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We found ourselves in Manatí, ‘the Athens of Puerto Rico’ on a scouting trip, the weekend before the reenactment of the British Landing in Cangrejos, staged on the grounds of Hacienda La Esperanza. 
I’m glad we did because finding the Hacienda was quite the little trip. Once we nailed that down, we went back into town to check out the plaza.
Though we visited Manatí before the reenactment, I’m presenting it last as ‘icing on the cake’.
We were there on a beautiful, but overcast Friday afternoon with large fluffy clouds floating by. Some of my shots are a little flat because of the overcast. This required a little more Photoshopping than I usually do, but no biggie. It was worth it.
‘Photo Ops’ were everywhere since Manatí is one of the older towns of Puerto Rico. Our effort was limited to the plaza and places just off the plaza.
The plaza is unique in that a large municipal parking garage is tucked underneath it. I had walked 3 sides of the expansive plaza before I discovered this fact. A great idea since parking is always hard to find when approaching almost any plaza in PR.
The Mayor’s Office or Alcaldia and the Catholic church sit just off the plaza. The only structure ‘on’ the plaza was a beautifully restored Mercado built in 1925. Centro De Las Artes is an excellent example of the period.
Manatí is the Pineapple Capitol of PR.
There is a statue out front of the Mercado dedicated to the field hands who make it happen. There are also 4 other statues depicting different periods of the island’s history.
On the high side of the plaza was a mural, done
as a mosaic, featuring several events from the past.
The plaza also features 2 large water fountains with bronze Manatee spouting water. There were lots of benches and lots of classically styled lamps spread out across the open space as well. I’m sure when it fills up, the plaza is quite a sight.
My only criticism was the lack of shade. The little trees are years from providing any protection from the noonday sun. I did not see a lot of dominos being played in the plaza.
In the Early Days-
A hermitage was constructed on the banks of the Manuatabón (Manatí) River sometime before 1729 in honor of Our Lady of Candlemas. A small town sprang up around it and by 1733 the population had increased to the point 
that a land grant was extended to Lieutenant Pedro Menéndez de Valdés for developing a 200 acre hacienda.
A few years later, in 1738, the town was formally recognized by the Spanish Crown.
It was the ninth settlement in Puerto Rico to gain such status.
By 1776, the town had 447 families and no less than 3,000 people. The Catholic church was built of stone and described as the best one on the island. It was a thriving community.
Unfortunately, the earthquake of 1786 destroyed much of Manatí. But that did not deter them and the town was quickly rebuilt.
Though the town’s economy was first predicated on mining, that eventually gave way to farming and sugar cane production in the early 1850’s. During those early days, there were no less than 12 sugar mills, 5 pottery shops and 3 barrel making shops.
Hacienda La Esperanza stands as a historical example of that period.
Today, the town’s economy is primarily driven by pineapple production, pharmaceuticals, some manufacturing, health care and retail trade. I even saw some sugarcane growing on the La Esperanza property.
The population of Manatí now rests at 44,113 per the US Census.
Ground was broken for a new Hyatt Hotel and Casino in 2012, with a projected opening of January 2014. This should add some tourism to their economic mix.
Something we did not have time to check out were the beaches of Manatí. They are supposed to be some of the best on the island. 
There is even a big beach festival in July… that could be fun.
The town is also known for an old Catholic practice that originates from a remote part of southern Spain- “Wake of the Cross”. An event only a few towns in PR celebrate. Traditionally, a 9 day celebration in May. It concludes with a dance and a 4AM march to down to the beach where the rest of the day is spent in celebration.
Back at the Plaza
The Catholic church, Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria still features elements of construction dating to 1872. There is even a Cross Monument on the church grounds dedicated to Jesus and Mother Mary that dates to the year 1700.
This predates what I found on line.
Though the main gate was closed, the side gate was open for parking cars. I used the opportunity to photograph as much of the church as I could. The main doors were shut so I did not go inside. The ‘old’ part of the church is located near the back. Since the rest of the church is done in white ’empañatal’, you cannot miss the old stonework. It caught my eye, right off. I have to say, they have done a fantastic job restoring it and keeping it in pristine condition.
Flower boxes circle the church and more flower beds line the inside fence that encloses the church grounds.
Just outside the concrete and iron fence were hedges of African Ixora starting to bloom. A very popular hedge here in PR as it requires very little maintenance. I’m trying to grow some of it myself.
To the inside of the fence and around the church was an extremely spiny flowering plant with leaves at the top of a ‘spiral shaped’ main stem. Some were formed into hedges. I have never seen these before so I do not know what they’re called. They looked deadly, but very pretty.
To the outside of the plaza is a mix of fully restored structures and those boarded up to protect the public from falling debris. That is fairly common to most small towns of PR.
The potential for great fine art images is everywhere.
Much of the historical references were taken from the online Puerto Rico Encyclopedia.
I only glossed over the important stuff so if you want to know more, follow the link.
If you find yourself on the north coast with time to kill and a camera, Manatí is definitely worth checking out. I’ll swing back by sometime. That’s for sure!
Many more and larger images from the trip to Manatí may be seen over on the Scurvy Dog’s FaceBook Page. I simply could not post them all here.