Añasco, Puerto Rico

Añasco (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈɲasko], locally [aˈɲaʔko]), named after one of its settlers, Don Luis de Añasco, is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located on the west coast of the island bordering the Mona Passage to the west, north of Mayagüez, and Las Marias; south of Rincón, Aguada, and Moca and west of San Sebastián and Las Marias. It is part of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Añasco Municipio Autónomo de Añasco
City and municipality
From top, left to right: Añasco city hall in downtown Añasco; historic Puente Salcedo de Añasco (Salcedo Bridge of Añasco); Bahía de Añasco (Añasco Bay) from Caguabo
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "La Ciudad Donde los Dioses Murieron", "El Pueblo Del Hojaldre", "El Pueblo de los Morcilleros", "Los nativos", "La Cuna de la Puertorriqueñidad"
Anthem: "Añasco pueblo querido..."
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Añasco Municipality
Coordinates: 18°18′58″N 67°08′23″W
Sovereign state	United States
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
First settled	1508
Founded	October 18, 1733
Founded by	Don Luis de Añasco
Barrios	23 barrios Añasco Abajo Añasco Arriba Añasco barrio-pueblo Caguabo Caracol Carreras Casey Abajo Casey Arriba Cerro Gordo Cidra Corcovada Dagüey Espino Hatillo Humatas Marías Miraflores Ovejas Piñales Playa Quebrada Larga Río Arriba Río Cañas
Government
• Mayor	Kabir Solares García (PNP)
• Senatorial dist.	4 - Mayagüez
• Representative dist.	18
Area
• Total	35.5 sq mi (92 km2)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	25,596
• Rank	47th in Puerto Rico
• Density	720/sq mi (280/km2)
Demonym	Añasqueños
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code	00610
Area code	787/939
Major routes
Website	www.anascopr.net

Etymology and nicknames

Statue in the main plaza's fountain depicting the drowning of legendary conquistador Diego Salcedo, a story which gives the municipality one of its many nicknames

The name Añasco comes from Don Luis de Añasco, former owner of the land where the town and municipality were founded. This family name is of Spanish origin from the province of Extremadura.^[2]

Some of the municipality's nicknames include: La ciudad donde los dioses mueren ("The city where gods die") and Los nativos ("the natives") are a reference to the legend of Spanish conquistador Diego Salcedo, who according to the story was drowned by the indigenous Taíno in order to prove that the European colonizers were not immortal deities; and Pueblo del Hojaldre ("Puff Pastry Town") after the hojaldre, a type of puff pastry the municipality is famous for.^[3]

History

Although the Bahía de Aguada (Aguada Bay) in the neighboring town of Aguada, commonly known as the Ciudad del Descubrimiento (City of the Discovery), has historically been recognized as the location where Christopher Columbus first landed in Puerto Rico during his second voyage on 19 November 1493, it is believed by most historians that Bahía de Añasco (Añasco Bay) in Añasco was the place of Columbus’ first landing and stay of two days in Puerto Rico before continuing to La Navidad, first European settlement in the Americas, in Haiti in Hispaniola.^[4][5][6]

The town of Añasco was founded on October 18, 1733, and named after Don Luis de Añasco, a colonist from the Extremadura region of Spain who came to Puerto Rico with Juan Ponce de León. Añasco was founded by the initiative of rich landowner Don José de Santiago, who wanted to establish the villa in properties owned by Don Luis de Añasco. The property was located on the margins of the río Guaorabo, as the Taínos called it.^[7][8]

Añasco town was preceded by the first settlement in the western part of Puerto Rico, San Germán. In November 1511, Juan Ponce de León handed over governorship to Juan Cerón, a lieutenant of the viceroy Diego Colon (son of Cristobal Colon or Cristopher Columbus). Cerón ordered Miguel de Toro, a lieutenant of Juan Ponce de León, to create a "Christian Village" in western Borinquen, calling it San Germán. This was the second attempt of foundation given in 1511 at the mouth of the Guaorabo River (present day Rio Añasco), near the area known today as Añasco, Puerto Rico. This first settlement was attacked in 1528, 1538, and again in 1554. A fort to protect this town began in 1540, but its construction was suspended in 1546 when the people decided to move inland being tired of attacks. Attacks by Carib Indians forced the population to move south inland to the present site of the present town of San Germán^{[citation needed]}.

The Añasco River is also claimed to be the site of the popular legend of the drowning of the Spaniard Diego Salcedo in 1511 at the hands of the Taínos, proving the Spanish soldiers were not gods and igniting a revolt. It is believed that the revolt was led by the cacique "Cacique Chayoán" (Uruyoán) and suppressed by Spanish soldiers.^[9]

Many of the first settlers to the area came from the Canary Islands and the south of Spain. The 1918 San Fermín earthquake destroyed Añasco's parish church, the town hall and other buildings, almost eliminating most of the historic downtown structures.

Hurricane María on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Añasco. In some areas of Añasco there were more than 25 landslides per square mile due to the significant amount of rainfall.^[10][11] Barrio Playa was particularly affected with about 96% of the homes under water. Bridges in and around Añasco sustained extensive damage as a result of Hurricane María.^[12]

Geography

Añasco is located in the Coastal Plains of the west, bordered by the Río Grande de Añasco. It is bordered in the north by Rincón, Aguada, and Moca; Mayagüez to the south; and San Sebastián and Las Marías to the east. The Mona Passage lies to the west of the town.^[13] The Añasco terrain is mostly plain but features a series of hills and mountains like Canta Gallo (1,194 feet, or 364 meters), Gordo and Pichón (both at 1,115 feet, or 340 meters).^[14] It is also crossed by several rivers like Icaco River, Caguabo River, La Balsa, and others.^[13][15]

Barrios

Subdivisions of Añasco.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Añasco is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as "el pueblo", near the center of the municipality.^{[16][17][18][19]}

1. Añasco Abajo
2. Añasco Arriba
3. Añasco barrio-pueblo^[20]
4. Caguabo
5. Caracol
6. Carreras
7. Casey Abajo
8. Casey Arriba
9. Cerro Gordo
10. Cidra
11. Corcovada
12. Dagüey
13. Espino
14. Hatillo
15. Humatas
16. Marías
17. Miraflores
18. Ovejas
19. Piñales
20. Playa
21. Quebrada Larga
22. Río Arriba
23. Río Cañas

Sectors

Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Añasco, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)^[20] 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.^[21][22][23]

Special Communities

See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (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 Añasco: Cerro Gordo, Corcovada, Hatillo, Miraflores, and Caguabo barrios, Comunidad La Playa, Parcelas Josefa (Comunidad Espino), Parcelas Marías, Piñales (La Choza), and Zumbadora sector in Río Arriba barrio.^[24]

Demographics

Like most of the people of Puerto Rico, the Añasco population originated with the Taino Indians and then by immigrants from Spain that settled the central highland, most prominently the Andalusian and Canarian Spanish migration who formed the bulk of the jibaro or white peasant stock of the island.^[25] The Andalusian and Canarian Spaniards also influenced much of the Puerto Rican culture which explains the Southern Spanish dialect, and the Spanish colonial architecture.

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 territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Añasco was 13,311.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	13,311		—
1910	14,407		8.2%
1920	13,834		−4.0%
1930	14,276		3.2%
1940	15,701		10.0%
1950	17,235		9.8%
1960	17,200		−0.2%
1970	19,416		12.9%
1980	23,274		19.9%
1990	25,234		8.4%
2000	28,348		12.3%
2010	29,261		3.2%
2020	25,596		−12.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[26] 1899 (shown as 1900)[27] 1910-1930[28] 1930-1950[29] 1960-2000[30] 2010[18] 2020[31]

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Resort in Caguabo

There are 18 beaches in Añasco.^[32] Tres Hermanos Beach is a well-known Añasco beach^[33] which remained closed for more than two years after Hurricane Maria destroyed it in September 2017. It was set to reopen in 2020 after many renovations which continued into February 2020.^[34]

Playa de Tres Hermanos (Three Brothers Beach) in Añasco, Puerto Rico

Some other beaches and places of interest in Añasco include:

• Añasco Beach
• Autodrome
• El Salto de la Encantada
• Hacienda La Eugenia
• Río Grande de Añasco
• San Antonio Abad Parish Church
• Villa Pesquera

Mirador de la Bahía

To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Voy Turisteando Añasco passport page lists Casco Urbano, Mirador de la Bahía, and restaurants on Puerto Rico Highway 115 as places of interest.^[35]

Culture

Festivals and events

Añasco celebrates its patron saint festival in January. The Fiestas Patronales de San Antonio Abad is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.^[13][36]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Añasco include:

• Mayuco Festival – January
• Fine Arts Festival (Festival de Bellas Artes – January
• Three Kings Day Festival in Ovejas and Corcovada barrios – January
• Saint Anthony's Marathon – January
• Antique Car Fair – January
• Theater Festival – May
• Youth Festival – July
• Festival in Honor of Saint Rose of Lima – August
• Añasco Triathlon – September
• Chipe Festival – October

Sports

Añasco has a AA baseball team called the Fundadores de Añasco.^[37] It is also known for being the hometown of some amateur boxing prospects like Samuel Figueroa.^[38]

Notable people

• Mariana Bracetti - (1825–1903) was a patriot and leader of the Puerto Rico independence movement in the 1860s. She is attributed with having knitted the flag that was intended to be used as the national emblem of Puerto Rico in its attempt to overthrow the Spanish government on the island, and to establish the island as a sovereign republic.
• Ivy Queen - Singer
• Aristides Gonzalez - boxer, Olympic bronze medalist in 1984
• Young Miko- rapper and singer-songwriter.

Economy

In 2016 the municipal government reported a budget surplus of $1.3 million nonetheless the government also indicated that the municipal debt was $13 million.^[39]

Agriculture

Sugar cane had been cultivated in Añasco as early as the 16th century. The earliest known sugar mill ("ingenios") operator around the Añasco area was Tomás de Castellón in 1523. Añasco has also been a place for fruits and coffee cultivation.^[13]

Government

Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Añasco is Kabir Solares García, of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was elected at the 2020 general elections and is currently serving his first term after defeating the incumbent mayor Jorge Estévez Martínez.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV, which is represented by two Senators. In 2020, Ada García Montes and Migdalia González were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

There are 22 bridges in Añasco,^[40] and many sustained damages on September 20, 2017, when Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico.^[12]

Education

The Puerto Rico Department of Education operates several public schools in the municipality, including two bilingual schools, Antonio Gonzalez Suarez Regional Bilingual Elementary School and Sergio Ramirez de Arellano-Hostos Regional Bilingual Secondary School, the first public bilingual schools on the island. There are also private bilingual schools in the municipality, such as Colegio de la Salle and MAS Integrated School.

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.^[41]

Flag

The flag colors, design and symbolism are taken from the Añasco's coat of arms, with the only exception the silver parts on the coat of arms are white on the flag.^[7][42]

Coat of arms

The green field of the shield contains a saber cross massed in black, outlined in silver, and has a gold scallop shell in each quadrant formed by a cross fleury. A gold mural crown of three towers crests the shield.^[7]

See also

• Puerto Rico portal
• Geography portal

• History of Puerto Rico
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Añasco, Puerto Rico

References

1. Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
2. "Añasco familia heráldica genealogía escudo Añasco". Heraldrys Institute of Rome (in Spanish). Retrieved October 7, 2021.
3. "Añasco, Puerto Rico – Where The Gods Die". BoricuaOnline.com. November 28, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
4. Van Middeldyk, R.A. (1903). The history of Puerto Rico, from the Spanish discovery to the American occupation. NY: D. Appleton and Co. p. 13-16.
5. Morison, Samuel Eliot (1986). The Great Explorers: The European Discovery of America. Oxford University Press. pp. 440, 448, 449. ISBN 978-0-19-504222-1.
6. "Controversia en Puerto Rico por el punto donde Colón llegó a la isla caribeña". Diario Libre (in Spanish). December 6, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
7. "Añasco Municipality Founding History and Symbols". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
8. "Boquilla Creek Wildlife Reserve informational Brochure" (PDF). July 18, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
9. Iriarte, H. (2018). Puerto Rico, a Unique Culture: History, People and Traditions. Balboa Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-9822-0597-3. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
10. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
11. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
12. "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar - Añasco" [Maria, a name we will never forget - Añasco]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
13. "Añasco Municipality General Info (Location, Square Miles, Economy and Geography)". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
14. Cerro Canta Gallo, Puerto Rico Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine on Lat-Long
15. Municipios: Añasco Archived 2010-11-23 at the Wayback Machine on Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico
16. Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. (1969). Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
17. Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
18. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
19. "Map of Añasco at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
20. "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
21. "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Retrieved June 28, 2019.
22. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
23. "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 24, 2020.
24. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (Primera edición ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
25. Hernández, Miguel. "Brief History of the Canarian Migration to Spanish America". Puerto Rican Hispanic Genealogical Society. RootsWeb.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
26. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
27. "Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899". War Department, Office Director Census of Porto Rico. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
28. "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930, 1920, and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
29. "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities, Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
30. "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
31. Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
32. "Las 1,200 playas de Puerto Rico [The 1200 beaches of Puerto Rico]". Primera Hora (in Spanish). April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
33. "Tres Hermanos, Añasco - Ruta Marina | EnciclopediaPR". Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
34. "Reabrirán Balneario Tres Hermanos de Añasco tras destrucción de María". WIPR. February 18, 2020.
35. Pasaporte: Voy Turisteando (in Spanish). Compañia de Turismo de Puerto Rico. 2021.
36. "Puerto Rico Festivales, Eventos y Actividades en Puerto Rico". Puerto Rico Hoteles y Paradores (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
37. "San Sebastián avanza por primera vez desde 2013 al Carnaval de Campeones" (in Spanish). June 23, 2019.
38. "Please login".
39. "Radiografía municipal: Añasco". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
40. "Anasco Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
41. "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
42. "AÑASCO". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

External links

• Añasco coastline on Gettyimages
• Welcome to Puerto Rico! Añasco
• "Añasco, Puerto Rico". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 7, 2008.