Loíza

Loíza was settled by free and enslaved Africans from the sixteenth century and remains the heart of Afro-Puerto Rican culture on the island: bomba, the drum and dance form in which the dancer leads and the drummer follows, was developed here, and workshops still make the vejigante masks from coconut shell that the town is known for. The Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol in late July are the biggest celebration, with masked processions along the coast road.

Background

The municipality lies on the northeastern coast, with Carolina to the west, Río Grande to the east and Canóvanas to the south, and it counts as an outer part of the San Juan metropolitan area. It covers 170.19 km2, of which 119.83 km2 is water. In 1692, with 100 houses and 1,146 residents, Loíza was declared an urban area, and it received the status of a town in 1719. A census in 1899 counted 12,522 people, while the 2020 figure was 23,693. In the barrio of Torrecilla Baja, the Piñones district has a state forest of Australian pine and mangrove, open beaches and kiosks selling Puerto Rican street food.

Source: Wikipedia, "Loíza, Puerto Rico"

What to look for

• The bomba tradition - drumming and dance where the dancer leads the drummer.
• The vejigante masks - horned masks carved from coconut shell by local makers.
• The Santiago festival - masked processions and drumming in late July.
• The church of Espíritu Santo - a sixteenth-century foundation, among the island's oldest.

When to go

Late July is the Santiago festival and the town's biggest week. Bomba workshops and performances run year round but should be arranged. Weekends bring music at the beach kiosks.

Practical notes

Outside festival time there is no scheduled programme and performances must be arranged. Photography of participants during the festival should be done with care and respect. Facilities for visitors are limited.

Nearby

Piñones is west along the coast, and San Juan is beyond it.

Key facts