Comerío
Comerío is a mountain town and municipality of Puerto Rico in the center-eastern region of the Cordillera Central. The Cordillera Central is the mountain range that crosses Puerto Rico from east to west.
Understand
Comerío is one of the municipalities in "La Montaña", the mountain. It is a small town divided into 9 barrios, including the barrio referred to as "Pueblo" with the municipal buildings, a Roman Catholic church, and a main recreational plaza. Pueblo is the historical and administrative center of Comerío and its architecture is influenced by 19th century Spain, which settled the area. The plaza in the pueblo is surrounded by small shops and is where festivals are held.
A large river, Río La Plata, flows through the Pueblo giving Comerío its nickname “the Pearl of La Plata”. Its tributaries are the Hondo and Arroyata rivers. Smaller waterways, called "quebradas" in Spanish, such as Convento, Piña, Prieta, Cándida, Tigre, Naranjo, Ollas and Jagüita are located in Comerío, as well.
Get in
- San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
- Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport
- Ponce: Mercedita Airport
By car
There are three possible routes into Comerío from San Juan International Airport, each taking about one hour.
Get around
A word of caution: if driving you are sharing the road with trucks, and locals. The mountain roads have steep descents and ascents, hairpin turns, and steep cliff drops are not always protected by railing. The roads may look like one-lane highways but are made to handle two-lane traffic.
The four main roads in Comerío are PR-156, PR-167, PR-172 and PR-779.
See
- 🌍 Comerío Pueblo (downtown Comerío). See the historic Roman Catholic church, Spanish-style recreational plaza, and the municipal buildings surrounded by streets and shops.
You can drive around the pueblo or park your car and walk around the square and into the plaza. The Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for celebrations and festivities. - 🌍 Río Hondo (Hondo River). Río Hondo is a tributary of Río la Plata. It is a scenic river with falls and swimming holes.
- 🌍 Alcaldía de Comerío (Comerío Town Hall), 11 Cll José De Diego, ☏ +1 787-875-3445. 8AM - 4PM. historic landmark, the town hall of Comerío.
- 🌍 Puente Nº 341, Km 34.7 on PR-156 in Barrio Palomas. The bridge was completed in 1908 and is located near a modern bridge at Km 34.7 on PR-156 near the exit towards Bayamón. It is a well-preserved bridge, 20.5 meters long and around 14 feet over the Higuera Quebrada. It was fabricated by American Bridge Company and erected by Groton Bridge Company.
Do
- 🌍 Cuevas de Mora, Barrio Vega Redonda, Sector La Mora, ☏ +1 787-875-3445. In this cave visitors can see petroglyphs created by the indigenous Taíno thousands of years ago. For safety and convenience, the cave is best explored with the help of a local tour guide.
- 🌍 Holy Christ the Healer patronal festival (Fiestas Patronales Santo Cristo de la Salud), ☏ +1 787-875-3445. Comerío's annual patronal festival is held in early August and features amusement rides, food, and live entertainment.
Eat
- 🌍 Yavo Bar &Grill, Carr. 156, Km 35.2, Sector Las Nereidas, ☏ +1 787 875-7458. Yayo Bar & Grill is part of Comerío's Gastronomic Route. It features a menu with local favorites, a pool table and a beautiful view of the river. The menu items include churrasco, mofongo, burgers, fried fish, steak and more.
- 🌍 El Higüero Pizza & Restaurant, Carr. 156 km 34.6 Barrio Palomas Abajo, Sector El Higüero, ☏ +1 787-699-0020. 11AM-10PM. Restaurant and bar that serves beer, whiskey, pizzas and calzones as well as stuffed chicken breast, twice-fried platains and other local favorites.
Sleep
As Airbnb becomes more and more popular in Puerto Rico, visitors may be able to find accomodations via Airbnb in Comerío, at Hotel Media Luna or at Hacienda Margarita Hotel in nearby Barranquitas.
- 🌍 Hotel Media Luna, Carr.167 Km. 1.6 Barrio Doña Elena, Sector Media Luna, ☏ +1 939-484-2662. hotel with mountain views
- 🌍 Hacienda Margarita Hotel, Km 1.7 Calle Hacienda Margarita, PR-152, Barranquitas, ☏ +1 939-484-2662. Charming hotel with mountain views, wifi, rooms with balconies, and a pool.
- 🌍 Villa Gringo Farms, ☏ +1 787-438-0645. Luxurious, peaceful villa located in a valley with mountain views, wifi, rooms with balconies, and a pool.