Arroyo () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

located along the southern coast of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and bordered by the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

, east of the municipality of Guayama and northwest of the municipality of Patillas. Arroyo is spread over 5 barrios and Arroyo barrio-pueblo (the downtown area and administrative center). It is part of the Guayama Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology and nicknames

It is believed that the name of ''Arroyo'' (which means " creek" or " brook" in English) is derived from a small water stream where travelers stopped to freshen up before continuing on their way. According to legend, one the town's first nicknames, ''Pueblo Ingrato'' ("Ungrateful Town"), comes from the locals in the 19th century who either burned or drowned a resident who contracted either

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

or the

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

, even though he was renowned for his generosity. In the last century, however, there has been a push to change the nickname to ''Pueblo Grato'' ("Grateful Town") in order to clean the town's modern, laid back and friendly reputation. Residents of Arroyo are often referred to as ''Bucaneros'' ("

Buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateer or free sailors, and pirates particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 u ...

s"), a reference to the region's historic pirate and buccaneer activities. The main sports teams of the municipality, most notably its

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

team, are also called ''Los Bucaneros''.

History

The town of Arroyo was officially founded on December 25, 1855. However, some historians believe there were previous settlements in the area even previous to the Spanish colonization. There are four different versions about the founding of the town, including that it was formed when a small group of people from the neighbor town of Guayama came to the region looking for a port to export and import merchandise. Still, in 1868, a local newspaper called ''La Gaceta de Puerto Rico'' stated that Arroyo was founded in 1852. Between 1859 and 1860, City Hall signed agreements to open streets and build a

town square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

and a sewer system for the town. In 1858,

Samuel Morse Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a Electrical telegraph#Morse ...

introduced wired communication to

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

when he established a

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

system in

, then a Spanish Colony. Morse's oldest daughter Susan Walker Morse (1821–1885), would often visit her uncle Charles Pickering Walker who owned the Hacienda Concordia in the town of Guayama. During one of her visits she met and later married Edward Lind, a Danish merchant who worked in the Hacienda La Henriqueta in Arroyo. Lind purchased the Hacienda from his sister when she became a widow. Morse, who often spent his winters at the Hacienda with his daughter and son-in-law, set a two-mile telegraph line connecting his son-in-law's Hacienda to their house in Arroyo. The line was inaugurated on March 1, 1859, in a ceremony flanked by the Spanish and American flags. The first lines transmitted by Samuel Morse that day in Puerto Rico were:

"Puerto Rico, beautiful jewel! When you are linked with the other jewels of the
Antilles The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller groupings: the Greater An ...
in the necklace of the world's telegraph, yours will not shine less brilliantly in the crown of your Queen!"

Puerto Rico was ceded by

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in the aftermath of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

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, was signed by Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the end of the ...

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, als ...

conducted a

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Arroyo was 4,867. In 1902, Puerto Rico's Legislative Assembly approved a law to consolidate certain municipalities. According to it, Arroyo would be merged with Guayama starting on July 1 of that year. However, the law was revoked in 1905 returning Arroyo to its municipal status. In early 1999, the U.S. Congressional record documented a commendation of Arroyo, on its 100-year relationship with the U.S., noting that many citizens of Arroyo, such as Virgilio Sánchez and Raul Serrano, have fought and died in wars for the U.S. On September 20, 2017,

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

's wind and rainfall triggered numerous landslides in Arroyo. The hurricane destroyed 1,550 structures in Arroyo. A bridge on PR-725 collapsed leaving 130 families trapped.

Geography

Arroyo belongs to the

alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a plain (an essentially flat landform) created by the deposition of sediment over a long period by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A ''floodplain'' is part of the process, bei ...

s sub-region of Ponce- Patillas known as the Southern Coastal Valley. The area is very dry although its plains are productive thanks to artificial

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Arroyo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as , near the center of the municipality. # Ancones # Arroyo barrio-pueblo # Guásimas # Palmas # Pitahaya # Yaurel

Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called (''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. In the EU context, the Euro ...

. 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 Arroyo: the Marín neighborhood, Palmas barrio, Yaurel barrio, and the San Felipe-Arizona zone.

Water features

The Nigua River crosses the municipality from north to south. Its hydrographic system is completed by a series of smaller rivers. There is also a mineral water spring in Virella Colony.

Demographics

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

There are eight beaches in Arroyo. Among the places of interest in Arroyo are the Enrique Huyke Monument, dedicated to the educator and athlete, and the

Monument, dedicated to the American inventor of the

. Casa de Aduana is a museum located in Arroyo. Other landmarks are Hacienda La Cora, Las Palmas Beach, Punta Guilarte, Punta de Las Figuras Lighthouse and the Arroyo Sugar Cane Train. To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the

Puerto Rico Tourism Company The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...

launched the ''Voy Turistiendo'' (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Arroyo passport page lists , , , and the Arroyo Surfing Park, as places of interest.

Culture

Festivals and events

Arroyo celebrates its

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

festival in July. The is a religious and cultural celebration in honor of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is a Roman Catholic Titles of Mary, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patron saint, patroness of the Carmelites, Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on M ...

that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. A traditional carnaval is held in the month of February. , which celebrates the African heritage of the island, is held in March. The is celebrated in November.

Sports

Although Arroyo doesn't have a professional sports team, it has several amateur teams in Class A category.

Cultural/art venues

The Museo Antigua Aduana is a historic building that now showcases art by local artists, such as Angel Cora. In 2011, the ''Cine Renacimiento'' (Renaissance Cinema), which was founded in 1922, re-opened after a little over a year of construction to transform into a theater space compatible with new uses and now known as ''Teatro Renacimiento'' (Renaissance Theater). It is located at Morse St. (PR-178) and Arizona 7 St.

Economy

During past centuries, Arroyo was known for the production of

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

in the Central Lafayette, a sugar mill. In recent years, manufacture and pharmaceutical industries have taken control of the economy of Arroyo.

Stryker Corporation Stryker Corporation is an American multinational Medical Technologies, medical technologies corporation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker's products include implants used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries; surgica ...

, a developer of medical implants and other surgical equipment, has a production plant in the town.

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor is

Eric Bachier Román Eric Enrique Bachier Román (born August 21, 1976) is a Puerto Rican politician and the current mayor of Arroyo, Puerto Rico. Bachier is affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and has served as mayor since 2013. Early life and edu ...

. He was first elected at the 2012 general elections. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Rafael Santos Ortiz and Wilmer Reyes Berríos were elected as District Senators.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms. Arroyo's flag has two horizontal bands of equal size. The upper band is color orange, while the lower one is black. In the middle of the flag lies Arroyo's coat of arms. The coat of arms is also split in two sections. The upper section features a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

in a blue field a church with a

rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

to the right and a flower to the left. The lower section features two silver

poles on green hills. At the bottom, waving stripes of blue and silver, with a fish below them. Above the shield, lies a crown of three towers filled in with purple. Below there's a banner with the motto, ''Arroyo Pueblo Grato''.

Education

Education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education. Arroyo has seven

elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, three

junior high schools Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...

, and one

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

Transportation

During the peak of the sugarcane industry in the island, Arroyo was part of the railroad system of the island, with trains hauling production to other municipalities in the island. A small portion of that train remained in use until recently for tourism purposes, under the name of Tren del Sur. To reach Arroyo, visitors have to take the Puerto Rico Highway 3. However, there are other rural roads available to reach the municipality. There are 13 bridges in Arroyo.

Notable people

* Carmen Bozello y Guzmán, one of three known female Puerto Rican nineteenth-century playwrights who wrote a comedy entitled '' Abnegación y Sacrificio: Comedia en 2 Actos y en Prosa'' (which premiered on October 15, 1876, in Puerto Rico and was printed by Cayetano Sánchez y Vegas in 1876). * Juan Bernardo Huyke, former interim

Governor of Puerto Rico The governor of Puerto Rico () is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. Elected to a 4 year-term through popular vote by the residents of the archipelago and island, ...

. * Alberto A. Nido, former

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

officer. * José Cruz, baseball player, former player for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. * Jake Rodríguez, former IBF

light welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

champion. *

Génesis Dávila Génesis María Dávila Pérez (born November 18, 1990) is a Puerto Rican model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World Puerto Rico 2014 and represented Puerto Rico at Miss World 2014 in London. She was crowned Miss Florida ...

, beauty pageant, former Miss Mundo Puerto Rico and

Miss Florida USA The Miss Florida USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss USA pageant. Up until the 2017 pageant, both Miss and Teen state pageants were held separately in different months. In recen ...

. * Rafael Román Meléndez, former

Secretary of Education of Puerto Rico The secretary of education of Puerto Rico is responsible for the development and management of all educational matters in the government of Puerto Rico and heads the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Department of Education. There have bee ...

. * Celiangely Morales, sprinter, competed at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

. *

Héctor Soto Héctor Soto (born June 28, 1978 iArroyoPuerto Rico
is a former volleyball p ...

, known as Picky Soto, professional volleyball player, captain and former member of the Puerto Rico men's national volleyball team. * Monica Gonzalez Rivera, female boxer

Gallery

Plaza de Recreo de Arroyo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Central plaza in Arroyo barrio-pueblo Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Arroyo 02.jpg, Our Lady of Carmen Parish church Casa Aduana in Arroyo, Puerto Rico.jpg, in Arroyo El Malecón, Arroyo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Pier in Arroyo

References

External links

Arroyo Municipality on Facebook
{{Subject bar, auto=y, d=y 1855 establishments in the Spanish Empire Guayama metropolitan area Municipalities of Puerto Rico Populated coastal places in Puerto Rico Populated places established in 1855