Rincón

Rincón — Spanish for "corner" or "nook", fitting a town on the westernmost tip of Puerto Rico's main island — was founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco, who had founded the neighbouring town of Añasco in 1733. The first US census of the island, in 1899, counted 6,641 people. The Punta Higüero lighthouse was built by the Spanish government in 1892, badly damaged in the earthquake of 1918, and rebuilt by the United States in 1922.

In the 1960s Rincón became the site of Puerto Rico's only nuclear reactor. Construction of the Boiling Nuclear Superheater (BONUS) facility began in 1960; it reached its first chain reaction in 1964 and full power in 1965, but was shut down in June 1968 because of technical difficulties and the cost of the modifications it needed. The building was decontaminated, and locals know it as "the Domes", the name the beach below also carries.

The same year transformed the town. The 1968 World Surfing Championship was held at Domes and Maria's beaches, and surfers from around the world have come ever since. Tourism became the main industry, and Rincón hosted the ISA World Masters in 2007. Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017, and the coast's high levels of erosion leave the town vulnerable to major hurricanes.

Surfing defines Rincón's identity. The town is known as the capital of surfing and nicknamed the "Caribbean's Hawaii", with winter waves that can approach 25–30 feet. Famous breaks include Little Malibu, Tres Palmas, Maria's, Indicators, Domes, Pools, Sandy Beach and Antonio's, and surf schools and shops line the roads. Rincón is also known as the town of beautiful sunsets, watched from the lighthouse park and the beaches.

The town has the highest share of non-Hispanic residents of any municipality on the main island, 5.1 per cent in 2020, up from 3.6 per cent in 2010. The plaza, the church and the town's festivals keep the rhythm of a Puerto Rican pueblo.

The calendar mixes the two. Whale-watching season in January and February is followed by a Humpback Whale Festival in March, the Rincón International Film Festival in April and a Coconut Festival in May, and the Fiestas Patronales de Santa Rosa de Lima bring parades, games, artisans, rides, regional food and live music.

Rincón had about 15,200 people at the 2010 census, and between 2010 and 2020 it recorded the smallest population decline of any municipality in Puerto Rico — a fall of just 13 people at a time when no municipality recorded an increase. It belongs to the Aguadilla–Isabela–San Sebastián metropolitan area and is divided into nine barrios plus the town centre.

Tourism is the main industry: surfing above all, but also scuba diving, snorkelling, boat trips and sunset-watching, which support guesthouses, surf schools, restaurants and shops. Life follows the swell and the seasons, busiest in the winter surf season and quieter in summer. Shops line the street of the town centre and Route 413, and for larger shopping residents drive to the malls of Aguadilla.

The coast suffers high levels of erosion, which leaves the town vulnerable in a major hurricane. Like the rest of the island, Rincón is affected by the fragile power grid.

Rincón eats the cocina criolla of Puerto Rico. Mofongo, fried green plantain mashed with garlic and pork crackling, is the signature plate, often served with seafood; arroz con gandules, rice with pigeon peas, comes with lechón, roast pork, and yuca, cassava, is a common side. Roadside restaurants on the way into town serve traditional dishes and the day's fresh fish.

Snacks are part of beach life: empanadillas, fried turnovers, and the fritters of the Puerto Rican coast — alcapurrias and bacalaítos, salt-cod fritters — eaten with a cold Medalla beer. Fish and lobster from local waters appear on menus across the town, alongside restaurants that serve its surfers and newcomers.

To drink, rum is the island spirit, and the piña colada, claimed as a San Juan invention, is a standard beach order. Puerto Rico's highland coffee, grown especially around Yauco, is the usual morning cup, and the town holds a Coconut Festival each May.