Maunabo () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Maunabo Valley on the southeastern coast, northeast of

Patillas Patillas (, ) is a beach town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern coast, south of San Lorenzo; west of Yabucoa and Maunabo; and east of Guayama and Arroyo. It is spread over 15 barrios and Patillas Pueblo (the downtown a ...

and south of Yabucoa. Maunabo is spread over eight barrios and Maunabo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current mayor of the town is

Jorge L. Márquez Pérez Jorge Luis Márquez Pérez (born April 13, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and the current mayor of Maunabo. Márquez is affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and has served as mayor since 2001. Has bachelor's degree in chemist ...

and the population in 2020 was 10,589.

History

Maunabo was founded in 1799. Maunabo derives its name from a Taino name ''Manatuabón'' for the

Maunabo River The Maunabo River ( es, Río Maunabo) is a river of Maunabo, Puerto Rico. See also * List of rivers of Puerto Rico References External links USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region (1974) 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 Maunabo was 6,221. Maunabo is known for its advances in media. Being almost "disconnected" from the rest of the island by its high mountains, the maunabeños created their own newspaper called ''La Esquina'' ("The Corner" in ''English'') on August 30, 1975 by Ramón "Chito" Arroyo and José Orlando Rivera. It started as a community one-sheeter distributed free of charge only in Maunabo, but its popularity was so overwhelming that a year later it was transformed into a monthly tabloid. Today, the paper still is free of charge, home delivering 40,000 copies not only in Maunabo but also in the southeastern towns of

Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama ( es, Municipio Autónomo de Guayama) is a city and municipality on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 36,614. It is the ...

Arroyo Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: People * Arroyo (surname) Places United States ;California * Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California * Arroyo ...

, Yabucoa and Humacao, and read by more than 190,000 people. Recently, the paper opened its new offices in Maunabo where they also work on ''La Esquina Online'' and other projects. On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. The hurricane triggered numerous landslides in Maunabo with its 155 mph winds and rain. The electric company (''Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica'') stated restoring power to Maunabo could take up to 9 months. The mayor said all small businesses were affected and all minor fruits were lost.

Geography

Maunabo is surrounded by high mountains on two sides. The three major peaks are ''Pico Hutton'' on Sierra de Guardarraya with an elevation of ; Cerro Santa Elena also known as ''El Sombrerito'' (the "little hat" for its unusual shape) on

Sierra Pandura Sierra Pandura, also known as ''Cuchilla de Pandura'' (Pandura Ridge) and ''La Pica'', is a mountain range that runs from the Sierra de Cayey in the northwest to the Caribbean Sea in the southeast in southeastern Puerto Rico, between the municipa ...

with an elevation of ; and ''Cerro de la Pandura'' with an elevation of . The wind on these high points is so strong that it is hard to hear anything else but it blowing past your ears. At Sierra Guardarraya the strong winds have affected the growth of vegetation and the tall grass only grows flat to the ground. In the lush and tropical vegetation of Cerro de la Pandura you will find one of the Island's most endangered species of

coquí Coquí is the common name for several species of small frogs in the genus ''Eleutherodactylus'' native to Puerto Rico. They are onomatopoeically named for the very loud mating call which the males of two species, the common coqui and the upland ...

. Known as the coquí Guajón (''

Eleutherodactylus cooki ''Eleutherodactylus'' is a genus of frogs in the family Eleutherodactylidae.Hedges, S. B., W. E. Duellman, and M. P. Heinicke . 2008. New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and co ...

''), this coquí frog can be found in the mountains shared by the neighboring municipalities of Yabucoa,

and

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

. Though discovered in 1932 by Chapman Grant of the U.S. Army, it was not until 1997 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared it an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Maunabo is subdivided into

barrios Barrios is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Agustín Barrios (1885–1944), Paraguayan guitarist and composer *Ángel Barrios (1882–1964), Spanish guitarist and composer *Arturo Barrios (born 1962), Mexican athlet ...

. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . # Calzada # Emajagua # Lizas # Matuyas Alto # Matuyas Bajo # Maunabo barrio-pueblo # Palo Seco #

Quebrada Arenas Quebrada Arenas is a barrio in the municipality of Maunabo, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,667. History Cueva del Indio, a prehistoric rock art site which is now a public park, is located in Quebrada Arenas. Puerto Rico was ceded by ...

# Talante # Tumbao

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) 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. 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 Maunabo: Matuyas, Sector García in Talante, and Batey Columbia in Calzada.

Demographics

Tourism

Mauna Caribe, a which is a local type of bed and breakfast, tropical inn, is located in Maunabo. With an almost unspoiled culture—due to the high mountains that separate the town from the rest—Maunabo still is a bucolic city and the lack of large commercial chains gives it a unique personality compared to the rest of the island. The warm, unspoiled and untamed blue and green waters of the beaches of Maunabo are one of its major attractions. The three beaches (Los Bohios, Los Pinos and Playa Punta Tuna) are mostly visited by the locals all year round. The beaches also attract tourists that explore other regions beyond

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 other major cities. Surfers love these wild and dangerous waters. The Punta Tuna beach is also known by the locals as Playa Escondida or the "hidden beach", crowned by the

Punta Tuna Light Punta Tuna Light is a historic lighthouse located in the southeast of the town of Maunabo, Puerto Rico on a narrow promontory at the southeasternmost point of the island. It was first lit in 1892 and automated in 1989. The light was a third-order ...

house on one side and separated from the main road by lush sea grape trees on the other. The beach is only accessible by foot through a short dusty road. The sand at Los Pinos Beach (the name means "the pines" and it comes from a pine-tree-lined hill on the side of the beach) shines with black carbon minerals and legend has it that these come from sea volcanoes or from underwater fossil fuel deposits. The minerals tend to stick to anything that is wet and thus it is rarely visited. The Los Bohios Beach is another popular beach in the municipality, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The town is also known for its

house built by the Spanish at the end of the 19th century before the Island was turned over to the United States as spoils of the Spanish–American War of 1898. Though it has never ceased working under the active management of the U.S. Coast Guard, for almost 30 years the lighthouse was not accessible to the public. Due to Law 180 presented by Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, the doors of the lighthouse were opened once again to the public in February 2006. The lighthouse is also a permanent symbol in the town's coat of arms. The town is also known for its annual crab carnival "Festi-Carnaval Jueyero" which attracts thousands of visitors for a three-day celebration with live music, street fairs, contests and much crab-based food. The carnival is celebrated during the first week of September, at the peak of the summer heat.

Landmarks and places of interest

* Cantera Caverns *

- built by the Spaniards in 1892 is located on Punta Tuna. * Punta Tuna Beach *

Sierra La Pandura Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin ''wikt:serra#Latin, serra'') may refer to the following: Places Mountains and mountain ranges * Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico * Sierra de las Nieves, a ...

Culture

Festivals and events

Maunabo celebrates its patron saint festival in May. 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 Maunabo include: *Gifts on the eve of Three Kings Day ()– January *Isidore, the Farmer Community Festival () – May *Town Festival () – June/July *Festival of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

() – July *Night Out () – August *

Land Crab A number of lineages of crabs have evolved to live predominantly on land. Examples of terrestrial crabs are found in the families Gecarcinidae and Gecarcinucidae, as well as in selected genera from other families, such as '' Sesarma'', althou ...

Festival and Carnival () – September *Christmas Party at Calle 3 ( Palo Seco) () – December *Aníbal Arroyo Cup (basketball event) () – December *End of Year Marathon () – December 31

Economy

(The Committee for the Development of Maunabo) has been active for years and in 2018 worked on upgrades to , a hurricane relief location in Maunabo.

Agriculture

* Fruits and vegetables; cattle.

Industry

* Fishing, guitar strings, plantain.

Government

Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, Maunabo is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is

, from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Márquez was elected at the 2000 general election. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Jorge Suárez and

José Luis Dalmau José Luis Dalmau Santiago (born September 19, 1966) is an attorney and politician. He is the current President of the Senate of Puerto Rico and President of the Popular Democratic Party. Early years and studies José Luis Dalmau Santiago wa ...

were elected as District Senators.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

Maunabo's flag consists of a green cloth crossed diagonally by a white stripe. In each corner of the two remaining green triangles, there are two yellow ox yokes.

Coat of arms

This municipality has a coat of arms. Silver and green are the main colors of the shield, representing flowered sugarcane. The upside down V symbolizes the mountains of Maunabo: Sierra de Guarderraya and Sierra de la Pandura. A lighthouse is a representation of Maunabo's oldest building, which is located on the Maunabo coast. The yokes are symbols of agriculture and Maunabo's patron saint, San Isidro Labrador.

Transportation

The town constructed a tunnel which goes under a mountain, in this case, the eastern side mountains, (there is a vehicular tunnel that was built previously, in San Juan, the

Minillas Tunnel The Minillas Tunnel is a tunnel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The tunnel starts at the end of Puerto Rico Highway 22 (unsigned Interstate PR2), in the area of Santurce, exiting near El Condado. The tunnel was built from 1978 through 1980. S ...

, but that one goes under some buildings instead) connecting it with the neighboring town of Yabucoa. A Chilean construction company is in charge of the contract. The tunnels have been named Vicente Morales Lebrón, after an environmental activist who, as a result of the 1956 tropical storm Betsy that damaged the only road that connected the town with the north side of the island, proposed the tunnels to be built. In September 2018, the tunnel was closed briefly for the filming of a music video. There are 22 bridges in Maunabo.

Gallery

File:Punta Tuna Beach from Lighthouse.jpg, alt=Punta Tuna Beach from Punta Tuna Lighthouse, Punta Tuna Beach from Punta Tuna Lighthouse File:PuntaTunaLighthouse.jpg, alt=Punta Tuna Lighthouse at Punta Tuna Beach, Punta Tuna Lighthouse at Punta Tuna Beach File:Punta Tuna Beach Sky.jpg, alt=Punta Tuna Beach sky, Punta Tuna Beach sky