Humacao, Puerto Rico

Humacao is the largest city of Puerto Rico's eastern coast and is named after the Taino Cacique Jumacao. The municipio has a land area of 115.95 km² (44.77 sq mi) and a population of 59,035 as of the 2000 census.

Humacao recently acquired a professional basketball team in 2005 (Humacao Gray's) and is in the process of constructing a coliseum to house its new franchise. The city is also constructing a new state of the art convention center and is rebuilding Victoria Theatre a 19th century theatre located in the town square.

Humacao has three hospitals (HIMA-San Pablo Humacao, Dr. Domínguez (Clínica Oriente), and Ryder Memorial). All three of them have been greatly developed to excellent secondary care institutions. Ryder Memorial is under renovations and celebrating its 40th Anniversary. It is the largest hospital complex on the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico.

Humacao is famous all over Puerto Rico for its granitos, a greasy snack food which is composed of a fried rice flour with cheese in its center. People have for years driven to Humacao from other cities just to taste this snack food. Locals joke about this tastiful 'fritura': el granito es EEE: engorda, estriñe y embrutece.(The granito fattens, constipates and dumbs you!)

The University of Puerto Rico Humacao campus facility educates over 4,000 students and is well known for its sciences, producing many of the island's most skilled microbiologists, marine biologists and chemists. It also manages the island's only observatory where tourists and locals can come visit and view the stars and planets.

Humacao's airport is no longer used for daily flights to Vieques and Culebra as it was in the past. It is now used for charter flights and for skydiving. The skydiving facilities located in Humacao are of the most actively used on the island.

There are various excellent elementary and high school facilities, two of which were recognized by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and each has their own National Honor Society chapters.

Palmas del Mar, the island's largest and most glamorous resort, makes Humacao its home. This megaresort is composed of over 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land and occupies the entire south eastern portion of the municipal territory. The resort contains over 20 tennis courts, two world-class golf courses, miles of unspoiled beaches, several restaurants and a world class riding center.

One of Puerto Rico's most important charity fund-raising activities, La Buena Vida Festival, takes place in Palmas del Mar every year. Now in its 11th year, La Buena Vida gathers several hundred good-hearted Puerto Ricans and visitors from abroad, to enjoy fine art, excellent food from our foremost chefs-de-cuisine, and the best wines available in Puerto Rico. A silent art and wine auction is held at the peak of the activity. Lead by businessman Kike Toro-Garratón, this year's LBVF was able to collect close to $100,000.00 for four of our Eastern region service organizations.

Humacao has gone through many changes and it is currently one of the fastest developing municipalities in Puerto Rico. Our current mayor is civic leader Marcelo Trujillo-Panisse (PPD), a chubby, hard-working, big-framed, albeit serene soul, who is leading Humacao to great horizons.

Humacao is also the birthplace of actresses Rita Moreno and Adamari López, singer Carlos Ponce, the very much respected professor Hermenegildo 'Mereyo' Ortiz Quiñones, the late ballet dancer and choreographer José Parés, young Gabriel Esteban Vicéns Quiñones, currently living in New York, the beloved Gynecologist Ernesto Arroyo-López, and actor Luis Antonio Rivera (Yoyo Boing).

References

* Humacao and its barrios, United States Census Bureau