landmark
Old San Juan
A vibrant walled colonial city with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, two massive Spanish fortresses, and 500 years of history.
16 km · about 30 min drive
North AmericaPuerto RicoDorado
Dorado
Dorado, Puerto Rico · North America
About Dorado
Dorado is worth a stop: 5 minutes from San Antonio, 47km from Ruta Panorámica.
Dorado is in Puerto Rico, with about 13,000 people. The nearest town is San Antonio, about 4 km away.
Dorado (Spanish pronunciation: [doˈɾaðo]) is a town and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, 15 miles (24 km) 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 fiveRead more
barrios and Dorado Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area.
During the early 18th century, there were already mentions of a "Sitio de Dorado" in some San Juan registers. Since the beginning of the Spanish colonial period and until 1831, Dorado existed as a barrio (a type of sub-municipal ward) of the municipality of Toa Baja. Over several years, the ward grew and established its own town center called the "new town" (pueblo nuevo) to differentiate itself from Toa Baja, which became known as the "old town" (pueblo viejo). Over several years, the barrios that currently make up Dorado grew and the people of the pueblo nuevo 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 were 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 1902, four years after the Spanish–American War, Dorado was again appended to Toa Baja. But in 1905 it regained its status as a separate town. Nowadays, Dorado has upscale neighborhoods and a small downtown area with a plaza (main 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Dorado?
Within an hour or so of Dorado: Old San Juan (16 km), Cueva Ventana (46 km), Ruta Panorámica (47 km), El Yunque National Forest (54 km).
Are there any good drives near Dorado?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta Panorámica.
Where is Dorado?
Dorado is in Dorado, Puerto Rico, about 4 km from San Antonio.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 13,117
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Puerto Rico
- Region
- Dorado
- Timezone
- America/Puerto_Rico
- Coordinates
- 18.4588, -66.2677
Tags
Worth the detour from Dorado
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
photogenic
Cueva Ventana
A limestone cave in Arecibo whose far opening frames the Río Grande de Arecibo valley like a window: a short guided walk from the road to one of Puerto Rico's most photographed viewpoints.
46 km · about 55 min drive
famous road
Ruta Panorámica
A 269 km chain of about 40 narrow secondary roads running the length of Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central from Mayagüez to Maunabo, built in the early 1970s purely for the mountain views and lechoneras along it.
47 km · about 55 min drive
national park
El Yunque National Forest
The only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System, featuring cascading waterfalls, misty peaks, and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot.
54 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Dorado
- 47 kmRuta PanorámicaA 269 km chain of about 40 narrow secondary roads running the length of Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central from Mayagüez to Maunabo, built in the early 1970s purely for the mountain views and lechoneras along it.
- 73 kmGuajataca TunnelA 1904 railroad tunnel cut through the coastal cliff between Isabela and Quebradillas, now a walkable public monument opening onto a wild Atlantic cove and the mouth of the Guajataca canyon.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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