# Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Guaynabo (Spanish pronunciation:, locally) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Guaynabo Pueblo. With a land area of 27.13 square miles (70.3 km$^2$) and a population of 89,780 as of the 2020 census, it is part of the San Juan metropolitan area. The studios of WAPA-TV, the most watched television station in Puerto Rico, are located in Guaynabo.

## History

The first European settlement in Puerto Rico, Caparra, was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León in land that is today part of Guaynabo. Ponce de León resided there as first Spanish governor of Puerto Rico. This settlement was abandoned in 1521 in favor of San Juan. The ruins of Caparra remain and are a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The Museum of the Conquest and Colonization of Puerto Rico, which features artifacts from the site and others in Puerto Rico, is located on the grounds.
The municipality of Guaynabo was founded in 1769 by Pedro R. Davila (P.R.), after a struggle for division from the municipality of Bayamón. Previously, the municipality was known as Buinabo, a name that it is popularly said to mean in Taíno "Here is another place of fresh water." Irish officer Thomas O'Daly and fellow Irishman Miguel Kirwan settled the area in the late 18th century and developed a farm and sugarcane plantation he named Hacienda San Patricio. The plantation no longer exists but the land on which it was located is now the central business district of Guaynabo and the San Patricio Plaza shopping mall.
On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Guaynabo, where 26.9% of the population live below the poverty level, 2800 homes were destroyed. The hurricane triggered numerous landslides in Guaynabo. Then president Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump visited Guaynabo. Due to the municipality's fiscal difficulties, it was not until April 2, 2019, over a year and half later, that the overtime pay owed to municipal workers was paid.
After 24 years as mayor, Héctor O'Neill García resigned in 2017 when allegations surfaced of sexual harassment toward a female municipal employee. He was replaced in a run-off election by Angel Pérez Otero, who in turn was forced out due to his arrest for Federal corruption allegations in 2021. Héctor O'Neill's son Edward O'Neill Rosa won the following run-off election to succeed him as mayor in January 2022.

## Geography

Guaynabo is on the northern side.

### Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Guaynabo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a smaller barrio referred to as "el pueblo", located near the center of the municipality.
* Camarones
* Frailes
* Guaraguao
* Guaynabo barrio-pueblo
* Hato Nuevo
* Mamey
* Pueblo Viejo
* Río
* Santa Rosa
* Sonadora

### Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.

### Special Communities

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Guaynabo: Amelia, Buen Samaritano, Camarones barrio, Corea, El Polvorín, Honduras, Jerusalén, Los Filtros, Sector El Laberinto, Sector La Pajilla, Sector Los Ratones (Camino Feliciano), Sector San Miguel, Trujillo, Sector Tomé, Vietnam, and Villa Isleña.

## Tourism

To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Guaynabo page lists Ruinas de Caparra, Paseo Tablado, and Plaza de Los Artistas, as places of interest.

### Landmarks and places of interest

* Rancho de Apa (restaurant)
* Centro de Bellas Artes (Guaynabo Performing Arts Center)
* Caparra Ruins
* Caribe Recreational Center
* Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Mártir
* La Marquesa Forest Park
* Paseo Tablado
* Mario Morales Coliseum
* San Patricio Plaza
* Caparra Country Club
* Plaza Guaynabo
* Museum of Transportation
* Museo del Deporte
* Fort Buchanan

## Economy

Several businesses have their headquarters or local Puerto Rican branches in Guaynabo. El Nuevo Día, Chrysler, Santander Securities, Puerto Rico Telephone, and many sales offices for large US and international firms (such as Total, Microsoft, Toshiba, Puma Energy and others) have their Puerto Rican headquarters in Guaynabo. WAPA-TV (Televicentro) and Univision Puerto Rico have their main studios in Guaynabo.
Iberia's San Juan-area offices are in Guaynabo.

## Crime

Carjackings have been an ongoing problem in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and in 2014 the FBI reported a carjacking that occurred in Camarones.

## Climate

Climate data for Guaynabo, Puerto Rico :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 94 (34) | 93 (34) | 95 (35) | 97 (36) | 96 (36) | 97 (36) | 95 (35) | 98 (37) | 96 (36) | 98 (37) | 95 (35) | 92 (33) | 98 (37) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 84 (29) | 85 (29) | 86 (30) | 87 (31) | 88 (31) | 90 (32) | 90 (32) | 90 (32) | 90 (32) | 89 (32) | 87 (31) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 67 (19) | 67 (19) | 69 (21) | 72 (22) | 73 (23) | 73 (23) | 74 (23) | 73 (23) | 73 (23) | 71 (22) | 68 (20) | 67 (19) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 50 (10) | 45 (7) | 45 (7) | 60 (16) | 59 (15) | 55 (13) | 55 (13) | 60 (16) | 62 (17) | 60 (16) | 55 (13) | 50 (10) | 45 (7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.79 (122) | 3.30 (84) | 3.52 (89) | 5.80 (147) | 7.17 (182) | 4.54 (115) | 6.70 (170) | 6.44 (164) | 7.39 (188) | 6.79 (172) | 8.06 (205) | 6.39 (162) | 70.89 (1,800) |
| Source: weather.com ||||||||||||||

## Culture
### Festivals and events

Guaynabo celebrates its patron saint festival in April. The Fiestas Patronales de San Pedro Martir 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 Guaynabo include:
* Three Kings Festival – January
* Mabó Carnival – February
* Mothers’ Day celebration – May
* National Salsa Day – June
* Fine Arts camp and recreation and sports camp – June
* Bomba and Plena (folkloric music and dance) Festival – October
* Official lighting of Christmas Lights – November

### Sports

Guaynabo's old BSN team, the Guaynabo Mets, won national championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, commanded by the player whom the Mario Morales Coliseum was named after, Mario "Quijote" Morales. The Conquistadores de Guaynabo, or Guaynabo Conquistadores, are the Guaynabo Mets replacement and still play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. The Mets de Guaynabo are the local women's volleyball team that play in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF), winning three titles in 1978, 1993–94 and 1995. They also play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. Guaynabo Fluminense FC is Guaynabo's professional soccer team that plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. The league started in 2008 and Guaynabo's current position in the league is 4th place. Guaynabo Fluminense FC play their matches at the Jose Bonano Stadium that was originally made for baseball, but became a soccer arena after the Puerto Rico Baseball League was cancelled for the 2008 season. It was at the same year that the Puerto Rico Soccer League was starting to take place. In the 2009 season, Guaynabo Fluminense FC moved to the Sixto Escobar Stadium.
* Mets de Guaynabo (women's volleyball) - Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF)
* Mets de Guaynabo (men's volleyball) - Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino (LVSM)
* Guaynabo Conquistadores (basketball) - Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
* Mets de Guaynabo (basketball) - Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
* Mets de Guaynabo (baseball) - Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico (Béisbol Doble A)
* Guaynabo Fluminense FC (soccer) - Puerto Rico Soccer League (PRSL)

## Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates two post offices, Guaynabo and Caparra Heights, in Guaynabo.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Metropolitan Detention Center, Guaynabo in Guaynabo.
Some regions of the city belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district I while others belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II. Both of the Districts are represented by two Senators. In 2024, Nitza Morán and Juan Oscar Morales were elected as Senators for District I, while Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos have been serving as Senators for District II since being elected in 2004.

### Mayors
#### Mayors of Guaynabo from 1969 to present

| Mayor | Term | Party |
| Ebenezer Rivera | 1969–1979 | New Progressive Party |
| Alejandro Cruz Ortiz | 1979–1993 | New Progressive Party |
| Héctor O'Neill García | 1993–2017 | New Progressive Party |
| Angel Pérez Otero | 2017–2021 | New Progressive Party |
| Edward O'Neill Rosa | 2022–Present | New Progressive Party |

#### Mayors of Guaynabo from 1782 to 1969

       Term Name 1782 Cayetano de la Sarna 1800 Pedro Dávila 1812 Dionisio Cátala 1816 Angel Umpierre 1818 Juan José González 1821 Joaquín Goyena 1822 José María Prosis 1823 Simón Hinonio 1825 José R. Ramírez 1827 Antonio Guzmán 1828 Genaro Oller 1836 Andrés Degal 1836 Agustín Rosario 1840 Francisco Hiques 1844 Martínez Díaz 1848 Tomás Cátla 1849 Andrés Vega 1852 Justo García 1856 José Tomás Sagarra 1857 Manuel Manzano 1859 Juan Floret 1859 José Francisco Chiques 1862 Segundo de Echeverte 1862 José de Murgas 1869 Juan J. Caro 1873 Benito Gómez 1874 Manuel Millones 1876 José Otero 1891 Juan Díaz de Barrio 1914 José Ramón 1914 José Carazo 1919 Narciso Vall-llobera Feliú 1924 Zenón Díaz Valcárcel 1936 Dolores Valdivieso 1944 Augosto Rivera 1948 Jorge Gavillán Fuentes 1956 Juan Román 1964 José Rosario Reyes

## Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.

### Flag

This municipality has a flag.

### Coat of arms

This municipality has a coat of arms.

## Health facilities

Professional Hospital Guaynabo located on Felisa Rincón Avenue (formerly Las Cumbres Avenue), is the newest hospital infrastructure built in Puerto Rico. Guaynabo is the only city in Puerto Rico to have a hospital specialized in advanced vascular surgery. Some of the first and newest procedures performed in Puerto Rico during 2009 were done in Professional Hospital Guaynabo, including the first AxiaLIF surgery for lumbar fusion.

## Transportation

The Tren Urbano has only one station in the municipality, Torrimar Station. Guaynabo has a bus network called “Guaynabo City Transport”. There are 63 bridges in Guaynabo.

## Notable people

* Iván DeJesús Jr. (born 1987), baseball player who played most for the Cincinnati Reds
* Carlos (born 1965), Oscar (born 1966), and Ricky Meléndez (born 1967), singers (Menudo)
* Tomas Nido (born 1994), baseball catcher for the New York Mets

## Education

Guaynabo is home to Atlantic University, which specializes in new media art.
The Japanese Language School of Puerto Rico (プエルトリコ補習授業校 Puerutoriko Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a weekend Japanese school, previously held its classes in Guaynabo. It closed in March 2006.

## International relations

Guaynabo serves as a host city to four foreign consulates with business in Puerto Rico:
* El Salvador
* Finland
* Nicaragua
* Netherlands

## Gallery

* PR-2, PR-20, and PR-23 in Guaynabo
* Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo