Quebradillas (, ) 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' ...

of the island 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 ...

located in the northern shore bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of

San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...

; east of

Isabela Isabela may refer to: People with the given name * Isabela Boscov, Brazilian film critic * Isabela Corona (1913–1993), Mexican actress * Isabela Garcia (born 1967), Brazilian actress * Isabela Moraes (born 1980), Brazilian synchronized swimmer ...

; and west of

Camuy Camuy () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Lares and San Sebastián; east of Quebradillas; and west of Hatillo. Camuy is spread over 12 barrios and Camuy Pueblo (the downtown area and the admini ...

. Quebradillas is spread over seven barrios and Quebradillas Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Quebradillas is called "''La Guarida del Pirata''" (The Pirate's Hideout). A well-known beach in the area, Puerto Hermina, is home to an old structure known to have been a hiding place for pirates and their contraband.

History

The town was founded in 1823 by Felipe Ruiz. There were many factors that cause the inhabitants of this territory of Puerto Rico to be independent from the towns that formed the Hato de la Tuna resulting in the formation of a new municipality. The town lacked chapels or churches, religious services nor priests, a place to bury the dead, a post office, and quality roads to transport. They relied on the neighboring municipalities of

, Hatillo and

. This would however be a problem during the rainy seasons when the

Río Camuy The Camuy River (; ) is a river in Puerto Rico. It is the third largest underground river in the world and helped shape the cave system known as the Rio Camuy Caves. The river and water flow systems of Río Camuy have been studied by the US Geo ...

and Río Guajataca water level rose resulting in closed off passage to the other municipalities and would sometimes take up to a week for the water level to return to normal. This led the residents of the area to organize a corporation that would look after the political, economic and administrative interests of ''"Las Quebradillas"'' and its jurisdiction. This town derives its name from the large number of streams flowing through it. Quebradillas means "small streams". Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain 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 Quebradillas was 7,432. 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 ...

struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Quebradillas, 800 concrete barriers had to be built to stabilize the Guajataca reservoir which suffered a structural failure and was causing a "life-threatening situation". "It’s a structural failure. I don’t have any more details," Governor

Ricardo Rosselló Ricardo Antonio Rosselló Nevares (; born March 7, 1979) is an American former politician, businessman, neurobiologist and educator. He served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 until his resignation in 2019. In 2021, he returned to active ...

stated. "We’re trying to evacuate as many people as possible." Rosselló ordered the

Puerto Rico National Guard The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG; ) is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions, which includes to provide ...

and the Police to help assist in the evacuation effort downstream. The dam lies across the Guajataca River to form a reservoir that can hold roughly 11 billion gallons of water. In Quebradillas, infrastructure and about 2200 homes were damaged or completely destroyed.

Geography

Quebradillas, located in the

Northern Karst The Northern Karst Belt (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Cinturón del Carso Norteño'') is a limestone karst landscape located in the northwestern region of Puerto Rico. A karst is a topographical zone formed by the dissolution of soluble porous roc ...

, borders on the Atlantic Ocean, is north of

; east of

, and west of

. Quebradillas is home to one of the 20 designated forest preserves in Puerto Rico, the

Guajataca State Forest Guajataca State Forest (Spanish: ''Bosque Estatal de Guajataca'') is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The Guajataca Forest is located in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, along the Northern Karst zon ...

. The forest serves as a great example of an unusual topography known as ''karst country''. Karst is characterized by dissolved limestone formations such as

sinkholes A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

and haystack-shaped hills known as "mogotes". It is also home to the beautiful man-made reservoir,

Guajataca Lake Guajataca Lake, or Lago Guajataca, is a reservoir of the Guajataca River created by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority in 1929. It is located between the municipalities of San Sebastián, Quebradillas, and Isabela in Puerto Rico, and ...

( long), where you can fish for

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

peacock bass Peacock bass or Brazilian tucunaré are large freshwater cichlids of the genus ''Cichla''. These are diurnal predatory fishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas, in tropical South America. They are someti ...

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically mos ...

and

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or, in Texas, "copper nose", is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands ea ...

(in Spanish known as "chopa"). You can also go

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

. The Puerto Rico Council of the

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

maintains a campground on the lake known as Camp Guajataka. The name Guajataca comes from the name ''Wahataka'', a

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

chief who lived in this area. This Indian chief also gives his name to Guajataca Beach to the north where Río Guajataca flowing from

meets the Atlantic Ocean. Guajataca Beach is popular with

surfers Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

and is known for its white sands and wild waves. This beach is ideal for sunning and collecting seashells.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Quebradillas is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . # Cacao # Charcas # Cocos # Guajataca # Quebradillas barrio-pueblo #

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

# San José # Terranova

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) 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 Quebradillas: Guajataca, Montadero, Parcelas Italas in Terranova, San Antonio, and Sector Las Piedras Barrio Cocos.

Climate

The general climate of the town is tropical.

Demographics

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

There are 6 beaches in Quebradillas. The town of Quebradillas had a private zoo called (Noah's Ark), which was in operation for about 50 years. In 2012 it was closed after its owners turned 90 years old and could no longer care for the animals, as a result they were moved to the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo. The town also had ''El Museo de Muñecas'' (Quebradillas Doll Museum) which housed over 1,000

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

dolls in Cocos. The main attractions of Quebradillas are: *El Merendero (Scenic Park and Ocean Look-Out) *''Miradero Guajataca'' *

Reservoir *The Liberty Theater (

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

) *'' Puerto Hermina'' Beach Pirate Ruins ''contains rock carvings such as La Cabeza del Indio'' (The Indian Face) * Puente Blanco (an old railway bridge) *Casa Rafols-Iribas, site of Casa de la Cultura Cacique Mabodamaca (non-profit organization dedicated to preserve the culture, the arts and the historical sites of the town of Quebradillas) *Los Chorritos Pirata Aquatic Park *The municipal mini golf course

Economy

Business

A small shopping center called Quebradillas Plaza is located in this municipality. An event which negatively affected the region in the decade of the 1990s was the disappearance of tax exemptions to the private corporations Section 936 of the code of the US

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

, which at the time was the resulted in the closure of one of the greater manufacturers of textiles in the northwest area of the island. This decline of the industry of the needle occurred similarly in the bordering cities like

and

, generating a regional economic decline as the locals greatly depended on these jobs. In nearby towns like Hatillo, Mayagüez and

Aguadilla Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...

, the arrival of mega stores and new shopping centers attracted the jobs that used to be in Quebradillas. The island lacks mass public transportation, people must resort to private cars. The only road to access the important cities, the

Puerto Rico Highway 2 Puerto Rico Highway 2 (PR-2) is a road in Puerto Rico that connects the cities of San Juan and Ponce. At 156 miles (230 km) long, it is Puerto Rico's longest singled-signed highway. The road runs counter-clockwise from San Juan to Ponce. ...

suffers from congestion. The town possesses one tunnel that at the beginning of the 20th century was used by steam driven trains that traveled throughout the Island. This absence aggravates the problem of mass transit and the dependence on privately owned vehicles as these are the only method of transportation. The economy, entering into the 21st century, is based on retail sales. Many small businesses are located along the two main thoroughfares that cross Quebradillas. These consist mainly of light hardware, bakeries, pharmacies, seafood restaurants, American fast food chains and automobile car repair shops. The town has bank branches for Banco Popular and local savings and credit Unions. These credit unions are most noted for their involvement in common and cultural activities, sponsoring and participating in festivals of typical music such as "Festival of the

Gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly '' Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Many gourds ha ...

in December", sports and educational activities.

Culture

Festivals and events

Quebradillas 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 October. 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 Quebradillas include: * Wake of the Three Kings – January * Kite Festival – February * Guajataca

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

– January/February * Serenade to Mothers – May * Serenade to Fathers – June * Quebradillas Cultural Festival – December

Sports

The town's official basketball team is ''Los Piratas'' ''who have won a dramatic number of tournaments in the past. Presently the team has made a "comeback" and has won the championship of the island (2013). *Basketball teams *Surfing – Guajataca Beach and Puerto Hermina (Pirates Cove) *Skateboarding – San Jose Skatepark *Baseball – Los Cocos Park *Longboarding

Government

The town's government is a small unit with few powers it can execute. Elections are hosted in specific schools every four years to choose a town mayor. There are several versions detailing different individuals who have served as mayor. An official promotional booklet details 46, while another source states 47. It has also been asserted that a woman, Francisca Lamela de Cordero, served between 1944–1945, in a source that presents 56 incumbents, however she is not included in the municipal-approved list, which expresses that since its founding the town has elected 61 mayors: The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district III, which is represented by two Senators. In

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Brenda Pérez Soto Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in areas ...

and Gabriel González, both from the New Progressive Party (PNP), were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

There are 4 bridges in Quebradillas.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

It has two red quarters. The red stands for struggle, effort and sacrifice. The other two-quarters have each five green and white wavy stripes, similar to those that appear in the shield.

Coat of arms

The three waved stripes represent the ''quebradillas'' (Spanish for creeks or streams), over the green background of the vegetation. The fish and the walking stick (distinctive of the traveler), are insignias of the angel Saint Raphael, by allusion from the episodes narrated in the

Book of Tobias The Book of Tobit (), also known as the Book of Tobias, is a deuterocanonical pre-Christian work from the 3rd or early 2nd century BC which describes how God tests the faithful, responds to prayers, and protects the pre-covenant community (i.e., ...

in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

Education

The town features various public and private schools. There is also a public electronic library near ''Los Chorritos Pirata'' water park. In 2021 the municipal government opened a child daycare center. Some schools have been remodeled as a result of a government initiative to have "21st century" schools.

Schools

*Manuel Ramos Hernandez *Juan Alejo de Arizmendi *Eugenio Maria De Hostos *Luis Muñoz Rivera *Honorio Hernandez *Pedro Albizu Campos *Ramon E. Betances *Ramon Avila Molinari *Ramon Saavedra *Jose De Diego Private schools: * Colegio San Rafael * Soles del Jardín * Pequeños Aprendiendo

Gallery

Puerto Hermina, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico - panoramio (3).jpg, Puerto Hermina beach El Indio de Puerto Herminia in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.jpg, alt=rock which has the profile of a face with blue sky in the background, El Indio de Puerto Herminia in Quebradillas

References

External links

Lexjuris

Quebradillas Municipality on Facebook

Puerto Rico Government Directory – Quebradillas
{{Authority control * Municipalities of Puerto Rico Populated coastal places in Puerto Rico San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area Populated places established in 1823 1823 establishments in the Spanish Empire 1820s establishments in Puerto Rico