¡RINCON, PUERTO RICO!

The following data is from a tourist map of Rincón given to me at the Parador Villa Antonio. The map is © 1991 Garred Giles.

ALTHOUGH THE WORD RINCÓN means 'corner' (esquina) or 'niche', and befits the municipality's geographic situation (really!), the area's name originates from Don Gonzalo Rincón, a 16th century landowner "who allowed various poor families to reside on his land and baptized the place the 'hill of the poor'".

BOILING NUCLEAR SUPER-HEATER PLANT: First nuclear energy plant built in Latin America. Went on-line on April 1964. Output 16 mega-watts. Dismantled in 1974 for economic reasons.

LIGHTHOUSE: The Punta Higuera Lighthouse was first constructed in 1892. Using a 270 C.P. (?) oil lamp. Converted to oil vapor (26,000 C.P.) in 1913. Damaged on 21 October 1918 by earthquake, rebuilt 1921. Razed 1922. Present tower built in same year. Automated and left unattended in 1933. Electrified 1959. The lighthouse area is now a nice and relatively large observation deck with snack bar and bathrooms (I think...)

DESECHEO island, which many 'first timers' confuse with Isla de Mona, can be seen clearly from the observation deck. Desecheo, 13.3 miles to the west, 715 ft. AMSL (?) is a Federal Wildlife Preserve and uninhabited; 360 acres.

RINCOEÑO(A): A person from Rincón.

THE SUN is directly overhead at solar noon (=local noon, not necessarily at 12:00 pm on your watch) on May 14 and July 31.

Here are some photos of the town of Rincón...