Jayuya Tourist Places to Visit in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, America

Jayuya Tourist Places to Visit in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, America

Jayuya is a municipality located in Puerto Rico (an unincorporated territory of the United States) in the Caribbean. It is positioned in the heart of the island, around 90 km southwest of the island capital, San Juan. The municipality of Jayuya boasts 10 wards and a downtown area, Jayuya Pueblo.

Jayuya was the home town of many talented wood carvers including sculptor, Tomas Batista who was noted for his work for Nemesio Canales statue and the bust of Jayuya.

Geography of Jayuya:

Jayuya occupies an area of 102.1 sq. km and its coordinates are 18°13′07″ N 66°35′30″ W. Cerro Punta is the highest peak on the island positioned at an altitude of 1,338 meters. Jayuya generally enjoys a cool climate.

History of Jayuya:

Jayuya was named in the honor of Hayuya, a Taino tribal leader, later changed to Jayuya. It came into existence as a municipality in the year 2011. Since from the end of the 19^th century, coffee production is the major economic source of Jayuya.

How to reach Jayuya?

Adjuntas Airport is the nearest airport to Jayuya but that is used only by private flights. So the closest major airport to Jayuya is Mercedita Airport which is located in Ponce, around 45 km away from Jayuya and is served by JetBlue Airways with flights from New York and Orlando.

There are taxis and rental cars available at the local travel agencies that are placed in the town centre. Taxis and cars are helpful for local travel, to reach airport and tourist destinations.

Culture, Food and Culture in Jayuya:

Jayuya is renowned for two grand festivals namely Tomato Festival which is celebrated in February and Festival Indígena (Indian Festival) which takes place in the month of November.

Jayuya also houses many traditional and modernized shops all around the town. Restaurante La Fragua is one of the major food corners in Jayuya serving guests with variety of Puerto Rican and international dishes.

Things to do in Jayuya:

Hiking
Climbing
Shopping

Places of interest in Jayuya:

Nemesio Canales Museum:

Nemesio Canales Museum exhibits life story and achievements of renowned essayist, novelist, playwright, and politician of Puerto Rico, Nemesio R. Canales Rivera who was the great defender of civil rights of women. There is a Cemí Museum placed in the vicinity of Nemesio Canales Museum.

Hayuya Monument:

Hayuya Monument is placed in the proximity of the Taíno Tomb in the downtown Jayuya. Hayuya was a Taino tribal leader and his statue was sculptured by famous sculptor, Tomás Batista.

Cerro de Punta:

At an elevation of 4,389 feet, Cerro de Punta is the highest peak in Jayuya. It is placed in the outskirts of the town and other mountains include Monte Jayuya, Cerro Rosa, and Tres Picachos.

Other places of interest in and around Jayuya include:

Taíno Tomb
Toro Negro State Forest
Río Naranjito
Río Yunes
Río Grande de Jayuya

Best time to visit Jayuya:

The months of February and November will be ideal to travel Jayuya while the two major festivals like Tomato Festival and Festival Indigena held in Jayuya respectively.

Accommodation options in Jayuya:

Jayuya is a mountainous region featuring relatively cool climate throughout the year which attracts tourists from all around the island and other American and European countries. It also houses many nice hotels with upgraded facilities and services and list of hotels in Jayuya and Adjuntas (18 km) include: