Ciales, Puerto Rico Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Ciales, Puerto Rico

Municipio de Ciales

Horse-back riding in Ciales barrio-pueblo

Flag	Coat of arms

Nicknames:

See below

Anthem: "El cantar de tus ríos es mensaje"

Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Ciales Municipality

Founded

June 24, 1820

Founded by

Isidro Rodríguez

Barrios

9 barrios

Ciales barrio-pueblo
Cialitos
Cordillera
Frontón
Hato Viejo
Jaguas
Pesas
Pozas
Toro Negro

Area

• Total

66.48 sq mi (172.17 km²)

• Land

66 sq mi (172 km²)

• Water

0.07 sq mi (.17 km²)

Population

(2020)

• Total

16,984

• Rank

65th in Puerto Rico

• Density

255.494/sq mi (98.647/km²)

Cialeños

UTC−4 (AST)

00638

787/939

Major routes

Ciales is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico. It is located in the Central Mountain Range. Ciales is northwest of Orocovis and east of Utuado. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is divided into eight areas called barrios, plus the downtown area known as Ciales Pueblo.

What's in a Name?
History of Ciales
Geography and Nature
- Rivers of Ciales
People of Ciales
Fun Things to Do
- Popular Tourist Spots
Culture and Celebrations
- Festivals and Events
- Sports in Ciales
Economy
Symbols of Ciales
Getting Around
Famous People from Ciales
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The name Ciales has a few possible origins. One idea is that it comes from the Taíno word cibales. This means "stony place" or "place of stones." This makes sense because Ciales has many rocky areas.

Another idea is that the name comes from the Spanish word sillar. This word means "carved stones." It might refer to the stones shaped by the Río Grande de Manatí river.

History of Ciales

Ciales was officially founded on June 24, 1820. It was established by a person named Isidro Rodríguez.

Geography and Nature

Ciales is known for its beautiful natural areas. It is home to the Toro Negro Forest Reserve. This is a great place to explore nature.

Rivers of Ciales

Several rivers flow through Ciales. These include:

Río Cialitos
Río Grande de Manatí
Río Toro Negro
Río Yunes

People of Ciales

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	18,115	—
1910	18,398	1.6%
1920	20,730	12.7%
1930	20,492	−1.1%
1940	22,906	11.8%
1950	19,464	−15.0%
1960	18,106	−7.0%
1970	15,595	−13.9%
1980	16,211	3.9%
1990	18,084	11.6%
2000	19,811	9.5%
2010	18,782	−5.2%
2020	16,984	−9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1899 (shown as 1900) 1910-1930 1930-1950 1960-2000 2010 2020

In 2020, about 16,984 people lived in Ciales. The people from Ciales are called Cialeños. Ciales has one of the lowest percentages of English speakers in Puerto Rico.

Fun Things to Do

Ciales has many interesting places to visit. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company promotes tourism here. They have a special "Voy Turistiendo" (I'm Touring) campaign.

Popular Tourist Spots

Here are some cool places to check out in Ciales:

Museo Juan Antonio Corretjer: A museum dedicated to the famous poet Juan Antonio Corretjer.
Puente Mata de Plátano: A historic bridge.
Cascada Las Delicias: A beautiful waterfall.
Coffee Museum, Ciales, Puerto Rico
Museo del Café: A museum all about coffee.
Artesanía en Muebles La Cialeña: A family factory that makes furniture from enea grass.
Aserrado Fernando Otero: The biggest sawmill in Puerto Rico for native woods.
Hacienda Carvajal: A farm that teaches about coffee and cacao. It also has a printing museum.
Toro Negro Forest Reserve: A large forest for outdoor activities.
Paseo Lineal Juan Antonio Corretjer: A lookout point with great views.
Caves: Las Archillas Cave, Las Golondrinas Cave, and Yuyú Cave are all in Ciales.

Young people horse-back riding in Ciales, Puerto Rico

Culture and Celebrations

Ciales has a rich culture with many festivals.

Festivals and Events

Patron Saint Festival: Ciales celebrates its patron saint festival in October. It's called Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Jose. This event includes parades, games, local crafts, and live music.
Three King's Day: Celebrated in January.
Corretjer Cantata: Held in March.
Fresh Water Festival: A fun event in August with mud bogging and music.
Frontón Festival: Held in July.
Saint Elías Festival: Also held in July.

Sports in Ciales

Ciales is known for its sports heroes.

Juan "Pachín" Vicens: A famous basketball star from Puerto Rico. He was named the Best Player in the World in 1959.
Enrique "Coco" Vicens: Juan's brother, who was also a great athlete in track and field.

Economy

Ciales' economy has always relied on agriculture.

Coffee: Coffee products are a very important part of the economy.
Fruits and Dairy: The town also produces other fruits and dairy products.

Symbols of Ciales

Ciales has its own official flag and coat of arms. These symbols were adopted in 1970.

The Flag

The flag of Ciales has seven stripes. They are yellow, red, yellow, purple, yellow, red, and yellow.

The Coat of Arms

The coat of arms has a gold shield with a lion. The lion holds a silver scroll. Above the lion are three red roses. A golden crown sits on top of the shield. Coffee tree branches surround the shield.

Nicknames for Ciales

Ciales has several cool nicknames:

Town of the Brave (Pueblo de los valerosos): This name comes from the many people who supported Puerto Rican independence.
Cradle of Poets (Cuna de poetas): Ciales is the birthplace of several famous poets. These include Juan Antonio Corretjer and Nimia Vicéns.
Central Cordillera Gate (Puerta de la Cordillera Central): This name describes its location in the Central Mountain Range.
Switzerland of Puerto Rico (Suiza de Puerto Rico): People call it this because its valleys and green areas look like parts of Switzerland.

Getting Around

Terminal de Carros Públicos Ciales on Calle Palmer

Ciales has a public transportation terminal in its downtown area. There are also 18 bridges in Ciales. One famous bridge is the Manatí Bridge at Mata de Plátano. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.