Fajardo (, ) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra,

Vieques Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...

, and the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = " Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Bri ...

. It is also home to the largest marina in the Caribbean, called Puerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels and inns. Offshore, near Fajardo, a few islets can be found. These are Icacos, Isla Palomino, Palominito, and Diablo, among other uninhabited coral islands and barrier reefs.

History

Fajardo was founded in 1760, 1773 or 1774 (depending on the authority) as Santiago de Fajardo. It was one of the locations used by the American troops 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 The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in Puerto Rico. Rodgers ordered some of his men ashore, which included Puerto Rican volunteers, with the mission of posting the

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

atop the lighthouse. On November 14, 1824, in what was dubbed the "Foxhardo" Affair, a US Naval Officer named David Porter went ashore in Fajardo with 200 seamen and marines, threatening to destroy Fajardo because one of his men had been arrested in Puerto Rico. For taking this action without US approval, Porter was later court-martialed. Puerto Rico was ceded by

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in the aftermath of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 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, ...

conducted a

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Fajardo was 16,782. On September 20, 2017

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...

struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Fajardo, the hurricane triggered numerous landslides with its strong winds and significant amount of rainfall.

Geography

Fajardo is a coastal municipality with a number of islets. *

Fajardo River Fajardo River ( es, Río Fajardo) is a river of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. It crosses Ceiba and Fajardo. It is 16.35 miles long. It is a scenic river with pools, rapids, an extensive tropical forest. Gallery PR-971 Puente entre Fajardo y Ceiba en P ...

*Aguas Buenas Gorge, Fajardo Gorge, Juan Diego Gorge and the Mata Redonda Gorge *Aguas Prietas and Grande lagoons

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Fajardo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as . # Cabezas (Las Croabas) # Demajagua #

Fajardo barrio-pueblo Fajardo barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center (seat) of Fajardo, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 13,709. As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called ''pueblo'' which ...

# Florencio # Naranjo # Quebrada Fajardo # Quebrada Vueltas # Río Arriba #

Sardinera Sardinera is a barrio in the municipality of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,190. History Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a ...

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (''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. 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 Fajardo: Obrera neighborhood, Roosevelt neighborhood, Mansión del Sapo, Maternillo, Media Luna, Sector Camacho, Vevé Calzada, and Vieques en el Aire.

Tourism

Fajardo is a tourist destination, especially among local tourists, because of its seafood, hotels, closeness to the small islands of Palomino, Icacos and Palominito, and the many daily trips that are available to

and Culebra, both by boat and by the four airlines that served Fajardo Airport (now closed): Air Culebra, Air St. Thomas,

Isla Nena Air Isla or ISLA may refer to: Organizations * International Securities Lending Association, a trade association * International School of Los Angeles * International Bilingual School, later named International School of Los Angeles People * Isla ...

and

Vieques Air Link Vieques Air Link (VAL, IATA code:V4) is a small Puerto Rico-based airline that links Vieques with Culebra and mainland Puerto Rico. History Operations began during 1965, with owner Osvaldo "Val" Gonzalez-Duriex piloting a plane with thre ...

. Fajardo has 46 beaches. Fajardo's beaches are bounded by calm, clear water ideal for

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

Seven Seas Beach
offers plentiful water sports facilities, offshore points for

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

, snorkeling and plenty of

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

. Fajardo is also home to one of the fe
Bioluminescent Lagoons
in the world. Nightly trips are offered by kayak by local companies who give educational tours.

Landmarks and places of interest

Reserva Natural Cabezas de San Juan en Puerto Rico

* 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. * Laguna Grande - One of the few Bioluminescent bays in the world that glow and offer
night kayaking tours
all year round. * Puerto del Rey Marina - Biggest marina in the Caribbean. * U.S. Customs House - Constructed in 1930 still in use by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection. * Santiago Apostol Cathedral *El Conquistador, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. - One of Puerto Rico's most luxurious resorts, complete with its own private,

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite e ...

railway connecting its main hotel building with its marina. It was closed in 2017 after

, and is scheduled to reopen in Fall 2020.
Seven Seas Beach
- Classified Blue Flag for its sanitary health guarantees. * Las Cabezas de San Juan Reserve - Home to

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

s and to the lighthouse. * Fajardo Port - Used by locals and tourists to visit the island municipalities of

and Culebra. *The main town square - A colonial-style town square in the downtown. *Old Fajardo Sugar Cane Refinery *Isleta Marina * Las Croabas Natural Reserve *Bioluminescent Bay Fajardo *Las Croabas Recreational Park *Hipolito Robles Sports Complex *Icacos, Palomino and Palominito Cays (islets
Island Water Taxi
Aerial view of El Conquistador Resort and Harbor

Aerial view of El Conquistador Resort and Harbor

Economy

Island off the coast of Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Industry

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.

Culture

Festivals and events

Fajardo celebrates its

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

festival in July. 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 Fajardo include: *Bicycletada Fajardeña - April *Kite Festival - April *Kelly Cup Sailboat Regata - April * Bomba & Plena Festival - May *Paradise Fiesta - August *Cocolía Festival - November

Sports

Fajardo Soccer Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Fajardo,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, 35 miles east of

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muñoz ...

(SJU).
The 3,800 capacity stadium was developed at a cost of $3.9M, and opened December 12, 2015 and is home venue of

Puerto Rico Sol Puerto Rico Sol FC is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican association football club from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Mayagüez that currently plays in the Liga Puerto Rico, the highest level of football in the country. History Puerto Rico Sol FC was founde ...

. Fajardo in the past was home to a National Superior Basketball; Baloncesto Superior Nacional BSN

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team, the Fajardo Cariduros or as they are known in the Island Cariduros de Fajardo. George Torres, Mario Morales and Mario Butler 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 United States, 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 Amateur Baseball Team Los Cariduros de Fajardo and have won over 10 sectional championships, 3 time national runners-up in 1974, 2003 and 2005, and 3 times national champions in 1954, 2004 and 2010.

Demographics

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, elected every four years. The current mayor of Fajardo is Aníbal Meléndez Rivera, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was elected at the 1988 general elections. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012, Pedro A. Rodríguez and Luis Daniel Rivera were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

PR-971 Puente entre Fajardo y Ceiba en Puerto Rico

There are 20 bridges in Fajardo. Diego Jiménez Torres Airport was Fajardo's airport and handled commercial airline flights to the city, but it was permanently closed in 2015.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

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 “Santiago de Fajardo”.

Notable Fajardeños

Roberto Angleró Roberto Angleró Pepín (September 12, 1929 – April 28, 2018) was a Puerto Rican music composer and singer, notable for writing various hit songs in the bolero, salsa and Afro-Puerto Rican music genres. He is known for having written various ma ...

- Music composer and singer *

Carlos Arroyo Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez (born July 30, 1979) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player, and reggaeton singer. Arroyo had previously played in the National Basketball Association with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, ...

- Basketball Player * Antonio R. Barceló - Politician & The First President of the Puerto Rico Senate. * Eugenio S. Belaval - Legislator * General Antonio Valero de Bernabé - Fought with Simón Bolívar. * Norma Candal - Comedian *

Ivonne Coll Ivonne Coll Mendoza (born June 18, 1947) is a Puerto Rican actress. She was Miss Puerto Rico in 1967 and competed in the Miss Universe pageant the same year. She later became an actress, appearing in films such as ''The Godfather Part II'' and ...

- Actress * Héctor Cotto - Athlete * Emilio Belaval Maldonado - Served as Associate Justice for the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. * John John Molina - Boxer * Pedro Rosa Nales - TV reporter * Dr. Antonia Coello de Novelo - Former Surgeon General of the United States. *

Josefina Barceló Bird de Romero Josefina Barceló Bird de Romero This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first two are the maiden family name ''"Barceló Bird"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Romero"''. (February 14, 1901 — April 15, 1979) was a ...

- Politician * Marquita Rivera - first actress from Puerto Rico to appear in a major Hollywood motion picture. *

Peter John Ramos Peter John Ramos Fuentes (born May 23, 1985) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and professional wrestler. He is the sixth athlete from Puerto Rico to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the third drafted ...

- Basketball Player *

Carlos Rivera Carlos Rivera Guerra, better known as Carlos Rivera (born March 15, 1986), is a Mexican singer. He rose to fame by winning the third generation of '' La Academia''. Rivera has released four studio albums and participated in six theatre product ...

- Professional Baseball Player * José Pérez - Actor * Ashley Cariño - Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022

Gallery

Condos on Isleta Marina, a private island of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Condos on Isleta Marina, a private island of Fajardo Paved walkway and building in Puerto Rico.jpg, Paved walkway and building in Fajardo Beach in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Beach in Fajardo Funicular at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Funicular at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo Pier at Cabezas, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Pier at Cabezas Fajardo Las Croabas 2.jpg, Las Croabas

References

External links

Biobay FajardoHistoric Places in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
{{Authority control Municipalities of Puerto Rico Fajardo metropolitan area Populated places established in 1772