Nickname:
"La Villa del Capitán Correa", "Muy Leal",
"Ciudad del Cetí", "Diamante del Norte",
"Los Capitanes"
Gentilic: "Arecibeños"
Arecibo (ah-re-SEE-boh),
settled in 1556, is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of
Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and
Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo
is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo (The downtown area and
the administrative center of the city). Arecibo is located on the
north coast of the island of Puerto Rico, about 80 kilometres (50
miles) west of San Juan, or approximately a 1-hour trip by car.
Flag
The flag of Arecibo derives its composition and
colors from the Shield of the City. It is divided vertically
in two equal parts. The left side is blue having a belt that
stands for "Captain Correa", a local military hero
from Spanish times. The other part is yellow with fifteen blue
rhombis with the vertices touching each other and placed in
three horizontal rows of five each and five vertical columns
of three each.
Coat of Arms
The shield is divided by diagonal lines in golden
and blue rhombis with a blue stripe in the superior part, in
which resides an opened five-point crown and which is adorned
with drawings characterizing the art of the Taínos. This
combination of symbols represents the Indian Cacique (Chieftain)
from whom the population's name derives, the governor that erected
the town and the hero Captain Correa who defended it.
Festivals and events
Bicycle Competitions - January
Arecibo Carnival - February
Playero Festival - July
Folklore Festival - July
Craftsman Fair - September
Ceti Festival - November
Puerto Rico's Flag Centenial - December
Patron Festivities
San Felipe Apóstol - May
Hon. Lemuel
Soto
Alcalde
Town Colors: Yellow
and Blue
Patron Saint: San
Felipe Apostol
Arecibo
Lighthouse:
This was the last lighthouse built by the Spanish government
in 1898. The style of construction is neo-classical with a rectangular
shape of 40'4" (12.30 mts) wide by 84'2" (25.64 mts)
long, and has attached a hexagonal tower covered by a bronze
dome with a working lantern. The original lens was a third order
Fresnel, with an 18 mile radius. At the present time it has
a 190mm lens with a white flash every 5 seconds
The
Arecibo Observatory and Radio Telecopse:
The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and
Ionosphere Center (NAIC), a national research center operated
by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the
National Science Foundation (NSF).
On Line
Guides and Websites of Interest for Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo
Web - Information and links about Arecibo, Puerto Rico en Español
