History

Ceiba was founded on April 7, 1838 by Luis de la Cruz. Ceiba derives its name from an Indian word Seyba, which is the name for a famous tree that grows in the island, the Ceiba Pentandra.

Flag
Ceiba's flag derives its design and colors from the municipal coat of arms. This maintains the same symbolism given to the coat of arms. It is made of two vertical lines of the same width, red in the left side and green on the right. The red side depicts a yellow cross.

Coat of Arms
It depicts a shield with golden field with a Ceiba tree in the middle. In the upper part of the shield it has a red horizontal line with a golden cross in the middle and two golden flowers in each side. The cross symbolizes the Christian faith as well as a recognition to Don Luis de la Cruz who founded the town. The golden flowers represent sugar cane flowers. Above the shield there is a golden Spanish fort.

Barrios (Districts/Wards)

• Chupacallos
• Daguao
• Guayacán
• Machos
• Quebrada Seca
• Río Abajo
• Saco

Geo/Topography
Ceiba is home of the Ceiba Forest (787) which extends along the coastline between Ceiba and Fajardo. 95% of the forest is classified as mangrove. Various species of birds can be seen as well as turtles and manatees.

Its rivers includes: Daguao, Demajaguas and Fajardo

Ravines are Aguas Claras and Sacos.

Industrial
Manufacturing (plywood, apparell, hardware products).

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

• Ceiba Historic Mural
• Los Machos Beach
• Medio Mundo Beach
• Roosevelt Roads Base

Festivals and events

• Enamorado (Lovers) Marathon - February
• Marlin Festival - May - June
• Patron Festivities - June
• Fiesta Nacional de la Raza (Race) - October
• Pavo (Turkey) Marathon - November

Sports

Former IBF world Jr. Middleweight boxing champion Carlos Santos hails from Ceiba.

Notable "Ceibeños"

• Felisa Rincón de Gautier - former San Juan Mayor
• Luis Vigoreaux - Actor, producer & animator

Additional Information

Religious outlook: As in most towns of Puerto Rico it was founded on the Christian ideas and faith statements of the Catholic church which prevailed in previous centuries through spaniard tradition. The town still maintains a central Catholic church which can be found in the town square. Today, protestants make up most of the proclaimed christians in the town with almost a 100 small churches scattered among the different wards.

Patron Saint: San Antonio de Padua

Traditional Catholic Church: Parroquia San Antonio de Padua Apartado 77 Ceiba, P.R. 00735 Tel. (787) 885-2530

Ceiba, Puerto Rico. (2006, October 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:18, October 17, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ceiba%2C_Puerto_Rico&oldid=79129302