronounced nineteen-fifties; commonly abbreviated as the "Fifties" or the " '50s") (among other variants) was a decade that began on January 1, 1950, and ended on December 31, 1959.
Throughout the decade, the world continued its re ...
. In this sense, it is now a
cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
History
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...
more than an island in the strictest sense. The dike grew the original one-acre island to the current .
Gatas is located at latitude 17°57'49"N and longitude -66°37'05" (Latitude. 17.96944°, Longitude. -66.6175°) The island, located 0.12 mi (0.2 km) south of the mainland Puerto Rican shore across from Punta Peñoncillo, extends 0.31 mi (0.5 km) west from Punta Caranero to the east.
The island has an elevation of 10 feet,
''Isla de Gata, PR.''
Retrieved 5 May 2011. and it has a beach on the western side.
Development
The island is a small low island and fully developed thanks to the construction of the Club Nautico de Ponce and its marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
.
See also
* List of islands of Puerto Rico
This is a list of islands of Puerto Rico.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has over 143 islands, keys, islets, and atolls. Only the main island of Puerto Rico () and the islands of Vieques (), and Culebra () are inhabited. Mona Island () ha ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatas
Islands of Ponce, Puerto Rico