# San Sebastián (Puerto Rico)

San Sebastián is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northwestern part of the island. The town is most famous for its yearly heifer festival ("Festival de la Novilla"), its caves, waterfalls and food. There are several museums, plazas, and a historic church in the main plaza.

## Understand

San Sebastián is a mountainous municipality founded in 1752. It has several large bodies of water including Guajataca Lake, Río Grande de Añasco, Río Culebrinas, and Río Guajataca. The Guajataca Dam is near the Guajataca Lake is the Guajataka Scout Reservation with campsites for boy scouts.
San Sebastián has an area of 71.7 square miles divided into 24 barrios, including the barrio referred to as Pueblo with the municipal buildings, a Roman Catholic church, and a main recreational plaza.

## Get in

* San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
* Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport
* Ponce: Mercedita Airport
* 18.495-67.1294441 Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN). You can fly directly from Newark (in New Jersey), Tampa (in Florida) and other cities, via United Airlines, Spirit and others directly into Aguadilla, which borders San Sebastián.

## Get around

San Sebastián is best accessed by car.
* 18.33354-66.985291 Ichy Car Rental, Carretera 125, Avenue Emérito Estrada Rivera #91, ☏ +1 787-896-1184. 8AM-6PM. This local car rental agency has good cars and offers decent rates on car rentals. (updated Apr 2022)
Primary routes in and around town include:
* PR-109 (Ruta 109) is a rural road that connects from Aguada.
* PR-111 (Carretera Enrique Laguerre) connects Aguadilla, Moca, San Sebastián, Lares, and Utuado.
* PR-119 (Ruta 119) crosses from north to south, connecting multiple municipalities.
* PR-125 (Ruta 125) crosses from Moca.

## See

* 18.336802-66.9900291 San Sebastián Pueblo (downtown San Sebastián). See the historic Roman Catholic church, Spanish-style recreational plaza, and the municipal buildings surrounded by streets and shops. You can drive around the pueblo or park your car and walk around the square and into the plaza. The Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for celebrations and festivities. (updated Apr 2022)
* 18.35016-67.005282 San Sebastian Heifer Festival (Festival de la Novilla), PR-111 and PR-445. 10:00–15:00. parade featuring Heifers, it's a weekend-long festival beginning the third weekend of January
* 18.36128-66.98373 Gozalandia Falls (Cascada Gozalandia). water hole frequented by locals with a 60-foot high waterfall $10 for parking.
* 18.337334-66.9930474 Plaza de la Identidad Pepiniana. plaza featuring the history of San Sebastián
* 18.335256-66.989375 Museo de la Hamaca, 11 Cll Hostos Cabrera, ☏ +1 787-896-2300 (Ext. 117). 11:00–16:00. museum with history of how the hammock was invented by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean— the Taíno indigenous people
* 18.33709-66.99126 Casa Doña Bisa Museo de la Historia, Cll Luis Muñoz Rivera. 8:00–16:00. History museum

## Do

* 18.3975-66.9238891 Guajataca Lake. reservoir with recreational activities such as boating and fishing

## Buy

* 18.34448-66.997791 San Sebastian's Agricultural Center and Market (Plaza Agropecuaria), PR #111 and Carr.#125 km. 18.1 Bo. Guatemala, ☏ +1 787-896-3210. Fridays 6:00–18:00. open air market, place to buy handmade crafts and souvenires

## Eat

* 18.3372-66.9902681 Marisqueria Jibara, 42 Cll Padre Feliciano, ☏ +1 939-339-9531. 12:00–22:00 Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. seafood restaurant
* 18.35196-67.019672 Martin's BBQ, Carr #111, Km 15.8 Barrio Hato Arriba, ☏ +1 787-280-2300. 10am-9:30pm. A local favorite chain: serves mofongo, chicken with rice and beans, porkchops, and BBQ ribs. (updated Apr 2022)

## Sleep

* 18.377883-67.0293061 Hacienda El Jibarito, carr 445 Bo Saltos, ☏ +1 787-280-4040. a 19-room agro-hotel, features agricultural tourism

## Stay safe

Gozalandia can be dangerous for many reasons. Getting to the falls requires walking through muddy terrain and over slippery rocks. Visitors have been trapped after heavy rains at Gozalandia as well.

## Go next

* Añasco
* Camuy
* Isabela
* Lares
* Las Marías
* Moca
* Quebradillas