Rincón, Puerto Rico


Rincón is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco, who previously founded Añasco in 1733. It is located in the Western Coastal Valley, west of Añasco and Aguada. Rincón is spread over 9 wards and Rincón Pueblo. It is part of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The municipality is home to many of the surfing beaches in Puerto Rico, including Domes, Marias, Tres Palmas, Sandy Beach, Pools Beach, and Rincón Town Beach Plaza. It is also home to Caribbean beaches including Córcega Beach.
The word "Rincón" means corner. Rincón is on the northwestern part of Puerto Rico.

History

Rincón was founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco. In 1885, Benito Cumpiano was mayor of Ríncon and in 1890, Victor Cumpiano was Ríncon's mayor.

Hurricane Maria

on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Rincón with the significant amount of rainfall.

Geography

Rincón is located on the western coast of Puerto Rico.
Updated flood zone maps show that Rincón is extremely vulnerable to flooding, along with Humacao, Toa Baja, Barceloneta, and Corozal. For its high levels of erosion, Rincón is vulnerable in the case of a major hurricane.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Rincón is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo".
  1. Atalaya
  2. Barrero
  3. Calvache
  4. Cruces
  5. Ensenada
  6. Jagüey
  7. Pueblo,
  8. Puntas
  9. Rincón barrio-pueblo
  10. Río Grande

    Sectors

Barrios in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores. The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.

Special Communities

Of the 742 places on the list of Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Rincón: La Playa Sector in Barrero, Cerro Los Pobres, El Pico in Atalaya, Hoyo Caliente, and Parcelas Stella.

Bodies of water

The 1968 World Surfing Championship was held at Domes Beach in Rincón. Since then, surfers from around the world have been visiting Rincón.
Rincón has a tourism economy which also boasts scuba diving, snorkeling, and sunsets. Rincón has also been an area for internet-based companies to set up shop.
In 2007, Rincón was the site for the ISA World Masters where local surfer Juan Ashton won first place in the Masters division.

Agriculture

Fruits and sugar canes are the primary sources of agriculture in Rincón. Cattle ranching also is popular.

Industry

In Rincón the major industry is tourism.
The Boiling Nuclear Superheater Reactor Facility, also known to the locals as "Domes", is a decommissioned nuclear plant in Rincón, Puerto Rico. The construction of BONUS started in 1960, and the reactor had its first controlled nuclear chain reaction on April 13, 1964, achieving full power operation in September 1965. Operation of the BONUS reactor was terminated in June 1968 because of technical difficulties and the ensuing need for high-cost modifications. General decontamination of the reactor was performed with the goal of meeting unrestricted use criteria in all accessible areas of the building. Residual radioactive materials remaining in the structure were isolated or shielded to protect site visitors and workers. During subsequent years, more radioactive contamination was identified in portions of the building, and additional clean-up and shielding activities were conducted in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was Puerto Rico's only nuclear reactor.

Demographics

The United States took control of Puerto Rico from Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and conducted its first census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Rincón was 6,641.

Tourism

"Art Walk", a community initiative to build the social fabric of Rincón, takes places every Thursday. Locals and tourists mingle in the Plaza de recreo in downtown Rincón to enjoy food, drinks, music and local art.

Landmarks and places of interest

There are 53 beaches in Rincón.
Main attractions of Rincón include:

Surfing

Rincón is well known as a surfing destination. Rincón rose to international recognition through the 1968 World Surfing Championship, which was held at Domes and Maria's Beaches. The winter surf along Rincón's coast is some of the best in the region. Generally regarded as one of the best surf spots across the globe, Rincón draws surfers from around the world and is the center of the island's surf scene. Dubbed the "Caribbean's Hawaii," winter waves here can approach 25–30 feet in height, sometimes equaling the force of the surf on Oahu's north shore. Famed surfing beaches in town include Little Malibu, Tres Palmas, Maria's, Indicators, Domes, Pools, Sandy Beach and Antonio's. The best time to surf is from November through March, but summer storms can also kick up the surf during the late summer.

Festivals and events

Rincón celebrates its patron saint festival in September. The Fiestas Patronales de Santa Rosa de Lima 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 Rincón include:
Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, Rincón is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Carlos López Bonilla, from the Popular Democratic Party. López was elected at the 2000 general election.
The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV, which is represented by two senators. In 2016, Luis Daniel Muñiz Cortés and Evelyn Vázquez were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

There are 8 bridges in Rincón.

Symbols

Flag

Created and designed by Evaristo Cardona Moreno and art performed by Jose Luis Cardona Martinez. The central white star represents the urban zone. The surrounding nine stars represent the nine wards of the municipality. The red and orange colors symbolize the vigor and the vitality of the city. The yellow represents Christianity. The green represents vegetation and the hope of the progress of the municipality. Finally, the white represents purity and the unity between the wards and the urban zone.

Coat of arms

Created and designed by Angel L. Cardona Moreno, the shield consists of a green and orange Spanish blazon, with a yellow band inclined left to right. To the right and on a green background a cross, symbol of Christendom. To the left and on an orange background a Spanish ship, symbol of the discovery of Puerto Rico, in the coasts of Rincón.

Notable people