Fajardo (Spanish pronunciation: [faˈxaɾðo]) is a town and a municipality part of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area in Puerto Rico.
Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is also home to the largest marina in the Caribbean, called Puerto del Rey. The town contains various hotels and inns.
The Puerto Rico campaign was the American military sea and land operation in Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War, which resulted in the invasion, occupation, and annexation of the archipelago and island by the United States, and the cession of said territory by Spain. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the capital, San Juan. Though the damage inflicted on the city was minimal, the Americans were able to establish a blockade in the city's harbor, San Juan Bay. On June 22, the cruiser Isabel II and the destroyer Terror delivered a Spanish counterattack, but were unable to break the blockade and Terror was damaged.
The land offensive began on July 25, when 1,300 infantry soldiers led by Major General Nelson A. Miles disembarked off the coast of Guánica. After winning the first skirmish, the Americans advanced to Coamo, where they engaged Puerto Rican and Spanish troops in battle. With two defenders and four Americans dead, the defenders retreated. The United States forces were able to seize control of Fajardo on August 1, but were forced to withdraw on August 5 after a group of 200 Puerto Rican–Spanish soldiers led by Pedro del Pino counterattacked, while most civilian inhabitants fled to the nearby lighthouse. The Americans encountered more opposition as they advanced towards the main island's interior. They engaged in two crossfires in Guamaní River and Coamo, both of which were inconclusive as the allied soldiers retreated. A battle in San Germán concluded in a similar fashion with the Spanish retreating to Lares.
Icacos Cay (Spanish: Cayo Icacos) is the largest uninhabited cay forming part of a small chain of cays, reefs, and skerries located off the coast of the barrio of Cabezas in the municipality of Fajardo in the northeast of the main island of Puerto Rico. Along with Palominos island, it is part of the La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Icacos is a fifteen-minute water taxi ride from Fajardo. The cay is a popular snorkeling and beach tourism destination.
For some time, there was a limestone quarry on the southern part of the island, with a short railroad system to shuttle limestone from the quarry to the pier.
The La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Natural Arrecifes de la Cordillera) is a nature reserve consisting of La Cordillera (''the mountain range''), a small chain of cays, reefs, and skerries in the northeast of the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico. Located about 1 mile (0.87 nmi) off the coast of the municipality of Fajardo, the reserve extends about 15 miles (13 nmi) and 30,000 acres between Las Cabezas de San Juan cape in Fajardo and the island-municipality of Culebra in the Virgin Islands. From west to east, it comprises Las Cucarachas and Los Farallones skerries, Icacos, Ratones, and Lobos cays, Palominos and Palominitos islands, La Blanquilla and Diablo cays, and Hermanos and Barriles reefs, all of which cover about 218 acres of land.
With the exception of Palominos island and Lobos cay, which are privately owned, all cays, reefs, and skerries in the small chain are protected by the marine reserve. The nature reserve is also important for local fishermen and eastern coastal municipalities, including Fajardo, Ceiba, and Naguabo, which depend on the reserve for their fishing industries.
Cabezas is a barrio in the municipality of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,339.
Croabas Community with 1,053 residents is a fishing neighborhood and tour boat launch site in Cabezas.
Las Cabezas de San Juan (Spanish for 'the San Juan capes' or 'headlands'), officially Cabo San Juan (Cape San Juan in English), is a coastal area and nature reserve located in the northeastern corner of the main island of Puerto Rico, particularly in the Cabezas barrio of the municipality of Fajardo. The reserve is famous for its biodiversity, with its bioluminescent lagoon (Laguna Grande, one of the three year-round bioluminescent bodies of water in the territory and one of seven in the Caribbean), its coral reefs, and its subtropical dry and mangrove forests, and for its history, particularly for its lighthouse and its role during the Puerto Rico campaign of the Spanish–American War.
Ceiba (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsejβa]) is both a small town and a municipality in northeast Puerto Rico. It is named after the famous Ceiba tree. Ceiba is located in the north-east coast of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, south of Fajardo, north of Naguabo and southeast of Río Grande. Located about one hour's driving distance from San Juan, Ceiba is spread over 7 barrios and Ceiba Pueblo (the downtown area and administrative center). It is part of the Fajardo Metropolitan Statistical Area.