Fajardo (fah-HAHR-do) is a small but popular city in
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
located in the east region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of
CeibaCeiba is a small town in northeast Puerto Rico. It is named after the famous Ceiba tree. Ceiba is located in the east coast of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Naguabo, south of Fajardo, and east of Río Grande. It is located about one hour's driving distance from San Juan...
and east of
LuquilloLuquillo is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northeast coast, northwest of Fajardo; and east of Rio Grande. Luquillo is spread over 5 wards and Luquillo Pueblo...
.Fajardo is spread over 7 wards and Downtown Fajardo (commonly called by the locals "Fajardo Pueblo"), which serves as the administrative center of the city. It is both a principal city of the Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area.
Fajardo is the hub of the majority of recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to
CulebraIsla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
,
ViequesVieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean. Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. Commonwealth, Vieques, like the rest of Puerto Rico, retains strong Spanish influences from 400 years of Spanish ownership.Vieques lies about to the east of the...
, and the American and British
Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands are an archipelago, part of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles, where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean....
. It is also the home to the largest Marina in the Caribbean, called Puerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels and inns; El Conquistador Resort & Casino, which was incorporated into the Waldorf=Astoria Collection is one of its most famous hotels of Puerto Rico.
Off shore, near Fajardo, few islets can be found. These are Icacos, Palominos (which is administered by El Conquistador Resort & Casino), Palominito and Diablo, among other uninhabited coral islands.
History
Fajardo was founded in 1760 by Bravo de Rivera, a Spanish governor. It was originally named Santiago de Fajardo.
Fajardo was one of the locations used by the Americans to invade Puerto Rico. On August 1,1898 the USS Puritan under the command of Captain Frederic W. Rodgers, was sailing by the coastline of the city of Fajardo, when Rogers noticed the "Faro de Las Cabezas de San Juan" (Cape San Juan lighthouse) which was supposed to be the landing site for the US Army in Puerto Rico. Rodgers ordered some of his men ashore, which included Puerto Rican volunteers, with the mission of posting the American Flag atop the lighthouse.
On August 2, three more ships, the USS Amphitrite, USS Leyden, and the USS Hannibal arrived and joined the Puritan. The 25-man Spanish garrison stationed in the city became aware of the American presence and, after notifying their superiors in San Juan, were told to withdraw. When Dr. Santiago Veve Calzada, the mayor of the city, realized that the garrison was gone and that the city was defenseless against the invading Americans, he implored the Spanish authorities in San Juan to dispatch troops to defend his city. Believing that the Spanish forces would not come to his aid, Dr. Santiago Veve Calzada then went to the lighthouse to seek protection for the city from the Americans. On the afternoon of August 3, Dr. Veve Calzada entered the city with a contingent of Marines and the United States flag was hoisted over the Fajardo Customs House and City Hall.
On August 4, Governor General Macias sent Colonel Pedro del Pino and 200 men to recapture the city. When Colonel Pino entered Fajardo he found it nearly deserted because the residents, fearing a battle, had fled to the Fajardo lighthouse. Pino waited until darkness fell and then ordered his men to attack the lighthouse. The Marines signaled the ships that they were under attack and the ships began to bombard the shore in a protective pattern. The Spanish forces retreated back to the city.
The following day U.S. Marine Lieutenant John A. Lejeune came ashore with a detachment of Marines and evacuated the civilians and Marines for transport to Ponce, and the lighthouse was abandoned. Meanwhile, in the City of Fajardo, Pino's men tore down the United States flags that flew over the Customs House and City Hall and returned to San Juan after verifying that the lighthouse was abandoned, displaying the flags as his trophies of war. It was the only time that American forces were forced to withdraw from any position during the campaign in Puerto Rico.
Flag
Fajardo's flag is a tricolor triband. The upper band is gules (red), symbolizing the color of the shield's border. Silver (white), the center band, stands for the color of the main pieces that appear in the shield and the crown. Azure (blue), the lower band, represents the color of the sky and the sea of Fajardo. Centered is the Coat of Arms of the village (villa) in natural colors.
Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms is formed as a square with a rounded base and stamped at the top with a crown mural of three towers. It is supported by two dolphins, and underneath the base a banner with the inscription "FAJARDO DE SANTIAGO".
Barrios (Districts/Wards)
- Bariada Obrera
- Las Cabezas (Las Croabas)
- Demajagua
|
Fajardo Pue
Florencio
Monte Brisas |
Naranjo
Paraiso
Quebrada Fajardo |
Quebrada Vueltas
Río Arriba
Santa Isidra |
Sardinera
Valle Puerto Real |
Geo/Topography
- Fajardo River
-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map – Caribbean Region *...
- Aguas Buenas Gorge, Fajardo Gorge, Juan Diego Gorge and the Mata Redonda Gorge
- Aguas Prietas and Grande lagoons
Industrial
Electrical components, metal work, furniture manufacturing. Fajardo is also home to pharmaceutical and bio-sciences companies.
Due to its rich ports and closeness to smaller islands, Fajardo is also known for its fishing industries.
Tourism
Fajardo is popular among tourists, especially local tourists, because of its seafood, hotels, closeness to the small islands of Palomino, Icacos and Palominito, and the many daily trips that were are available to Vieques and
CulebraIsla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
, both by boat and by the four airlines that served Fajardo Airport recently closed:
Air CulebraAir Culebra, established in 1998, is a small Puerto Rican airline company that flies out of the island of Culebra, in Puerto Rico, and the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in San Juan....
,
Air St. ThomasAir St. Thomas was an airline based on the island of St. Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands. It operated regular and charter passenger services. Its main base was Cyril E. King Airport, St Thomas...
,
Isla Nena AirIsla Nena Air Service, Inc., is an airline from Vieques, Puerto Rico. The airline operates small aircraft, as Vieques airport is not prepared to handle jet aircraft.-History:...
and
Vieques Air LinkVieques Air Link is a small Puerto Rican airline company that links Vieques with Culebra and mainland Puerto Rico.- Airline code and callsign :* IATA Code: VI* ICAO Code: VES* Callsign: Vieques- History :...
.
Fajardo's perfect beaches are bounded by calm, clear water ideal for snorkeling. Seven Seas Beach offers plentiful water sports facilities, offshore points for sailing, snorkeling and plenty of scuba diving.
Fajardo is also home to one of the few Bioluminescent Lagoons in the world. Nightly trips are offered by kayak by local companies who give educational tours.
Landmarks and places of interest
- Las Cabezas de San Juan Light House - One of the oldest lighthouses in Puerto Rico. Only one used for nautical reasons in the entire island.
- Bioluminescent
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
Lagoon - One of the few Bio-Bays of the world.
- Puerto del Rey Marina
Puerto del Rey Marina is a marina located in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. With a capacity of 1,100 boats, it is one of the largest marinas in the Caribbean.- General description :...
- Biggest marina in the Caribbean.
- El Conquistador Resort & Casino - One of Puerto Rico's most luxurious resorts.
- Seven Seas Beach - One of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Classified Blue Flag for its sanitary health guarantees.
- Las Cabezas de San Juan Reserve - Home to mangroves and to the lighthouse.
- Fajardo Port - Used by locals and tourists to visit the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebras.
- Town Square - One of the most charming, antique styled, town squares of Puerto Rico. It has free wireless internet.
- Fajardo Airport
- Old Fajardo Sugar Cane Refinery
- Icacos & Palomino Keys
- Isleta Marina
- Natural Reserve Las Croabas
- Las Croabas Recreational Park
- Hipolito Robles Sports Complex
- Santiago Apostol Cathedral
- Icacos, Palomino and Palominito islets.
Festivals and events
- Bicicletada Fajardeña - April
- Kite Festival - April
- Kelly Cup Sailboat Regata - April
- Bomba & Plena Festival - May
- Patron Festivities Santiago Apóstol - July
- Paradise Fiesta - August
- Cocolía Festival - November
Famous Fajardeños
- General Antonio Valero de Bernabé Pacheco - Fought with Simon Bolivar.
- Dr. Antonia Coello de Novelo - Former Surgeon General
- Antonio R. Barcelo - Politician
- Marquita Rivera
Marquita Rivera was a Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer who became the first Puerto Rican actress to appear in a major Hollywood motion picture, Road to Rio, opposite Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour...
- first actress from Puerto Rico to appear in a major Hollywood motion picture.
- John John Molina - World Renowned Boxer
- Magui Mercado - Composer
- Carlos Arroyo - Basketball Player
Sports
Fajardo in the past was home to a National Superior Basketball; Baloncesto Superior Nacional BSN
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
team, the
Fajardo CaridurosThe Fajardo Cariduros is a basketball team in the BSN league of Puerto Rico. The team plays on the eastern town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The Cariduros play on the Metro Division. The team was transferred from Morovis to Fajardo by Marcelino Garcia....
or as they are known in the Island Cariduros de Fajardo.
Carlos ArroyoCarlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Arroyo is the fifth player from Puerto Rico to play in the National Basketball Association...
, Edgar Leon and
Georgie TorresGeorge Torres , better known as Georgie Torres, is a Puerto Rican who is a well known former BSN basketball player. Torres broke the record for the most points scored in a career at that league, with over 16,000 points scored. He was the first player to reach that number of points...
were three of the most famous players to play for that franchise.
In 2007, the team returned once again to the BSN. The team known as the "Titanes de Morovis" was moved to Fajardo, and was renamed "Cariduros de Fajardo". Unlike the NBA and other sports leagues in the USA, Puerto Rican franchises rarely leave the original name of the franchise when they move to a different city.
Once, there was a basketball team for the Puerto Rican Basketball League known as the "Conquistadores de Fajardo".
Fajardo also has a AA Baseball League team with the same name as the basketball team. They have won two national titles, and as of 2005 they are the team to beat in the Northeast Division.
External links