Discover the Many Gems of Guayama
Just a little inland off Puerto Rico’s southern coast you will find the city of Guayama. The town was founded in 1736 by Matias de Abadia and was originally named ‘San Antonio de Padua de Guayama’. Guayama is a fairly large city that is home to well over 40 000 people. It covers some 169 square kilometers of land and is divided into nine different wards with Guayama Pueblo serving as the administrative center of the city.
Curiously enough, Guayama in Puerto Rico is known locally as ‘La Ciudad Bruja’ or ‘Pueblos de los Brujos’ which can be translated as ‘the city of witches’. The town’s association with witches has to do with the fact that many in the surrounding region still honor African witchcraft by means of a week long festival known as the Brujo Carnival. Guayama is a beautiful and big city filled with a number of excellent attractions. A visitor might start his tour by viewing the ‘Casa Cautino’ – a beautiful home that features breathtaking Louisiana Creole-styled architecture. The building is no longer a home but rather a museum and cultural center which is open most days of the week. You’ll find it in the town plaza. Other attractions in town worth seeing include the Luis Pales Matos Statue, the Punta de las Figuras Lighthouse, Vives Mill, Rodeo Beach and Pozuelo Beach. You can also drive to Carite Lake or sun yourself by Las Mareas Lagoon.
At the end of the day, however, Guayama is perhaps best known for its natural attractions. The Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is a beautiful reserve that covers some 2 883 acres of land. It features mangrove forest and freshwater wetlands and was established in 1987. Though the reserve is open daily, you can request or reserve a guided tour to make the most of it. The Carite Forest features some 6 000 acres of protected natural area and is a haven for bird watchers since as many as 50 different species of bird can be found here. The Aguirre Forest is a mixture between mangroves, tidal flats, research lakes and bird rookeries. It is home to a large manatee population and is an absolutely wonderful place to go. There are also seven festivals which are held in Guayama each year, including the legendary Paso Fino Fair. So visit this great city and discover a whole new side to Puerto Rico.
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