Caguas, Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Caguas (ˈkaɣwas), founded in 1775, is a city and municipality
Municipalities of Puerto Rico
The Municipalities of Puerto Rico number 78 and they make up the smallest electoral division of the Commonwealth. Each municipality is divided into barrios, though the latter are not vested with political authority.-Administrative divisions:...
of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, south of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and Trujillo Alto
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
-Barrios :*Carraízo*Las Cuevas*Dos Bocas*La Gloria*Quebrada Grande*Quebrada Negrito*Saint Just*Trujillo Alto Pueblo*Cooperativa Jardines de Trujillo Alto-Geo/Topography:*Carraízo dam...
, west of Gurabo
Gurabo, Puerto Rico
Gurabo is a municipality in eastern Puerto Rico located in the central eastern region, north of San Lorenzo; south of Trujillo Alto; east of Caguas; and west of Carolina and Juncos. Gurabo is spread over 9 wards and Gurabo Pueblo...
and San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
San Lorenzo is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras. San Lorenzo is spread over ten wards and San Lorenzo Pueblo...
, east of Aguas Buenas
Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico
Aguas Buenas, commonly known as "La Ciudad de las Aguas Claras" or "the city of clear waters, is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range, north of Cidra, south of Bayamón, Guaynabo and San Juan; east of Comerio; and north-west of Caguas...
, Cidra
Cidra, Puerto Rico
Cidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo...
, and Cayey
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
.
Caguas is located 20 miles (32.2 km) (twenty minutes to an hour by car) from San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and 40 miles (64.4 km) (an hour and a half by car) from Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. It is known as El Valle del Turabo (Turabo Valley) or La Ciudad Criolla (The Creole City) and its name originates from the Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
Caguax
Caguax
Caguax was a Taíno cacique who lived on the island of Borikén before the Spanish colonization of the Americas.The city of Caguas, Puerto Rico derives its name from him. A neighborhood there is named after him.-See also:...
. Caguas is both a principal city of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
Caguas is located in the largest valley in Puerto Rico, the "Valle de Caguas" which it shares with Gurabo and part of Aguas Buenas. It is located approximately 30 minutes from the coastline both on the east (Humacao) and the north (San Juan), and is divided from Gurabo from the river of the same name. It is east of Aguas Buenas and Cidra, north of Cayey, south of San Juan, and west of Gurabo and Trujillo Alto. It also shares borders with Guayama and Patillas via a five-point border, with Cayey and San Lorenzo. At this point there are two tall antennas which provide signal to Puerto Rico's principal TV stations such as WKAQ-TVWKAQ-TV
WKAQ-TV is a full-power television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital 2.1. The station is owned and operated by NBCUniversal and is branded simply as Telemundo....
and WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV is an independent television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital channel 27, virtual channel 4. The station is owned by InterMedia Partners and is branded as WAPA Television....
. No road passes exactly at this point, and it can be approached nearby through Puerto Rico Highway 184
Puerto Rico Highway 184
Puerto Rico Highway 184 is a main, rural highway that connects Cayey, Puerto Rico, with plans to be extended to Cidra, to Patillas. It is the main and only access to the various famous roasted-pork restaurants in the area of Guavate and the access to the forest park with the same name...
. Being a valley, Caguas has the distinction of being relatively flat except near the borders with all the mentioned municipalities except Gurabo.
History
Originally called San Sebastián del Piñal de Caguax, Caguas derives its name from a local Indian chief (Caguax) who was an early Christian convert.Politics
During the 1980s the city was directed by Mayor Angel O. BerriosÁngel O. Berríos
Ángel O. Berríos was a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico. An engineer of profession, Berríos became the 22nd mayor of Caguas for the first time in 1973, after winning the 1972 elections, as a member of the Popular Democratic Party .Berrios was defeated in the 1976 elections by the New Progressive...
and Miguel Hernández, and was more recently led by Mayor William Miranda Marín until his recent death. Mayors Berrios and Miranda Marín are both members of the PPD
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
which has led the city for many years. Previous mayors include Manuel Seoane
Manuel Seoane
Manuel Seoane , nicknamed La Chancha, was an Argentine football striker who played for Independiente and Argentina. He was the highest goalscorer in the Amateur era of Argentine football with 196 goals...
and Angel Rivera. During his tenure mayor William Miranda Marín enacted major, and lasting, municipal improvements.
Flag and Coat of arms
The colors blue and gold were chosen for the shield, distinctive of the city of Caguas. The figures symbolize both the indigenous and Christian origins of this city.The coat of arms consists of a shield with a blue field. Upon the field are two sets of three golden arrows, forming a cross of St. Andrew
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
. Above the cross is a crown which represents Caguax
Caguax
Caguax was a Taíno cacique who lived on the island of Borikén before the Spanish colonization of the Americas.The city of Caguas, Puerto Rico derives its name from him. A neighborhood there is named after him.-See also:...
, cacique of the Turabo Valley at the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.
Arrows were used as a remembrance of the first Christian place of worship established in the region which was dedicated under the patronage of St. Sebastian. There are pineapples interspersed to reflect the native agriculture. A castellated wall surmounts the shield to show the city's having been granted status as a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
by the Spanish Crown.
On the flag, the shield sits atop another blue field on which the cross of arrows is repeated.
Demographics
Geography/Topography
- The Río Grande de Loíza divides this municipality from Gurabo.
- Other Rivers: Río TuraboRío Turabo-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río CaguitasRío Caguitas-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río CañaboncitoRío Cañaboncito-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
, Río BairoaRío Bairoa-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
and Río CañasRío Cañas (Caguas, Puerto Rico)-See also:*List of rivers of Puerto Rico-References:*USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
.
Economy
In September 2005 City Mayor William Miranda MarinWilliam Miranda Marín
William "Willie" Miranda Marín was the mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1997 until his death in 2010.-Personal life:...
levied the first Municipal tax in Puerto Rico via city ordinance. Area Merchants now charge a one cent tax for every dollar spent on all retail businesses. The tax has become known around the island as the "Willie Tax
Willie Tax
Willie Tax is the municipal 1% tax imposed on the residents of the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico. The name is derived from the proponent mayor William Miranda Marin. The tax was levied in September 2005 after much debate and protest from the local residents. It was levied as a way to charge residents...
." It resulted in an estimated $500,000 monthly income for the city. However, the municipal tax was increased to 1.5% after the establishment of the 5.5% state tax for a total of 7%.
During 2006, Miranda Marin began calling Caguas "El Nuevo Pais de Caguas" ("The New Country of Caguas").
Agriculture
Its community has enjoyed one of the more robust economies amongst Puerto Rican cities since the 1980s. During the early part of the 20th century, Caguas hosted one of Puerto Rico's most important sugar manufacturers, which gave employment to thousands of Cagüeños.Business
Numerous businesses and important buildings have opened in Caguas since the 1980s, including the imposing 23 story apartment building Caguas Tower, its adjacent competitors Bonneville Apartments, and the 10 floor San Juan Bautista Medical Center. There are also several shopping malls:- Plaza del Carmen Mall,
- Plaza Centro Mall
- Las Catalinas Mall
- Los Prados Mall
- Bairoa Shopping Center
- Villa Blanca Mall
- Angora Shopping Center
- Plaza Degetau
- Plaza Caguitas
Transportation
Public transportation in Caguas, as in most of Puerto Rico, is limited to small "guaguas públicas" (Mini Bus)Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
. There is service to and from San Juan and Rio Piedras, inexpensive but slow. Within Caguas, several buses and taxis serve the town.
A "light interurban rail" system connecting Caguas to San Juan
San Juan-Caguas Rail
The San Juan-Caguas Rail project will link the Puerto Rican cities of San Juan and Caguas through a "regional rail network". The plan was announced by the Mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Marín, along with former governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá on...
is in the planning stages, and will act as a feeder for the Tren Urbano
Tren Urbano
The Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
.
Caguas is served by one freeway, one tolled expressway and one main divided highway. Puerto Rico Highway 30
Puerto Rico Highway 30
Puerto Rico Highway 30, or PR-30 is a main freeway in Puerto Rico which connects the city of Caguas to the town of Humacao.-Exits:It is 30 kilometers long, and has several exits :CAGUAS...
connects Caguas to the east. There is no freeway/expressway to the west, due mainly to the fact that there is no sufficient population west of Caguas to develop a new freeway or expressway; good access to the municipalities of Cidra(southwest) and Aguas Buenas(northwest) are possible via PR-172 and PR-156, respectively. Puerto Rico Highway 52 connects Caguas to the north (San Juan) and south (Cayey, Ponce). Puerto Rico Highway 1 is an alternate route to San Juan and Guaynabo with two lanes per direction; in south Caguas it becomes rural near Borinquen, therefore the only good access to Cayey is the expressway (PR-52) and a $1.00 toll has to be paid (only in the south direction). The only municipality bordering Caguas with a poor-access road is San Lorenzo, via PR-183; but good access to San Lorenzo is possible by entering Gurabo via PR-30, and then taking PR-203 south.
Tourism
Landmarks and places of interest
- Botanical and Cultural Gardens
- Cable Car/Trolley
- Caguas Historical Museum
- Caguas Cathedral
- Coquí Villa
- Hacienda Catalina Ruins
- Hacienda Cofresí
- Hacienda Country Club
- Jardín Botánico
- La Casa de Ajedrez (The House of ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
) - TobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
Museum
Festivals and events
- Rosario Cantado a los Reyes – 4 January
- Three Kings Festival – 5 January
- Criolla Beatriz – February
- Criolla Borinquen Fair – March
- Criolla Cañabón Fair – April
- Felipe "La Voz Rodríguez' Birthday – 8 May
- Al Fresco – Every last Friday of each month
- Cross Festival – 23–31 May
- Typical Criole Festival – 1–2 June
- Latin American Musical
High schools
- Colegio Católico Notre Dame
- Elohim Christian Academy
- New Generation Christian Academy (used to be CLA)
- Caguas Military Academy
- Colegio Bautista
- Colegio Católico San Juan Apóstol
- Academia Cristo de los Milagros
- Dr. Juan José Osuna High school
- José Gautier Benítez High school
- Manuela Toro Morice High School
- Republic of Costa Rica Vocacional of Caguas High School
- Eloisa Pascual "Bairoa III" High School
- Rio Cañas High School
- Santa Rosa Superior School
- Thomas Alva Edison School
- Colegio San JoséColegio San JoséColegio San José is a college-preparatory catholic school for boys in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. It is a fully accredited Catholic college preparatory school for young men, grades 7 to 12, which develops capable, responsible and sensitive Christian leaders, committed to the service of God and neighbor...
Superior - Escuela de Ciencias y Tecnología
Higher education
- San Juan Bautista School of MedicineSan Juan Bautista School of MedicineThe San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is a private U.S. medical school, located within the San Juan Bautista Medical Center in Caguas, Puerto Rico. It formally opened its doors in 1978....
- Huertas Junior College
- Instituto EDIC
- Columbia College
- Turabo University at GuraboTurabo University at GuraboTurabo —commonly referred as the University of Turabo and known as Universidad del Turabo or UT-Gurabo in Spanish— is a private university located in the municipality of Gurabo, Puerto Rico...
(Gurabo, Puerto RicoGurabo, Puerto RicoGurabo is a municipality in eastern Puerto Rico located in the central eastern region, north of San Lorenzo; south of Trujillo Alto; east of Caguas; and west of Carolina and Juncos. Gurabo is spread over 9 wards and Gurabo Pueblo...
)
Sports
The Criollos de Caguas baseball team is considered one of the greatest of all-time in all of Latin America, having won 14 national Puerto Rico titles and 3 Caribbean World SeriesCaribbean World Series
The Caribbean Series , also called the Caribbean World Series is the highest baseball tournament at club level in Latin America. The league winners from the Winter Leagues of Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela participate in the tournament...
titles The team is a member of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (LBPPR). Three of the first five Puerto Ricans that played Major League Baseball in the U.S., at one point in their careers played for the Criollos de Caguas (Luis Rodríguez Olmo
Luis Rodríguez Olmo
Luis Francisco Rodríguez Olmo is a former major league baseball outfielder and right-handed batter. Olmo played in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves .-Early years:...
, Victor Pellot Power
Victor Pellot
Victor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
, Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
).
The Criollos de Caguas
Caguas Creoles (basketball)
The Criollos de Caguas are a BSN basketball team based in Caguas, Puerto Rico.-History:The Criollos professional basketball team began to play during the 1976 season, joining their counterparts the Criollos of baseball...
basketball team, founded in 1968 by Dr. Héctor "Tato" Dávila and Lcdo. Libertario Pérez Rodríguez, hasn't enjoyed as much success as their baseball counterparts. However in the early 2000's, they showed a lot of progress by reaching the national playoffs various times. The team is a member of the BSN
National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional or BSN is the main Puerto Rican men's basketball league. It currently has 10 teams, but has had many teams in several cities of the island. The league was established in 1929. It has produced players that have distinguished themselves in the NBA, European Leagues,...
. In 2006, the team won its first BSN national basketball championship, defeating Flor Melendez
Flor Melendez
Flor Meléndez Montañez , better known plainly as Flor Meléndez, is a well known former basketball player and an international coach from Puerto Rico. He is a native of Cidra and the current head coach of Puerto Rico's basketball team.-Early life:Meléndez is the son of Florencio Meléndez and Emilia...
and his Santurce Crabbers
Santurce Crabbers
Cangrejeros de Santurce, Spanish for "Santurce Crabbers", refers to several teams based in San Juan, Puerto Rico:* Cangrejeros de Santurce , baseball team of the Puerto Rico Baseball League...
in five games.
Caguas is home to the Bairoa Gym
Bairoa Gym
Bairoa Gym is a boxing gym located in the Bairoa barrio area of Caguas, Puerto Rico.El gimnasio Bairoa, as it is known in Spanish, is a famous boxing gym in Puerto Rico because of the list of world champions and top contenders who have trained there. World champions who have used this facility...
, one of the most important boxing gyms in all Puerto Rico and a place where many visiting champions have trained at; such as boxing Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto
Miguel Cotto
Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez is a Puerto Rican professional boxer and the reigning WBA light middleweight champion. He is the younger brother of contender Jose Miguel Cotto and cousin of Abner Cotto...
, his brother Jose Miguel
José Miguel Cotto
José Miguel Cotto Vázquez is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. He is the brother of the four-time World Champion boxer Miguel Angel Cotto...
, Alberto Mercado
Alberto Mercado
Alberto Mercado was a Jr. Featherweight boxer who was on the verge of fighting for a world title at least twice in his career....
, Juan Carazo
Juan Carazo
Juan Carazo is a former boxer from Caguas, Puerto Rico.Carazo was considered to be a boxing reincarnation of Wilfred Benítez or Wilfredo Gómez by many of his fans, and he won his first five professional bouts by knockout in 1984...
, Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera is a Puerto Rican who was a world champion boxer. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music.-Early boxing career:...
and others.
The Criollas de Caguas
Criollas de Caguas
The Criollas de Caguas is the professional female volleyball team of Caguas, Puerto Rico.-Current:As of February 2011* Head Coach: Carlos Cardona* Assistant coach: Luis Garcia-Release or Transfer:- League Championship :...
women's volleyball team has won 7 national Puerto Rico titles and has made it to the finals more than 15 times. The team is a member of the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
The Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino is a professional volleyball league in Puerto Rico. The competitions are organized by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation .-League Champions:-External links:...
(LVSF).
Notable people
- Alex CoraAlex CoraJosé Alexander "Alex" Cora is a Major League Baseball infielder. He played college baseball at the University of Miami.-Early career:...
, professional baseball player. - Jonathan Thomas Cruz Sanchez, United States of America President's Advisor
Public Housing Complexes
- Jose Gautier Benitez
- Raul Castellón
- Brisas del Turabo I
- Brisas del Turabo II
- Caguax
- Juan Jimenez Garcia
- Turabo Heights
- Bonneville Heights
- Jardines San Carlos
- Barriada Morales