Dorado, Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorado Municipio Autónomo de Dorado
Town and municipality
Main square in Dorado
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "La Ciudad Ejemplar", "Ciudad Dorada", "La Más Limpia de Puerto Rico"
Anthem: "Por fin, en las riberas"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Dorado Municipality
Sovereign state	United States
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Founded	1842
Barrios	6 Dorado barrio-pueblo Espinosa Higuillar Maguayo Mameyal Rio Lajas
Area
• Total	60.16 km2 (23.23 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	35,879
• Rank	31st in Puerto Rico
• Density	596.39/km2 (1,544.65/sq mi)
• Racial groups (2020 Census)	17.6% White 7.5% Black 0.4% American Indian/AN 0.3% Asian 0.0% Native Hawaiian/PI 25.8% other 48.5% two or more races
Demonym(s)	Doradeños
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code	00646
Area code(s)	787/939
Major routes

Dorado (Spanish pronunciation: [doˈɾaðo]) is a town and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, 15 miles (24 km) west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is subdivided into five barrios and Dorado Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. During the early 18th century, there were already mentions of a "Sitio de Dorado" (meaning a golden place) in some San Juan registers. Since the beginning of the Spanish colonial period and until 1831, Dorado existed as a barrio (or ward) of the town of Toa Baja. Over several years, the ward grew and established its own town center called the "new pueblo" to differentiate itself from Toa Baja, which became known as the "old pueblo." Over several years, the barrios that currently make up Dorado grew and the people of the "new pueblo" wanted to separate themselves from Toa Baja.

On November 22, 1842, Jacinto López Martínez, the Sergeant at Arms for the ward of Dorado, petitioned the Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico, Santiago Méndez Vigo, to establish the municipality of Dorado. The governor authorized the founding of the town pending the construction of public works, including an administrative building and a church near the town square. In 1848, the construction of the public works were completed and López Martínez became the first mayor of Dorado. Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1902, four years after the Spanish–American War, Dorado was again appended to Toa Baja. However, in 1905 it regained its status as a separate town. Nowadays, Dorado has upscale neighborhoods and a small downtown area with a plaza (main town square), as other Puerto Rican municipalities. The town's patron saint is Anthony of Padua, and patron saint celebrations are held at the plaza every year on June 13.

History

During the early years of the 18th Century, there were already mentions of a "Sitio de Dorado" in some San Juan registers.

Since the beginning of the Spanish colonial period and until 1831, Dorado existed as a barrio (or ward) of the town of Toa Baja. Over several years, the ward grew and established its own town center called the "new pueblo" to differentiate itself from Toa Baja, which became known as the "old pueblo." Over several years, the wards that currently make up Dorado grew and the people of the "new pueblo" wanted to separate themselves from Toa Baja.

On November 22, 1842, Jacinto López Martínez, the Sergeant at Arms for the ward of Dorado, petitioned the Spanish Governor of Puerto Rico, Santiago Méndez Vigo, to establish the municipality of Dorado. The governor authorized the founding of the town pending the construction of public works, including an administrative building and a church near the town square. In 1848, the construction of the public works were completed and López Martínez became the first mayor of Dorado.

In 1902, four years after the Spanish–American War, Dorado was again appended to Toa Baja. However, in 1905 it regained its status as a separate town.

The 2nd G7 summit was held at the Dorado Beach Resort between June 27 and 28, 1976.

Geography

La Plata River in 2007

Much of Dorado's geology consists of alluvial and coastal/estuarine sediments of Quaternary age and limestones of Tertiary age. The limestones are mostly in the south part of the municipality, in Espinosa, Maguayo and Rio Lajas Wards. These limestones exhibit mature karst topography of great beauty. It has been subjected to extensive quarrying, which have left unsightly scars in the landscape. Some local communities have gathered efforts to minimize quarrying and improve land management to protect the remaining karst topography and the fauna and flora that lives in it.

Bodies of water

Dorado is the site of some bodies of water. Some of them are:

• Rivers: Río Cocal, Río Lajas, Río de la Plata, and Río Nuevo.
• Mata Redonda lagoon
• Punta Fraile marsh

Climate

Dorado's climate is very hot in the summer months and cool in the winter. Temperatures range around 60 °F (16 °C) to 80 °F (27 °C) in the winter and 75 °F (24 °C) to 95 °F (35 °C) in the summer.

Culture

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 Dorado page lists Sala de exposiciones del plata Salvador Rivera Cardona, Plaza Conmemorativa 5th Centenario, and Balneario Manuel "Nolo" Morales, as places of interest.

A rocky beach in Dorado

Dorado's cultural activities feature all of the traditional Puerto Rican elements, but focus on African and Spanish elements. Taíno elements are more conspicuous and mostly influence the food. Popular culture is promoted, which is represented by a number of interpreters such as Juan Boria, Joe Valle and Horacio Olivo. Local painters include José Bernandino and Marcos J. Alegría. In the early 20th century the Rockefeller family purchased plots of land in the northwest region of the municipality of Dorado where they built a huge private vacation compound. Laurance Rockefeller would later use this land to create Dorado Beach Hotel and Golf Club, which later became the Dorado Beach Hyatt Hotel which closed in 2007. Dorado Beach Hotel became a Ritz Carlton hotel in 2012, which got the top spot in the 2019 Conde Naste Readers' Choice.

Dorado has long been known as a golf haven. Its tourist industry includes the Dorado Beach Resort (Ritz-Carlton Reserve & Plantation), the Hyatt Hacienda del Mar, and Embassy Suites in the Dorado Del Mar neighborhood. As of 2014 there are three operating golf courses in the municipality, the Dorado Beach East Course, the Plantation Sugarcane Course and the Plantation Pineapple Course. The Dorado del Mar course closed in 2014.

Landmarks and places of interest

Beach chairs on a beach in Dorado

According to a news article by Primera Hora, Dorado has 24 beaches, including Balneario Manuel Nolo Morales.

Some of the places to visit in Dorado are located downtown. For example, the Museum Casa del Rey is the house built in most towns controlled by Spain during their colonization, which was intended for the King and Queen to stay if they visited. The museum includes several artifacts from the era. There's also the Distinguished Doradeños Square, and the Juan Boria Theater. The last one was recently reopened after a long period of restoration.

Some of the most visited beaches in Dorado are Sardinera, Kikita and El Unico are other beaches frequented by surfers. The Ojo del Buey Park is a park located at the base level of the La Plata River. The name comes from a rock formation that has the shape of an ox. The Dorado Pterocarpus Forest is also located in the municipality.

Dorado also has a church called the Sanctuary of Christ of the Reconciliation, that has the third largest statue of Jesus Christ in the Caribbean, inside its temple. Christmas celebrations extend throughout the season and into epiphany, prior to them the Strenna Mass is held and on Christmas Eve, the Misa de Gallo takes place. Folk traditions tied to these events include the sprinkling of sugar in houses to receive the new year, a practice where a man dresses as a representation of the old year with which residents have fun or release their frustrations for the fading year and trulla parties in which people dressed as the Three Wise Men and a vigil where music is played to celebrate the epiphany. As in the rest of Puerto Rico, this is followed by another period of celebration due to the octavas and octavitas.

Festivals and events

According to oral tradition, the Fiestas a la Santa Cruz have been celebrated since the municipality's foundation. Dorado also celebrates fiestas patronales to honor Antonio de Padua, which retain their religious origins but have included cultural activities such as trova contests, the coronation of a queen and La Alborada. During these, the municipality also celebrates a Day of the Absent Doradeños, in which those abroad visit and join a celebration in their name. Other days are dedicated to exemplary mothers and adopted citizens (the official title of "Adoptive Son" is given during these). General recreation activities include horse races, carny attractions, sack races, climbing competitions and eating contests among others. A variety of traditional food and sweets are also served. Prior to Lent, a carnival is hosted, although the religious significance of the date has since been phased out beyond the interaction of the Vejigantes, La Muerte en Cueros and the Negritos (a Christian allegory with pagan elements depicting tormenting demons and death as the great equalizer in relation to sinners represented by the Negritos, taking away the enjoyment of the demons) and now host other cultural elements. The Catholic practices attributed to Lent are widely practiced, along local ones such as preserving palm branches from Palm Sunday as a practice to ward off ill wishes and bad luck. Processions are celebrated during Easter week.

Dorado celebrates its patron saint festival in June. The Fiestas Patronales de San Antonio de Padua is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. The festival has featured live performances by well-known artists such as Raphy Leavitt, Ismael Miranda, and Pedro Capó.

Sign for Carnaval del Plata in Dorado

Other festivals and events celebrated in Dorado include:

• Three Kings’ Day Festival – January
• Del Plata Carnival – February
• Minin Kuilan Gold Cup – April
• Cocolía Crab Festival– August
• Town and Country Festival – September
• Discovery of Puerto Rico / Puerto Rican Culture Festival – November
• Christmas Festival – December

Academics and arts

As a historically industrial town, the academic culture is mostly centered around writer José S. Alegría and poet Ferdinand R. Cestero is honored for employing the municipality as part of his pseudonym. A Cultural Center supported by the ICP was founded in 1967, with the municipal Office of Cultural Affairs promoting these aspects begging during the 1980s. The first local poet was Société D'Emulation award winner Camille Schwingrouber. Former president of the Ateneo Puertorriqueño Ferdinand R. Cestero wrote Dorado, pueblito áureo y ensiñador... to honor the municipality. Son of former mayor Cruz Alegría, José S. Alegría was born in Dorado on July 17, 1886, and went on to direct Puerto Rico Illustrado magazine and write several books. He was also a painter, being instructed by Francisco Oller. His son, Ricardo Alegría, later became one of the most influential cultural figures in Puerto Rico. Beginning in the 1970s, Pablo Maysonet began publishing several books. The Dorado Writers and Friends of Literature Circle was founded to promote literature, but ceased functioning by 1989. A local newspaper was first published in 1903, when El Hijo del Combate circulated. The Dorado Society of Archeological Investigations was founded in 1983 and is tasked with the archeological material at Museo Casa del Rey.

Until the 1930s, weekly bomba dances were held in Calle Norte and Calle Sur. These were later preserved by the plena groups of Dorado. Other folkloric arts groups included Los Batá, Ballet Folklórico Arawak, Ballet Folklórico Amaná and other municipal and community groups. During the 1950s the municipal band and a Luteran band were created. A school band combined the high school and middle school students during the 1970s. The Meléndez brothers, Manuel and Eleuterio, were Dorado's first professional musicians. Carmen Meléndez, daughter of the second later taught piano in the municipality. Pedro, Andrés and Manuel, Jr., sons of Manuel, Sr. went on to play several instruments. Pianist Lidia Morales, an alumnus of Arístiles Chavier, was also born in Dorado. During the 1960s, Germán Jímenez composed a number of vals and danzas. Marcos J. Alegría was the municipality's first career painter. During the 1970s, the José S. Alegría school began teaching dramatic arts at the behest of Laura Iglesias. During the 1980s, a theatre named Teatro Juan Boria and an arts school named Academia de Arte Dramático Aramaná were created, along a municipal theatre group. Other plastic artists that followed in his footsteps were Jaime Rivera, Marco A. Alegría, Jesús Cardona, Luis R. Nieves, Salvador Rivera and Basilio Cardona. In 1919, Cine Juana de Arco was founded.

Sports

Despite producing some athletes, sports were not widely promoted until the foundation of the intermunicipal Olimpiadas del Plata during the 1970s. The formal events include a marathon held in November. Paso Fino, an indigenous sport, has been among the most practiced, with the Kuilan family gaining prominence due to it. Francisco Kuilan is a second generation rider and won competitions held locally and internationally in places like Paris, where he won a non-Paso Fino competition with a horse named Dulce Sueño in a tour sponsored by Félix Benítez Rexach. He served as namesake for the Minín Kuilan Cup, held by the municipality of Dorado since 1988.

Local athletes include Manolín Maldonado and Angel Maysonet, baseball players Toño Cardona, Nolín Valderrama, Arturito de Jesús, Germán Lanzó, Pedro Díaz, Pito Álvarez, Peoe Carbia, Tomás Palmeras, Mampostial Sánchez, Fabián Cardona and Talí Maldonado and chess player Cucü Alegría, runners Juan Cruz and Millo Lorenzana, and boxers Tony Villa, Carmelo Vázquez and Rafael Santana. Dorado has its own Double A baseball team called Los Guardianes (The Guardians) and it's still one of the main places in the island to play golf or tennis. Within sports entertainment, professional wrestlers Ray González and Damian Priest were raised in the municipality.

Economy

Shrimp boats acquired by the Dorado Fishing Cooperative in Puerto Rico in 1965

Agriculture

In 2007, there were ten farms in Dorado, producing plantains, coffee, vegetables or melons, bananas, root crops or tubers, grains, grasses and other crops, poultry and eggs, cattle and calves, milk products, hogs and pigs, aquaculture, other livestock, and other livestock products. The top livestock produced in Dorado are cattle and calves, horses, hogs and pigs. The top crop items were lawn grass (sod), coffee, pigeon peas, cassava, and other vegetables.

Business

Commerce Tourism and pharmaceuticals.

Industry

Dorado is the site of several industries dedicated to the manufacturing of clothing and medical equipment, among others. Companies like Boston Scientific, Pfizer and Heraeus are among some of the ones located in the city.

Housing developments

In recent years, Dorado has been known for its development of upscale neighborhoods. Several known politicians and artists (e.g. Ricky Martin, Carlos Romero Barceló) live or own properties in the city.

Demographics

Dorado's population has steadily increased during the past century. According to the 2000 census, the population consist of 34,017 with a population density of 1,479.0 people per square mile (571.0 people/km²) more than doubling the town's population of 17,388 in 1970. The 2020 census indicated the first decline (6%) since the U.S. census has been carried out on the island. According to the 2020 census the town has a population of 35,879.

As a whole, Puerto Rico is populated mainly by people from a Criollo (born on the island of Spanish descent) or European descent, with small groups of African and Asian descent. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 74.1% of Doradeños identify with Spanish or White origin, 12.2% identify as black, and 0.5% as Amerindian.

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 16.89% of the population.

Religious affiliation

Due to the influence of Spanish culture, a majority of Dorado's population still practices Catholicism. There are two religious patrons, the Virgen del Rosario and Antonio Abad. Esteban Mariani was placed in charge of the Dorado Parish on June 29, 1848. Since then, several priests served the function until Salvador Carratala was charged in 1925. Afterwards, the Dominican Fathers took over in 1927 and held the office until Salvador Pujolas' one-year stint in 1930. The following year, the Augustinian Fathers took over until handling it to the Congregation of the Mission in 1937. The following year, José Delgado was tasked with the parish until the Holy Spirit Fathers took over in 1943.

The Getsemaní Lutheran Church was founded on July 25, 1911. Initially ran by foreign ministers, until Demetrio Texidor consecrated a temple in August 1924. On December 30, 1945, Carlos Torres became the first officially installed reverend serving the office for 5 years, after years of the office being distributed between locals and foreigners. During the following years, the entity continued its expansion plans under Miguel Sevilla. In 1954, Victor Astacio took over and under him the Church hosted its first synod of the Caribbean event. In 1961, Gilberto Falcón took over and began a project to construct a new temple with the old one hosting its last service on July 19, 1964. Rafael Malpica Padilla, a Doradeño, also served as reverend. During the 1950s, the Lutheran Church created a club for performing arts, where they enacted plays that were mostly centered around nativity.

During the 1920s, Leonor Martínez of Centro Espiritista Caridad bajo Gloria organized several dramatic works in order to gather funds for the spiritist organization.

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

The flag is composed of three stripes of equal width: the upper and lower stripes are golden, and the center one is brown. A brown, equal-sided triangle is placed with its base at the hoist.

Coat of arms

The crown is gold with brown windows. The three towers mean that Dorado is a town, a properly constituted municipality. Underneath the crown, there are five disks that form a Tau.

Education

Dorado has several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Including TASIS, Dorado Academy, New Testament Christian Academy of Dorado, and Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

José S. Alegría is the public High School, located in the town center. Ricardo Arroyo Laracuente is the Middle School 7th through 9th Grade. In the town next to the town square is the elementary School named Jacinto López Martínez.

Schools and academies

• Dorado Academy
• TASIS Dorado
• José S. Alegría High School
• Pedro López Canino Elementary and Middle School
• Luis Muñoz Marín Elementary School
• Ricardo Arroyo Middle School
• Marcelino Canino Canino – Middle School
• Jacinto López Martínez – Elementary school and first school building to be founded in Dorado. It is over a hundred years old and still in use and one of the biggest schools.
• Luisa Valderrama Martínez – Elementary school
• The Jane Stern Dorado Community Library, founded in 1974, is Puerto Rico's first public bilingual library. Recipient of a 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
• Cristóbal Santana Melecio Elementary School

Transportation

Puerto Rico Highway 22 provides access to Dorado from the far away city of Mayagüez, or from San Juan. Road 165 also provides access from Cataño and Bayamón bordering the shore to the Atlantic Ocean. It takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the town from San Juan.

Like most other towns in the island, it has a public transportation system consisting of public cars. Taxis are also available around the town. There's also a public trolley system around town and a shuttle service for handicapped people.

There are 19 bridges in Dorado.

Dorado Airport was a commercial airport that served the city with flights to San Juan and to the United States, but it has since been closed.

Notable residents

• José S. Alegría, poet, writer, lawyer and politician.
• Juan Boria, poet
• Onix Concepción, Major League Baseball shortstop

See also

In Spanish: Dorado (Puerto Rico) para niños