A Brief Account of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico

Hormigueros, pronounced or-mee-GAI-ros, is a municipality of Puerto Rico. For those that don't know, Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States. Tourism is huge in Puerto Rico. Every year numerous cruise ships dock near Old San Juan and tourists flock to the many sights to see across the island. Puerto Rico is known for its beautiful beaches and friendly residents. While San Juan is one of the favorite vacation destinations, there are several other cities in Puerto Rico that are equally interesting and deserve a special look.

One of these cities is Hormigueros. Hormigueros is located just south of Mayaguez, and it is not too long of a drive from San Juan. It is definitely a beautiful drive and worth the time! Hormigueros is a small city, if you can even call it that. The 2000 census has the Hormigueros population at 16,614. So, there aren't too many Hormiguerenos out there.

There is not much to see in Hormigueros. It doesn't have a tourist trap or a shopping mall. You won't see a McDonald's or Chili's. When you look at a map it will probably only be a small dot.

So, what's so special about this little town? Besides the residents of Hormigueros, who else would want to visit this place? Well, in order to know you have to know the history. The city was founded on April 1, 1874. The name Hormigueros comes from the Taino word Horomico.

There are two legends surrounding Hormigueros and its beginning. The first one involves Gerado Gonzalez. Supposedly, he was out one day when he came face to face with a bull. The bull got ready to charge Gonzalez when all of a sudden Our Lady of Monserrate revealed herself and saved Gonzalez from the bull. Supposedly the bull stopped in his tracks and appeared to kneel down, as if praying.

The second legend involves Gonzalez's daughter. She supposedly got lost as a child in the mountains for many many days. When she was found she was perfectly fine and had not suffered any injury. The child said that a lady was with her in the mountains the whole time protecting her and taking care of her. Of course the lady is presumed to be Our Lady of Monserrate.

In 1775 a church was dedicated to Our Lady of Monserrate. Today, visitors to Hormigueros can stop at the Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Monserrate. It is absolutely beautiful. Just prepared for a lot of walking! If you go in through the front there are a lot of steps to climb. (If you don't want to walk up all of the steps go around back, you can walk right in!)

This special town is definitely worth a trip. It is a true Puerto Rican city with an interesting beginning. Make plans to stop by as you trek across the island.