Fajardo Municipio Autónomo de Fajardo | |
|---|---|
Town andMunicipality | |
 Aerial view of Fajardo's basin | |
 Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
| Nicknames: "Los Cariduros", "La Metrópolis del Sol Naciente" | |
| Anthem:"Fajardo que aquí en el oriente" | |
 Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Fajardo Municipality | |
| Coordinates:18°19′33″N65°39′09″W / 18.32583°N 65.65250°W /18.32583; -65.65250 | |
| Sovereign state |  United States |
| Commonwealth |  Puerto Rico |
| Settled | early 16th century |
| Founded | October 26, 1772 |
| Founded by | Santiago de Mexía |
| Barrios | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | José Aníbal “Joey” Meléndez Méndez (PNP) |
| • Senatorial dist. | 8 - Carolina |
| • Representative dist. | 36 |
| Area | |
• Total | 60.41 sq mi (156.45 km2) |
| • Land | 31 sq mi (81 km2) |
| • Water | 29.13 sq mi (75.45 km2) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 32,124 |
| • Rank | 38th in Puerto Rico |
| • Density | 1,000/sq mi (400/km2) |
| Demonym | Fajardeños |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| ZIP Codes | 00738, 00740 |
| Area code | 787/939 |
| Major routes |      |
| Website | fajardopr |
Fajardo (Spanish pronunciation:[faˈxaɾðo]) is atown and amunicipality part of theSan Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area inPuerto Rico.
Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port toCulebra,Vieques, and theU.S. andBritish Virgin Islands. It is also home to the largest marina in the Caribbean, calledPuerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels and inns.
Offshore, near Fajardo, a few islets can be found. These areIcacos,Isla Palomino, Palominito, and Diablo, among other uninhabited coral islands and barrier reefs.
Fajardo was founded in 1760, 1773 or 1774 (depending on the authority) asSantiago de Fajardo. It was one of the locations used by the American troops toinvade Puerto Rico. On August 1, 1898 theUSS Puritan under the command of CaptainFrederic W. Rodgers, sailed the coastline near the city of Fajardo when he spotted theFaro de Las Cabezas de San Juan (Cape San Juan lighthouse), which was supposed to be the landing site for theUS Army in Puerto Rico. Rodgers ordered some of his men ashore, including Puerto Rican volunteers, with the mission to post theAmerican flag atop the lighthouse.
On November 14, 1824, in what was dubbed the"Foxhardo" Affair, US Naval OfficerDavid Porter landed at 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.[2]
After theSpanish–American War, Puerto Rico was ceded bySpain under the terms of theTreaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, theUnited States Department of War conducted acensus of Puerto Rico and determined that the population of Fajardo was 16,782.[3]
On September 20, 2017Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico. In Fajardo, the hurricane triggered numerous landslides with its strong winds and significant amount of rainfall.[4][5][6]
Fajardo is a coastal municipality with a number ofislets.[7]
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Fajardo is subdivided intobarrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as"el pueblo".[8][9][10][11]
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable tominor civil divisions)[12] and subbarrios,[13][14][15] are further subdivided into smaller areas calledsectores (sectors in English). The types ofsectores may vary, from normallysector tourbanización toreparto tobarriada toresidencial, among others.[16][17][18]
Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount ofsocial 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.[19]
Fajardo is a tourist destination, especially among local tourists, because of itsseafood, hotels, closeness to the small islands ofPalomino,Icacos and Palominito, and the many daily trips that are available toVieques andCulebra, both by boat and by the four airlines that servedFajardo Airport (now closed): Air Culebra,Air St. Thomas,Isla Nena Air andVieques Air Link.[citation needed]
Fajardo has 46 beaches.[20] Fajardo's beaches are bounded by calm, clear water ideal forsnorkeling. Seven Seas Beach offers plentiful water sports facilities, offshore points forsailing, snorkeling and plenty ofscuba diving.
Fajardo is also home to one of the few Bioluminescent Lagoons in the world. Nightly trips are offered by kayak by local companies who give educational tours.
To stimulate local tourism, thePuerto Rico Tourism Company launched theVoy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Fajardo page listsReserva Natural de Las Cabezas de San Juan,Cayo Icacos, andHacienda Chocolat, as places of interest.[21]
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.
Fajardo celebrates itspatron saint festival in July. TheFiestas Patronales de Santiago Apostol is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[26][7] The festival has featured live performances by well-known artists such asTito Nieves,Johnny Ventura andSonora Ponceña.[27]
Other festivals and events celebrated in Fajardo include:
Fajardo Soccer Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium inFajardo,Puerto Rico
The 3,800 capacity stadium was developed at a cost of $3.9M,[28] and opened December 12, 2015 and is home venue ofPuerto Rico Sol.
Fajardo in the past was home to a National Superior Basketball; Baloncesto Superior NacionalBSNbasketball team, theFajardo Cariduros or as they are known in the Island Cariduros de Fajardo.George Torres,Mario Morales andMario Butler were three of the most famous players to play for that franchise.[citation needed]
In 2007, the team returned once again to theBSN. The team known as the "Titanes de Morovis" was moved to Fajardo, and was renamed "Cariduros de Fajardo". Unlike theNBA 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.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 16,782 | — | |
| 1910 | 21,135 | 25.9% | |
| 1920 | 14,302 | −32.3% | |
| 1930 | 16,321 | 14.1% | |
| 1940 | 20,405 | 25.0% | |
| 1950 | 22,116 | 8.4% | |
| 1960 | 18,321 | −17.2% | |
| 1970 | 23,032 | 25.7% | |
| 1980 | 32,087 | 39.3% | |
| 1990 | 36,882 | 14.9% | |
| 2000 | 40,712 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 36,993 | −9.1% | |
| 2020 | 32,124 | −13.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[29] 1899 (shown as 1900)[30] 1910-1930[31] 1930-1950[32] 1960-2000[33] 2010[10]2020[1] | |||
| Ethnicity - Fajardo, Puerto Rico - 2010 Census[35] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Population | % of Total |
| European | 23,964 | 64.8% |
| African | 6,864 | 18.6% |
| Native American andAlaska Native | 258 | 0.7% |
| Asian | 73 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.0% |
| Some other ethnicity | 3,822 | 10.3% |
| Two or more ethnicities | 1,986 | 5.4% |
As of 2000, speakers ofEnglish as a first language accounted for 13.76% of the population.[36]
All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by amayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Fajardo isJosé Aníbal "Joey" Meléndez Méndez, of theNew Progressive Party (PNP). On February 19, 2020, he took over for his fatherAníbal Meléndez Rivera, who resigned after 31 years as mayor, citing health concerns. Meéndez Méndez was first elected in his own right at the2020 general elections.
The city belongs to thePuerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024,Marissa Jiménez andHéctor Joaquín Sánchez Álvarez were elected as District Senators.[37]
There are 20 bridges in Fajardo.[38]
Diego Jiménez Torres Airport was Fajardo's airport and handled commercial airline flights to the city, but it was permanently closed in 2015.
Themunicipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[39]
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.[40]
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”.[40]
Places adjacent to Fajardo, Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|
Media from Commons
Texts from Wikisource
Travel guides from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
