Quebradillas, Puerto Rico


Quebradillas is a municipality of the island of Puerto Rico located in the north-western shore bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of San Sebastián; east of Isabela; and west of Camuy. Quebradillas is spread over seven wards and Quebradillas Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Quebradillas is called "La Guarida del Pirata". 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. This town derives its name from the large amount of streams flowing through it. The name literally means "small streams".

Geography

Quebradillas is home to one of the 20 designated forest preserves in Puerto Rico, the Guajataca Forest. 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 and haystack-shaped hills known as "mogotes". It is also home to the beautiful man-made reservoir, Guajataca Lake, where you can fish for largemouth bass, peacock bass, tilapia and bluegill. You can also go hiking or camping. The Puerto Rico Council of the Boy Scouts of America maintains a campground on the lake known as Camp Guajataka. The name Guajataca comes from the name of a Taíno Indian chief who lived in this area. This Indian chief also gives his name to Guajataca Beach to the north where Río Guajataca flowing from Guajataca Lake meets the Atlantic Ocean. Guajataca Beach is popular with surfers and is known for its white sands and wild waters. 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 "el pueblo".
  1. Cacao
  2. Charcas
  3. Cocos
  4. Guajataca
  5. Quebradillas barrio-pueblo
  6. San Antonio
  7. San José
  8. Terranova

    Sectors

Barrios in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores. The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.

Special Communities

Of the 742 places on the list of Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico, 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 subtropical.

Demographics

The United States took control of Puerto Rico from Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and conducted its first census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Quebradillas was 7,432.

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

There are 6 beaches in Quebradillas.
The main attractions of Quebradillas are:

Business

A small shopping center called Quebradillas Plaza is located in this municipality along with some manufacturing industries.
An event which negatively affected the region in the decade of the 1990s was the disappearance of tax exemptions to the private corporations , which at the time was the ideal excuse for the closing 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 Isabela and Camuy, generating a regional economic decline as the locals greatly depended on these jobs. In nearby towns like Hatillo, Mayagüez and Aguadilla, the arrival of mega stores and new shopping centers attracted the jobs that used to be in Quebradillas, helping to create the general vision of the town as "ghostly" because there is little movement in the city.
At the same time, since the Island lacks mass public transportation, people must resort to private cars used as a bus as a mode of transportation. This, coupled with the fact that the only road to access the important cities, the Puerto Rico Highway 2, is congested most of the day, makes it difficult for people in the area to find work and thus contributes to the general economic decline.
Ironically, the town possesses one tunnel that at the beginning of the 20th century was utilized by steam driven trains that traveled throughout the Island. The disappearance of the same is considered as one of the most ironic facts of the modern history of Puerto Rico, since these railways were very extensive, built through earthly bluffs and were of great utility. Today, their absence only aggravates the problem of mass transit and the dependence on privately owned vehicles as 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 , sports and educational activities.

Culture

Festivals and events

Quebradillas celebrates its patron saint festival in October. The Fiestas Patronales de San Rafael Arcangel 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:
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.
The town's government is a small unit with few powers it can execute. Small elections are hosted in specific schools every four years to choose a town mayor.

Transportation

There are 4 bridges in Quebradillas.

Symbols

Flag

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

Coat of arms

The three waved stripes represent the quebradillas, over the green background of the vegetation. The fish and the walking stick, are insignias of San Rafael Arcángel, by allusion from the episodes narrated in the book of Tobías in the Old Testament.

Education

The town features many public and private schools. There is also a public electronic library near Los Chorritos Pirata water park.
New schools have been created thanks to a government initiative to have "21st century" schools.

Public Schools