Puerto Rico Part 1: The History of Isla del Encanto

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The official name of this tropical paradise is the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its nickname is "Isla del Encanto," which means Island of Enchantment.

Old San Juan

The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan, a city that has various neighborhoods, each with a distinct personality. I began my adventure in the Old San Juan neighborhood, the historic heart of the city. Old San Juan is an area filled with brilliant colors, from the brightly painted homes ...

... to the exotic, tropical birds that greeted me on many street corners. It was in this neighborhood that I learned more about Puerto Rico's interesting history.

Calle Fortaleza

The Taino people have lived on the island of Puerto Rico since approximately 1200 and still reside there today. Today, the terms "Borinqueño" and "Boricua" (the more colloquial term), refer to all people from Puerto Rico. Both words derive from the Taino's original name for the island, Borikén.

In 1493, on his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of Puerto Rico and renamed the island San Juan Bautista (or Saint John the Baptist). Upon realizing the vast resources the island had to offer, including gold found in its rivers, he changed the name to Puerto Rico, which means "rich port." Once the capital city was established, it was named San Juan, the name it still retains today.

El Tótem Telúrico

Spanish influences in Puerto Rico are ubiquitous and touch the island's language, architecture, culture, religion and art. One example is El Tótem Telúrico, a 40-foot tower created by artist Jaime Suárez, that stands in the middle of Plaza del Quinto Centenario, memorializing the island's Spanish history and Taino roots.

The tower was erected in 1992 to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the island, and the Spanish conquest of Puerto Rico and the Americas. The tower is constructed of granite and embellished by broken pieces of clay pottery and ceramic vases, created by the indigenous Taino people, found during archaeological digs. I was told that these broken fragments are meant to symbolize the violent meeting between the Taino inhabitants and European colonizers.

Capilla del Cristo

Shortly after arriving, the Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism to the island, which remains the dominant faith in Puerto Rico. One of the oldest chapels they built is Capilla del Cristo, a tiny sanctuary, hidden at the end of a street.

I was told that the church commemorates the site where a horse and rider, participating in a race during the San Juan Bautista festivities, flew over the top of the wall behind the chapel and hurtled into the sea. Miraculously, they both survived. Today, penitents visit the chapel bearing ornaments and praying for miracles.

Adoquines

Vestiges of Spanish occupation are also seen in the beautiful, cobblestone streets, a prominent and unique feature of Old San Juan. Made from basalt brick, the adoquines, or blue cobblestone pavers, were brought as ballast, to stabilize empty Spanish vessels, and offloaded on Puerto Rico's shores.

Builders used these leftover stones to create cobblestones for San Juan's streets. As the stones wore away due to exposure to the elements, they revealed a distinctive blue color that contributes to Old San Juan's charm.

In addition to Taino and Spanish culture, other strong influences and contributions to the island, come from West Africans. Under Spanish rule, the island's agricultural system began to produce and export tobacco, sugarcane and coffee. To meet increasing demands, Spain brought West African slaves to the island to work on the plantations. West African contributions to Puerto Rico go far beyond this however.

Today you will hear traces of the West African, Yoruba language in the Spanish spoken in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rican Spanish a distinct sound, as well as expressions with African origins. Puerto Rican dishes including mofongo, bacalaitos, and pasteles (which I will share about in an upcoming post) are all influenced by African cuisine. Puerto Rican music and dance traditions, such as bomba and plena are likewise rooted in African culture.

French and Spanish Style Balconies

While the most prominent cultural influences in Puerto Rico are those of the indigenous Taino, Africans and the Spanish, the French also had some influence. This is due to French immigration to the island, as well as their instrumental role in developing the sugar industry, which made the island a leading sugar exporter.

In addition to impacting Puerto Rico's food, literature and art scene, in the photo above, you can see the French (and Spanish) influence on architecture. The balcony on the left, with its minimally protruding platform, not fashioned for actual use, but rather aesthetics, is typical of French architecture. Conversely, the balcony on the right, which is wider and provides outdoor space, is a Spanish style balcony, also referred to as a Romeo and Juliet balcony.

Puerto Rico's colonial past is evident almost everywhere you look in the Old San Juan neighborhood, but its storied history seems most obvious at the San Juan Historic Site. This location showcases the centuries long battle for control of this strategically located island.

Castillo San Cristóbal

Here, you will find Castillo San Cristóbal, a fortress built by the Spanish to safeguard the city from enemies approaching by land from the east. The fortress spans 27 acres and constitutes the Spaniards largest fortification in the New World.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Adjacent to Castillo San Cristóbal is Castillo San Felipe del Morro, or simply El Morro. Though not quite as massive as Castillo San Cristóbal, El Morro is nevertheless one of the largest Spanish fortifications of the 16th century and still has some of the fortress's original cannons.

El Morro's six levels of barracks and dungeons were constructed to protect the city from attackers approaching from the sea.

These fortresses have remained unbreached despite various notable attacks throughout history including the 1595 British attack led by Sir Francis Drake, a Dutch attack in 1625 and an American attack in 1898 during the Spanish-American war.

Bastión de las Palmas

Elsewhere in Old San Juan, you will find other military structures. For example, Bastión de las Palmas was built in the 17th century as a defensive structure after the 1625 Dutch attack that I referenced just above.

Sunset at Bastión de las Palmas

Today, this historical landmark is a public park where you can stroll and enjoy views of the San Juan Bay and the Toa Baja coast.

 Cuartel de Ballajá

Though the Spanish fortifications withstood various attacks and helped secure and maintain Spain's control of Puerto Rico for over 400 years, in 1898, after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded Puerto Rico (as well as Guam and the Philippines, which Spain sold to the U.S. for 20 million dollars) to the United States in the Treaty of Paris.

From 1898 until 1936, the American infantry occupied the Cuartel de Ballajá, seen in the video above. The building, with its large central courtyard, gates, balconies and arches has been preserved, but its function has changed. Today you will find cafes, a dance and music school, offices and a museum at Cuartel de Ballajá.

In 1917, the Jones Act granted U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Ricans. Since 1952, Puerto Rico has been a U.S. commonwealth, providing the island with a degree of autonomy, but not statehood or independence.

Sunset in Puerto Rico at the San Juan Historic Site

That is a snapshot of the history of Puerto Rico, some of which I knew, and some of which I learned during my trip to Isla del Encanto. Speaking of snapshots, the photo above has not been retouched. Those are the actual colors that lit up the sky during sunset, on the shores of Puerto Rico. Breathtaking, isn't it?

My trip to Puerto Rico was filled with other equally gorgeous sunsets, delicious food, entertaining music, libations, exploration and adventures, on and in the water. I'll share about all of it in my upcoming posts.