Sierra Bermeja is a mountain range 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 ...

. It forms the southern boundary of the

Lajas Valley The Lajas Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Lajas''), or the Yauco-Boquerón Valley (''Valle de Yauco-Boquerón''), is an anticlinal valley that runs 30 km (19 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide east-to-west in southwestern Puerto Rico, within the municipal ...

and it is bordered by

La Parguera LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

in 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 Mexico ...

coast. It extends from the municipality of Cabo Rojo in the west to Lajas in the east. It consists of a combination of

volcanic rocks Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a Rock (geology), rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of Volcano, volcanic origin. Like all rock types, ...

, completely crossed by serpentinite and

amphibolite Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose (flaky ...

faults, which could well be the oldest known rock in Puerto Rico. The mountains were used by the

Taíno people The Taíno were a historic 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 late 15th century, they were the pri ...

as refuge from the Spanish, and then by smugglers during the

Spanish colonization The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its History ...

. The Sierra Bermeja is the nesting place of many species that feed in the Laguna Cartagena. These hills are among a few forested areas of the southwestern coastal plain, characterized by its aridity. As a result, the Sierra provides the requirements for a large quantity of wildlife established in the area, many of it

endangered 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 inva ...

. In 2015, volunteers searched the area for a

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...

that, according to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

, may have landed in Sierra Bermeja. Development in the region had become a threat to the area, despite being one of the most important natural areas in Puerto Rico. In June 2018, funds were earmarked for universities in Puerto Rico to use for research of the Sierra Bermeja region. Local folklore surrounding the area says there is a secret

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

base somewhere in the Sierra Bermeja. Conservation efforts have been ongoing, spearheaded by the US Fish and Wildlife and landowners. The highest point of this range is located on Cerro Mariquita within the municipality of Cabo Rojo.

Gallery

Sierra Bermeja mountain range, Lajas Valley, Puerto Rico, 1935.jpg, Sierra Bermeja mountain range, 1935

References

{{coord, 17, 59, 54, N, 67, 06, 38, W, source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title Mountain ranges of Puerto Rico Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico Lajas, Puerto Rico