Naguabo is The Land Where the Waters Lie
If you travel to the eastern coast of the island, just north of Humacao, you will find Naguabo. This municipality is spread out over ten wards, the administrative center of which is Naguabo Pueblo. The 134 square kilometers of land that is covered by this municipality is quite varied since it includes a part of the Luquillo Mountain Range. Two of the larger peaks in this range can be found within its boundaries – that of the Este and Oeste Picos which peak at 1051 and 1020 meters above sea level respectively. Once the land levels out at the foot of the mountains, it is quite flat.
According to history the town was founded on 15 July 1821. It is named in accordance with the name given to the region by a tribe of Taino Indians who lived in the area during the time of Spanish colonization. The tribe, who lived under the authority of Indian chief Dagüao, gave the area its name because of the high levels of precipitation that the region experiences each year. Roughly translated, ‘Naguabo’ means ‘here is the land where waters lie’ and today locals like to refer to it as ‘El Pueblo de los Enchumbaos’ which means ‘the soaked city’. The city has such high precipitation levels mainly because it is situated so close to the El Yunque tropical rain forest. This means that the forest is only a short drive away, making Naguabo in Puerto Rico a great place to stay if you wish to explore it.
Naguabo is also said to be the place where ‘pastelillo de chapin’ was first created. The food, which is popular throughout the country, features trunkfish wrapped in flour dough which is then deep-fried into a tasty treat. You can sample this delightful dish at virtually any seafood restaurant on the island. Visitors will be pleased to know that there are several attractions worth visiting, such as the Algodones Key, the Caribbean National Forest, the Naguabo Beach, the Punta Lima Beach, the Tropical Beach, the Ramon Rivero ‘Diplo’ Monument and the Yudelmi Center. Naguabo is also host to a number of annual festivals and events which take place between March and October. So plan carefully to make sure that you get the most out of your stay in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.
