1946 Map of Punta Cuchara

About this map

American Railroad of Porto Rico tracks trace the Caribbean shoreline here, connecting the coastal plains of Barrio Playa to the industrial and agricultural hubs of the mid-1940s. The landscape is defined by the transition from the steep, contoured hills of Encarnación to the low-lying wetlands and salt flats near Laguna de las Salinas. Coastal activity centers around Playa de Ponce, where the settlement meets the Mar Caribe near the U S Mil Res and the historic Hacienda Matilde. This 1943 survey captures a maritime-oriented economy just before the rapid industrialization of the postwar years, evidenced by the numerous offshore islands like Cayo Ratones and Cayo Cardona, the latter of which features a prominent Faro. The boundary between Municipio de Peñuelas and Municipio de Ponce divides the terrain where Rio Tallaboa meets the Bahía de Tallaboa.