Aguada is a municipality of Puerto Rico, located in the
western coastal valley region bordering the Atlantic Ocean, west of Rincón,
Aguadilla and Moca; and north of Añasco. Aguada's population -42,000
inhabitants- is spread over 17 wards and Aguada Pueblo, which is the downtown
area and the administrative center of the city.
It is believed that Christopher Columbus entered the island
of Puerto Rico through Aguada on his second voyage in November 1493. However,
the nearby city of Aguadilla also claims to be the site of Columbus' arrival.
While there is no specific historical proof, it is known that many of the first
attempts to set up a town on the island were in Aguada.
In July 1510, Cristóbal de Sotomayor received control of the
area from Juan Ponce de León and renamed the town Villa de Sotomayor. Aguada
became a stopover point for ships on their way to Spain from South America. On
1737, Philip V, King of Spain, declared that all mail on route to Venezuela and
other South American countries from Puerto Rico must exit from Aguada's ports,
leading to the area's economic growth.
Nowadays, Aguada has a strong agriculture industry relying on
sugar cane.