Playa El Combate, Cabo Rojo: El Combate /EFRA
West February-2005, By:Travel and Sports Staff
Experience Porta Del Sol
Cabo Rojo, Las Marías, Maricao, Mona
When you take a trip out west to the area known as Porta del Sol, make sure you discover its major attractions: The legendary Panadería bakery in Quebradillas. Isabela, Aguadilla, Rincón (with its lighthouse park) and Añasco offer some of the world’s great surfing areas and beaches. The small towns of Moca, Aguada and Hormigueros are known for their beautiful handicrafts. San Sebastian, Las Marías and Maricao represent fascinating examples of the mountainous towns dedicated to agriculture. In the port city of Mayagüez, you can enjoy a first-rate zoo, historic theater and beautiful city plaza. The Cabo Rojo area (Joyuda, Boquerón, El Combate and Mona) entices visitors with its beautiful beaches, excellent seafood and the Boquerón Wildlife refuge, a paradise for bird-watchers. Unique architecture helps to define San German; its neighbor Sabana Grande is considered the gateway to the Luis Muñoz Marín Panoramic Route. Lajas (a major pineapple producer) includes La Parguera, which attracts divers and water sports fans. And Guánica offers nature trails in the Guánica Dry Forest (a World Biosphere Reserve) and the clear waters of Gilligan’s Island. Throughout the area, you will find a good supply of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s approved small inns and restaurants—the Paradores and Mesones Gastronómicos.
Cabo Rojo
There are two theories about the name Cabo Rojo. One is that it comes from the red color of the water in the salt flats and the other is it comes from the red color of the "morrillos" in the area of the lighthouse. Cabo Rojo includes Boquerón, El Combate and Joyuda areas. Each of the areas has its own special flavor. It is known for raw oysters with lemon juice as well as a wide variety of seafood coming into the Puerto Real fishing port and served up fresh in the local restaurants. The San Miguel Arcángel Church was built between 1771 and 1783. It was at the entrance to this church that Ramón E. Betances and other abolitionists gave liberty to the slave children before they were baptized.
Las Marías
Founded in 1887, Las Marías is perched on a ridgeline in the Montañas de Urayoán. This agricultural center is known as the “City of the Sweet Orange” after its surrounding orange groves. As you can imagine, recipes and treats with an orange base abound. The area is recognized for its old coffee plantations, which are under the care of the State Office of Historical Preservation. This is also an area of archaeological importance.
Maricao
Maricao is the first town on the western portion of the Ruta Luis Muñoz Marín as you leave Mayagüez. Historically, Maricao was a refuge for the Spaniards and the Taíno Indians from the Caribe Indians and the pirates. Now it is considered one of the premier coffee-raising areas in Puerto Rico and is known as the “Ciudad del Café” (the Coffee City). It is home to the annual Maricao Coffee Festival, the Maricao Fish Hatchery (with more than 25,000 fishes, such as black bass and tilapia, raised for release into the lakes and rivers throughout Puerto Rico) and the Maricao Forest Reserve. The forest reserve is notable for the tall lookout tower that allows you to see all the way to Mona Island (50 miles due west) on a clear day. This is a good example of a cloud forest.
Mona
Fifty miles due west of Mayagüez and Cabo Rojo floats rugged Mona Island, the Galápagos of the Caribbean, with its 200-foot cliffs, 3-foot iguanas and pirate caves. To get to Mona, you make arrangements with one of the tour operators.
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2005-08 Lajas: La Parguera, Rincón, San Germán
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