Aibonito - "The Switzerland of Puerto Rico"
Aibonito is a small town situated near to the Cayey mountain range located on the island of Puerto Rico. The town was first founded on the 13th of March 1824. Aibonito can be found at a height of 2,401 feet or at 731 meters above the mean sea level and is considered to have one of the highest town squares in Puerto Rico. Other mountains that Aibonito is near to include Asomante, which is at 2,042 feet; La Sierra at 2,394 feet; and Torre Degetau, which stands at 2,109 feet.
The mountain town of Aibonito is spread over eight different municipalities and is near to towns like Salinas, Barranquitas, Coamo, Comerio, Cayey and Cidra. Aibonito has a number of rivers flowing through it including the Cuyon, La Plata, Usabon and the Aibonito River.
The temperature of Aibonito is relatively cool all year round, considering the town's high elevation. In fact in 1917, on the 9th of March Aibonito experienced the lowest temperatures the island had ever recorded when the temperature dropped to 40°F. It's no wonder that Aibonito has been nicknamed the "Switzerland of Puerto Rico". The temperatures experienced in Aibonito are excellent for growing flowers, coffee and tobacco. Cattle and chickens are also farmed in Aibonito. The Industrial sector of the town produces furniture, tapestry, ceramics, pottery and clothing.
In 1825 the first Catholic Church was built in the town of Aibonito. Later, in 1887, the Church was knocked down and another Catholic Church was built in its place. After ten years the building was finally completed in 1897. Other sites and attractions in Aibonito include Cañon de San Cristóbal (Canyon San Cristobal), which is a tube or a narrow passage that runs between two mountains. The canyon is steep and it goes down until it reaches the bottom of the mountains where it is met by water. La Trinchera de Asomante, Casa Manresa and La Piedra de Degetau are other attractions found in the town of Aibonito.
During the year there are a number of festivals or events that take place in Aibonito. In May there is the Fiestas de Pueblo, in July there is the Festival of the Flowers and the Patron Saint Celebrations. In August you can attend the Festival del Pollo and in November it is the Maratón del Pavo as well as the Festival de la Montaña. There is so much for one to see and do in the town of Aibonito.
User Comments & Reviews
2010-02-04 19:38:12
My mother and I left Puerto Rico when I was about three-and-half years old to join my father who had settled finding work in New York City and there we remained for the rest of our working lives. On occasion we would vacation back to the island reconnecting with family and the tropical environment that seemed to say “this is home!” but the vacations would end and back to the steel, asphalt and cement city we would go. While living in New York I met a Guyanese girl of Indian and Scottish ancestry who had come to New York at the age of eight. We married and brought up two very independent girls who are now living on their own. Having lived and worked in New York City for most of our lives, my wife had fallen in love with Puerto Rico during a vacation there years before, and she said that the island reminded her of her native Guyana and so would love to retire on the island of Puerto Rico one day. So before retiring this last summer, we wanted to find a place on the island that was central near shopping and a good hospital in case we ever needed one. We love sightseeing and didn’t want to be too far to most places. We love ‘El Viejo San Juan’, the Yunque Forest up on the northeast of the island but also Boqueron Beach, La Parguera, plus there are relatives in Mayagüez, Ponce and Hormigueros which lie at the other end of the island, so being central was also important. Climate however, was the most important consideration, as being New Yorkers we tend to wilt quickly in the high and hot humid heat of the island’s coastal towns. I still remember sweating while showering at my mom’s house in Mayagüez. So I googled ‘coldest town in Puerto Rico’ and Aibonito came up as the ‘Swizz Alps’ of the island. We made a trip there two years ago and found it to be the perfect place to drop anchor. It is everything we hoped for and look forward to making our final move there this year. The weather is perfect for us. We can drive to San Juan in 50 minutes, Mayagüez in an hour-and-a-half. The town is serene, the air crystal clean but with all necessities of life near at hand and no super malls to ruin this picturesque hamlet that is to serve as our base of operations while we explore the rest of the island. !Ay, que bonito!
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