San Juan & Rio Grande

ABOUT THE DESTINATION: San Juan, the capital of and largest city in Puerto Rico, was officially established in 1521, making it one of the oldest cities in all of the Americas. Being a United States territory, San Juan is a pretty unique place to visit in the Caribbean; the capital city offers all the comforts and amenities of any American city, but has still managed to retain a distinct Latin atmosphere and culture. The historic part of the city, Old San Juan, is among the oldest settlements within Puerto Rico full of colourful streets that have historical and cultural significance. As you stroll down the streets of Old San Juan, you can't help but be amazed at the five centuries of history that have been so beautifully preserved. One of the most famous monuments in Puerto Rico, El Morro, is a 16th century fort list with impressive towers and tunnels. Few cemeteries are as scenic as San Juan Cemetery. Lush and diverse, El Yunque Rainforest is a natural paradise. Puerto Rico is synonymous with great beaches. You’ll find many along San Juan's coast, soft sand and palm trees await you here. San Juan is a great mix of beach, history, great culture and nightlife. So, what are you waiting for?

ABOUT THE DESTINATION: Rio Grande, founded in 1840, is known as the "City of the Yunque". Its municipal patron is the Virgin of Our Lady of the Carmen. The territorial extension of the municipality comprises approximately 157 square kilometers (60.8 square miles). Its population is 52,362 riograndeños (census 2000). The territory is distributed in the neighborhoods: Rio Grande-pueblo, Ciénaga Alta, Ciénaga Baja, Guzmán Arriba, Guzmán Abajo, Herreras, Jiménez, Mameyes II and Zarzal. The economy of the municipality has several factories, hotels and golf courses. Flowers (especially the lily), bananas, yautías, tomatoes and gherkins among other fruits are also grown commercially. Geography Río Grande limits to the north with the Atlantic Ocean; To the east with the municipalities of Luquillo and Ceiba; To the west with Loíza, and to the south with Naguabo and Las Piedras. Geographically it belongs to the region called Los Llanos Costaneros del Norte. It has alluvial terrain, interrupted by some rocky promontories and sand dunes on the coast. The mountainous area is part of the Caribbean National Forest, also known as the Sierra de Luquillo. It should be mentioned that most of this forest is located within the municipality of Rio Grande. To the south and southeast, it contains the highest elevations of the Sierra de Luquillo; These are the peaks El Toro and El Yunque. In the north, near the coast, there are two small hills known as El Faro and Bravo. The first, located between the neighborhoods Mameyes II and Zarzal, is 459 feet (140 meters) high. The second hill is located in Zarzal neighborhood, this one rises to less than 328 feet (100 meters) of height on the level of the sea. The lands near the coasts are characterized by being low and swampy. Its hydrographic system is composed by the rivers: Herrera, Espíritu Santo and Mameyes. The former borders with the municipalities of Canóvanas and Loíza, and is approximately nine miles long. The second originates in the neighborhood Jiménez and has a length of approximately 12 miles. Its tributaries are the Sonador and Grande rivers. The third, the river Mameyes, was born in the neighborhood that bears the same name. He serves as a boundary with Luquillo and is about nine miles long. The tributaries of the latter are the La Mina River and its tributary the Juan Diego Stream; The creek The Machine and its tributaries the gorges Lingueta and La toma; And the Tabonuco and Anón ravines. Rio Grande has large mangrove areas located in the mouths of the rivers: Espíritu Santo, Herrera and Mameyes and in the tip Picuda. Its name comes from the Rio Grande, tributary of the Espíritu Santo river, which passes near the town. During the years of conquest and colonization, it suffered continuous attacks by the Carib Indians and Tainos. This zone was populated little by little after the clashes with the indigenous people stopped. From this moment on, the first cattle herds, the sugar plantations and the smaller fruit crops emerged. Rio Grande was founded on July 26, 1840, thanks to the efforts that a group of neighbors made to separate Rio Grande from the town of Loíza. Desiderio Escobar, Quilimaco Escobar, Juan Monge and others, advised by Father Juan Leon Lascot, went to the governor of the island, Miguel López de Baños, to request the demarcation of Loíza in all civil and ecclesiastical matters. During the same year of its foundation, the church of the municipality was erected. At that time, Rio Grande was composed of the districts: Ciénaga Alta, Cienaga Baja, Jiménez, Guzmán Abajo, Guzmán Arriba, Herreras, Río Grande Pueblo and Zarzal. In 1897, the district Mameyes II of the municipality of Luquillo was annexed to Rio Grande. Two years later, the municipality of Luquillo was dissolved and its neighborhoods were distributed between Fajardo and Rio Grande. To Río Grande, it was added the neighborhoods: Mata de Plátano, Mameyes I, Hato Viejo and parts of Savannah. The Hato Viejo neighborhood disappeared in 1910. Four years later, in 1914, by law of the Legislature of Puerto Rico, Luquillo was restored as a municipality and all of its neighborhoods were returned, except for Mameyes II, which continued in Rio Grande. In 1898, the Planning Board of Puerto Rico prepared the official map of the municipality with its neighborhoods. In this map, the urban area was expanded, including part of the rural neighborhoods Herreras and Guzmán Abajo. During the first years of its foundation, the economy of Rio Grande was based on the cattle exploitation. Years later, the cultivation of the sugar cane flourished. As a result, mills were created which were later replaced by haciendas and these, in turn, by sugar mills. In the mid-nineteenth century, this municipality had two estates: Monserrate and Constancia. The first, owned by Veve Successors, was founded in 1850 by José Calzada and had 701 ropes of land. The second, founded in 1870 by Felipe García, had 50 ropes of land. In the 1970s, 740 ropes from the territory of Rio Grande were used for the cultivation of sugar cane. It also had two dairy dairies that had 325 ropes of pasture and that produced daily of 2,560 liters of milk. Another 13 farms, with 4,020 ropes of pastures and 3,600 heads of cattle, were dedicated to the cattle raising of meat. Also, ten poultry farms operated in the municipality with a total of 150,000 laying hens. In addition, more than fifteen factories engaged in the manufacture of articles such as electric switches, clothes, air conditioners, concrete poles, needles, school effects, and others were operating in Rio Grande. At present, the economy of this municipality is based, mainly, in manufacturing and tourist industries. In recent years, trade, banking and construction have experienced growth.