1938 Map of Cabo Rojo

About this map

Cabo Rojo forms the dramatic southern terminus of this 1930s coastal survey, where the land narrows between the turquoise waters of Bahia Salinas and Bahia Sucia. The map detail captures a landscape defined by its jagged limestone coastline and seasonal salt flats, showing the transition from the Caribbean shore to the rising slopes of Sierra Bermeja and Peñones de Melones. Inland, the settlement pattern is sparse, centered around the village of Las Palmas and local education at the Escuela Sebastian Pabon Alvarado. Numerous coastal points, including Pta Aguila and Pta Jaguey, mark the intricate topography of the peninsula. This era of mapping, completed under Commissioner Jose E. Colom, records the region before modern development, preserving the original track and trail network that connected these remote southwestern Puerto Rican communities.