La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve in the context of "Culebra, Puerto Rico"

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⭐ Core Definition: La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve

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.

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La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve in the context of Geography of Puerto Rico

The geography of Puerto Rico encompasses the geographical features of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean archipelagic and island nation centered around a collective identity based on its land, history, ethnicity, culture, and language, and organized as a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States. Located between the Greater and Lesser Antilles in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, east of Hispaniola, west of Saint Thomas, north of Venezuela, and south of the Puerto Rico Trench, it consists of the eponymous main island of Puerto Rico and 142 smaller islands, islets, and cays, including San Juan Islet in the north, Vieques and Culebra islands in the Virgin Islands, and Palominos island and Icacos cay in La Cordillera nature reserve in the east, Caja de Muertos island in Caja de Muertos reserve, and Caracoles and Media Luna cays in La Parguera reserve in the south, and Mona, Monito, and Desecheo islands in the Mona Passage in the west.

Measuring 177 km (110 mi; 96 nmi) in length and 65 km (40 mi; 35 nmi) in width with a land area of 8,868 sq km (3,424 sq mi), the main island of Puerto Rico is the 4th largest in the Caribbean, 29th in the Americas, and 81st in the world, making it the 170th largest country or dependency by surface area. With 3.2 million residents, it is also the 4th largest in the Caribbean, 4th in the Americas, and 31st in the world, making it the 136th largest country or dependency by population.

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La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve in the context of Palominos Island

Palominos Island (Spanish: Isla de Palominos), most commonly known as Palomino, is a small island located off the coast of the barrio of Cabezas in the municipality of Fajardo in the northeast of the main island of Puerto Rico. It forms part of a small chain of cays, reefs, and skerries protected by the La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve. The island is home to El Conquistador Resort hotel.

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La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve in the context of Icacos Cay

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.

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