I walk in a neighborhood where the homes border a golf course. The streets are all named for famous golf resorts. Apparently, Dorado Beach is a Ritz Carlton golf resort in Puerto Rico. I have never been to Puerto Rico, but my sister and her husband visited to see Hamilton performed with Lin-Manuel Miranda and loved the island. The magic of the place even encouraged my usually solemn and serious brother-in-law to join in a dance with street performers. There is an openness and a friendliness there that exhilarated him, allowing him to let down his guard. Puerto Rico is a place of great beauty, and the golf resort is spectacular. Even if you don’t play golf, just viewing the grounds is worth the trip. Let’s find out more about the enchanting land of Puerto Rico, Dorado in particular.
According to Wikipedia, Dorado is a town and municipality in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, 15 miles west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta and west of Toa Baja. Dorado is subdivided into five barrios and Dorado Pueblo, the downtown area and the administrative center of the city. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Dorado Airport was operated from 1942 to 1996. The airport began as a military landing strip, then became a civilian airport in the 1960s with Caribair and Dorado Wings flights operating until 1980 and 1982 respectively. The airport operated as a private landing strip throughout the 1980s and then fell into disrepair. In 1996, the airport was rezoned as residential land and redeveloped.
Dorado has upscale neighborhoods and a small downtown area with a plaza or Spanish town square, as other Puerto Rican municipalities. The town's patron saint is Anthony of Padua, and patron saint celebrations are held at the plaza every year on June 13.
History
During the early 18th century, there were already mentions of a “Sitio de Dorado” or golden place in some San Juan registers.
Since the beginning of the Spanish colonial period and until 1831, Dorado existed as a barrio or ward of the town of Toa Baja. Over several years, the ward grew and established its own town center called the "new pueblo" to differentiate itself from Toa Baja, which became known as the "old pueblo." Over several years, the barrios that currently make up Dorado grew and the people of the "new pueblo" wanted to separate themselves from Toa Baja.
On November 22, 1842, Jacinto López Martínez, the Sergeant at Arms for the ward of Dorado, petitioned the Spanish governor of Puerto Rico, Santiago Méndez Vigo, to establish the municipality of Dorado. The governor authorized the founding of the town pending the construction of public works, including an administrative building and a church near the town square. In 1848, the construction of the public works was completed and López Martínez became the first mayor of Dorado.
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Dorado was 3,804. In 1902, four years after the Spanish-American War, Dorado was again appended to Toa Baja. However, in 1905 it regained its status as a separate town.
The second G7 summit was held at the Dorado Beach Resort June 27-28, 1976.
Flag
The official flag of the municipality of Dorado is made up of three stripes of equal width and the symbols from the coat of arms are within the brown stripe, in a sideways position. A first stripe of gold is followed by a stripe of brown which is followed by a final stripe of gold. The gold or golden stripes symbolize the town's name, Dorado; and the brown stripe represents the patron saint of Dorado, San Antonio de Padua. A brown, equal-sided triangle is placed with its base at the hoist and leads to the second stripe, inside of which are the disks in the shape of a T with the lily flowers represented with the fleur-de-lis.
Coat of arms
The Dorado coat of arms was officially adopted on March 27, 1978. Its colors are gold, silver and brown. The three towers at the top are enameled in gold with brown background for windows. The triple tower represents that Dorado is a town and a municipality.
Below the mural crown, are five disks which form a letter "T", called Tau. This represents Saint Anthony of Padua, who is associated with the lily flower. Saint Anthony of Padua is depicted with a lily, heraldically with the fleur-de-lis. They have a brown background and the lily flowers are silver because they represent the majestic Río de la Plata or Silver River which borders the town of Dorado to the east.
The golden background with the brown disks are like speaking souls. The shield directly represents the name of the town "Dorado" which means "gold" in Spanish and the brown relates to the patron saint Anthony of Padua, whose habit is brown.
Hurricane Maria
Like the rest of the island, homes in Dorado were damaged by the rain and winds of Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017.
Flood control project
In mid-2018, the United States Army Corps of Engineers announced it would be undertaking a major flood control project of a river that often causes flooding in Dorado, Río de la Plata.
Geography
Much of Dorado's geology consists of alluvial and coastal/estuarine sediments of Quaternary age and limestones of Tertiry age. The limestones are mostly in the south part of the municipality, in Espinosa, Maguayo and Rio Lajas barrios. These limestones exhibit mature karst topography of great beauty. Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has been subjected to extensive quarrying, which have left unsightly scars in the landscape. Some local communities have gathered efforts to minimize quarrying and improve land management to protect the remaining karst topography and the fauna and flora that lives in it.
Hydrography
Some of the rivers of Dorado are:
- Rivers: Río Cocal, Río Lajas, Río de la Plata and Río Nuevo.
- Mata Redonda lagoon.
- Punta Fraile marsh.
Barrios
Espinosa
Espinosa is a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,534.
Higuillar
Higuillar is a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 25,785. The Balneario Manuel “Nolo” Morales or Sardinera beach is in Higuillar.
Maguayo
Maguayo is a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,496.
Mameyal
Mameyal is a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 11.
Dorado barrio-pueblo
Dorado barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center or seat of Dorado, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 780. The central plaza or square is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of the Indies — Spanish law which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century — stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors. These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements of sun and rain. The San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church in the central plaza was built from the span of 1826 throughout July 1848 with the donated funds of Luis Canales. The earthenware on the floor and the baptistery was donated by Pedro López Canino and Basilisa Marréro in the year 1909.
Río Lajas
Río Lajas is a barrio in the municipality of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 2,559.
Tourism
In the early 20th century, the Rockefeller family purchased plots of land in the northwest region of the municipality of Dorado where they built a huge private vacation compound. Laurance Rockefeller would later use this land to create Dorado Beach Hotel and Golf Club, which later became the Dorado Beach Hyatt Hotel which closed in 2007. Dorado Beach Hotel became a Ritz Carlton hotel in 2012, which got the top spot in the 2019 Condé Naste Readers' Choice Top 50 Resorts in The Caribbean and No. 14 in The Best Resorts in the World.
Dorado has long been known as a golf haven. Its tourist industry includes the Dorado Beach Resort Ritz-Carlton Reserve & Plantation, Hyatt Hacienda del Mar and Embassy Suites in the Dorado Del Mar neighborhood. As of 2014, there are three operating golf courses in the municipality, the Dorado Beach East Course, Plantation Sugarcane Course and Plantation Pineapple Course. The Dorado del Mar course closed in 2014.
Dorado Beach Resort
According to its website, nestled on Puerto Rico’s lush and luxurious coastline, the re-creation of Dorado Beach blends the majesty of its natural setting and the richness of its 50-year heritage into a unique Caribbean beach resort designed to be explored and treasured. Part of the TPC Network since spring 2015, TPC Dorado Beach is home to world-class Caribbean golf courses including the East Course, home to the 2015 PGA Tour Latinoamerica Tour Championship and named #1 Golf Course in Puerto Rico by Golf Digest in 2016.
The classic seaside East Course with a modern championship layout will challenge players of all skill levels. Panoramic sightlines of the ocean, bunkers filled with native beach sand and smooth greens make this course a formidable experience. As the more challenging course of the two, Sugarcane features larger fairways, more forced carries, and deeper bunkers. With breathtaking lakes and rivers throughout, this hidden gem offers a new and refreshing golf experience. TPC Dorado Beach now offers golf board rentals! Constructed like a surfboard with wheels, this is a fun way to move around the golf course more freely.
Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is now one of the most exclusive Caribbean luxury resorts in Puerto Rico inspired by the memorable vacation experiences. Its remoteness, discreet individualized service and deep respect for the environment distinguish it from other ultra luxury resorts by allowing extraordinary moments to unfold in the most unexpected ways — breakfast paired with an ocean breeze, a chance to explore life underwater while the outside world sleeps, a private session with the spa’s traditional healer and your personal Embajador awaiting your arrival.
The Watermill is an aquatic playground that offers a immersive water experience fashioned after a traditional Puerto Rican sugar mill. A remarkable way to spend your afternoon. With two exhilarating 30-foot water slides, a winding lazy river with wave machine and multiple swimming pools, The Watermill is designed for all ages.
With memorable experiences and world-class instructors, Goodwinds Water Sports offers an environment that is inviting, family friendly, and exhilarating. You’ll experience the finest in aquatic activities on a beach solely dedicated to watersports. Goodwinds has one of the most extensive water sports programs in Puerto Rico offering a wide array of short courses and experiences, as well as instructional programs for kids and adults. Lessons and instructor trainings have been designed by Olympic windsurfer and co-owner of Goodwinds, Karla Barrera and husband Phil Morstad, who is Goodwinds’s head instructor with years of teaching and competitive experience. Goodwinds has something for everyone — kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing, sailing, paddle boarding, snorkeling and more.
West Beach is home to Encanto Beach Club, a private beach with a large ocean view pool and open-air beachfront dining. This beachside getaway features a large family pool with bubble beds, lap pool and shady poolside cabanas.
West Beach is a chain of golden sand crescents, protected by coral reefs that create tide pools for exploring, with peaceful lagoons for swimming and snorkeling. This is the remarkably lush beach that attracted Rockefeller to Dorado Beach. Steps away, a stunning selection of the ultra-luxe West Beach beachfront residences are tucked just below the shade of swaying palms.
Inspired by nature to impart a holistic sense of well-being, this sanctuary pairs local ingredients with soothing indigenous traditions performed in the most unique of spa settings for a full sensory experience. Spa Botánico is a place to savor. Take a day to discover the spa's enchantment and your own inner sanctuary. Massages, facials and body treatments take place in highly appointed spa pavilions. Couple’s pavilions are designed for the romantics at heart where you can steam and bathe in private gardens. Enjoy a tree house massage in the breezy canopy of tropical trees.
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