San Sebastián, Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

San Sebastián

Municipio Autónomo de San Sebastián

Neighborhood in San Sebastián

Flag	Coat of arms

Nicknames:

"San Sebastián Del Pepino", "Pepino", "Cuna de la Hamaca", "Los Patrulleros"

Anthem: "Van más de dos siglos de historia de vida"

Map of Puerto Rico highlighting San Sebastián Municipality

Commonwealth

Puerto Rico

Founded

1752

Barrios

Area

• Total

71.7 sq mi (185.77 km²)

• Land

71.4 sq mi (185.0 km²)

• Water

0.3 sq mi (0.77 km²)

Population

(2020)

• Total

39,345

• Density

548.7/sq mi (211.794/km²)

Pepinianos

UTC−4 (AST)

00685

787/939

Major routes

San Sebastián is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northwestern region of the island, south of Isabela, Quebradillas and Camuy; north of Las Marías; east of Moca and Añasco; and west of Lares. San Sebastián is spread over twenty-four barrios and San Sebastián Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is a principal city of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Geography
Cityscape
- Barrios
Tourism
- Landmarks and places of interest
Culture
- Festivals and events
Symbols
- Flag
- Coat of Arms
Economy
- Agriculture
Demographics
Sports
Transportation
Notable people from San Sebastián
Images for kids
See also

History

The permission to found the town was officially given in 1752, under the leadship of the founder, Captain Cristóbal González de la Cruz, who among other neighbors had an interest in converting some cow farms into an agricultural village. The foundation of the town from the religious aspect, was consummated in December 1762 by Mariano Martin, the island catholic bishop at that time. At the beginning, by 1700, San Sebastian was a conglomerate of a few cow farms, owned by some residents of the Partido de Aguada. Las Vegas was the former plain site of one of the first cow farms located by the Guatemala riverside at the north. Also, another of those cow farms was Pepinito (today's downtown) that was a low green mountain with a white calcium carbonate face. On the north side of the town it can be seen some of this "pepinos" (cucumbers). These two cow farms gave the town its first name. From these geographical accidents come the first names of the new village: Las Vegas del Pepino (Cucumber Fields). In 1865 it is documented as San Sebastián de Las Vegas del Pepino.

At the beginning of the 19th century, wealthy Spanish families arrived in Pepino, fleeing the revolutions of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Later, by 1850, several families from Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain joined the large number of isleños (Canary Islanders) that had made El Pepino their home. These people, after taking over the local political power, developed a coffee industry and brought some material progress to the town. The resident Basques in the municipality, in remembrance of their home region and its religious patron, saw the need of upgrading the old traditional Pepino used by the Canary Islanders to the new and "up-dated" San Sebastián, promoted and thus got the name formally changed by the central government authority. Nevertheless, the citizens of San Sebastián are called "pepinianos".

San Sebastián Mártir (Spanish for Saint Sebastian the Martyr) is the patron saint of archers and was chosen to be the patron saint of the town since its early history, first brought by the immigrants from the Canaries and later confirmed by the Basques, with the town name changed in 1869.

Geography

Guajataca Lake
Río Grande de Añasco
Río Culebrinas
Río Guajataca

Cityscape

Barrios

Altozano
Aibonito Guerrero
Aibonito Beltran
Bahomamey
Calabazas
Cibao
Cidral
Culebrinas
Eneas
Guacio
Guajataca
Guatemala
Hato Arriba
Hoya Mala
Juncal
Magos
Mirabales
Perchas I
Perchas 2
Piedras Blancas
Pozas
Robles
Saltos
Saltos 2
San Sebastián Pueblo
Sonador

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Doña Bisa Cabrero House - Facing the Public Square
Guajataca Lake
Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum
Market Plaza
Church San Sebastian Martir of San Sebastian
Robles Waterfall (also known as Gozalandia).
Collazo Waterfall
Sombrero Hill
Hacienda El Jibarito
Juan Jose "Titi" Beniquez Stadium
Luis Munoz Marin Ground
Guajataca Scout Reservation
Blue Moon Bar

Culture

San Sebastian is the hometown of musician and composer Angel Mislan who is best known by his danza compositions, "Sara" and "Tu y Yo" (You and I).

Festivals and events

Patronal Religious Fiesta - January
Three Kings Festival and Household Parties - January 6th
Heifer Festival (Festival de la Novilla) - January
Chess Tournament - January
Ateneo Pepiniano Cultural Festival - January
Hammock Festival - July
Comeback to the Mountaintop - September

Symbols

Flag

It consists of a rectangular flag of the usual proportions, crossed by a white waved band that separates its red superior part from the inferior one, which is green.

Coat of Arms

The Mountains: With silver-plated borders, represent the characteristic mountains under which the vegetable namesake of the town grow (Pepinos) The Crown: Is the heraldic standard used to identify towns, villas and cities. The Sugar Cane and Coffee Branches: They represent main agricultural products.

Economy

Agriculture

Café El Coquí plant in Perchas I

San Sebastián is a producer of coffee, fruits, and has dairy farms. There is a coffee production plant called El Coquí located in Perchas 1, a barrio of San Sebastián.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	16,412	—
1910	18,904	15.2%
1920	22,049	16.6%
1930	25,691	16.5%
1940	30,266	17.8%
1950	35,376	16.9%
1960	33,451	−5.4%
1970	30,157	−9.8%
1980	35,690	18.3%
1990	38,799	8.7%
2000	44,204	13.9%
2010	42,430	−4.0%
2020	39,345	−7.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1899 (shown as 1900) 1910-1930 1930-1950 1960-2000 2010 2020

Sports

Plaque honoring Los Caribes

The Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum is where the Los Caribes volleyball team plays their games.

In amateur baseball or Double AA baseball, the city is represented by the Patrulleros de San Sebastián, who play at the Juan Jose "Titi" Beniquez Stadium and became champions of the Northwest area in 2019.

Transportation

There are 30 bridges in San Sebastian.

There is also an air strip in San Sebastian, near Culebrinas River, which is visible on Google Earth. The air strip is for the use of RC airplanes.

Notable people from San Sebastián

Juan Beníquez, a former center fielder in Major League Baseball
Ángel Mislan, (1862-1911) musician and composer of danzas "Sara" and "Tu y Yo".
Nilita Vientós Gastón, (1903-1989) an educator, writer and journalist and the first woman president of the Puerto Rican Athenaeum.
Luis V. Gutiérrez, first Latino to be elected to Congress from the Midwest.
Nathan Lebron, first Latino to run for mayor of Albany, NY.
Abimelec Torres, contestant on the second season of Idol Puerto Rico.
Oscar Lopez Rivera, political prisoner.
Luz Maria Villafañe, co-founder of the 'La Fogata Restaurant' franchise in Houston, Texas.
Andrés Méndez Liciaga, made the Boceto Histórico Del Pepino
Walter Cardona, wrote San Sebastián Del Pepino, Notas Para Su Historia
Eliut González Vélez, La Fundación De Las Vegas Del Pepino and La Formación De La Etnia Cultural Pepiniana
Ismael Nunez Pratts, Singer
Edgar Arvelo, Singer/Announcer
Marciano "Rocky" Duran, Singer
Pedro J. Toro, Singer/Manager
Nena Rivera, Singer/also did Theater
Junior Arroyo, Singer/Announcer
Raphet Rosado, Singer
Rosa Haydee Rosado, Singer/Actress
Margarita Castro Alberty, Opera Singer
Luz Odilia Font, Telenovela, theater and film actress
Estefania Soto Torres, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020