West region · Puerto Rico
Mayagüez
~70 mi from San JuanCoastal
Mayagüez is a coastal city on the center of Puerto Rico’s western coast, about 70 miles from San Juan. Founded in 1760 as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez, it is the fifth-largest town on the island by land area, with a population of 70,828 across 77.6 square miles.
It carries several historic nicknames (La Sultana del Oeste, Ciudad de las Aguas Puras, and Ciudad del Mangó), and in 1894 the Spanish Crown granted it the formal title of Excelente Ciudad de Mayagüez.
For visitors
- Hiking
- Beaches and water
- Eat and drink
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in the largest city of the western region, with its own metropolitan area and long-established urban history dating to the 18th century.Living in Mayagüez: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- West
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~70 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 70,828 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1760
- Median rent
- $484/mo
- Median income
- $18,295/yr
- Area
- 77.6 sq mi (201.0 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Virgin of Candelaria · February 2
- Guide spots
- 4
- Stories, last 30 days
- 24
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Mayagüez
Road closures in Mayagüez
No closures reported in Mayagüez as of 12:02 AM AST on Sun, Nov 15.
Water rationing in Mayagüez
No rationing plan names Mayagüez. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 14. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector
Power outages in Mayagüez
4 sectors out on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 14, among the 10 towns with the most interruptions. Mayagüez was on that list on 3 of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
News from Mayagüez
Latest stories
Mayagüez Man Jailed Over Machete Attack on 54-Year-Old
Trans Man George López Díaz, 39, Identified as Man Shot Dead in Mayagüez
Puerto Rico Labor and Economic Development Departments Hold Mayagüez Job Fair for Displaced Restaurant Workers
UPR Mayagüez Professor Wins $278,000 NSF Grant for Water Desalination Research
PPD Rep. Lilibeth Rosas Says Governor Has Stalled Mayagüez Road and Lighting Fixes
Our analysis
- Grid Watch · Last weekAbout 368 Customers Out on a Typical Morning
- Weekend Watch · EarlierPuerto Rico This Weekend: Seven Events and Dive at Mayagüez
- Town of the Week · EarlierAñasco, Where Rent Runs 8% Above the Median Town
Things to do in Mayagüez
On the Water
Mayagüez
Mayagüez is a west-coast port city used as a base for diving along the edge of the island shelf. The sites lie sheltered from the trade winds, which keeps conditions comparatively calm, and visibility typically runs 40 to 60 feet. Boats also leave from here for trips out to Desecheo. Diving is possible year-round, with the calmest seas from May through October. The tide is modest, moving only about half a foot, so timing matters less than the season when planning a day on the water.
Desecheo Island
Desecheo Island is an uninhabited island in the Mona Passage off Mayagüez, managed as a U.S. Fish & Wildlife refuge. Old military ordnance keeps the land closed, so all the activity is in the surrounding water, reached only by boat. Divers and snorkelers find open-ocean fish and visibility of 80–100 ft, with sharks, rays and turtles among the sightings. The crossing is most reliable from November to April, when the Mona Passage is calm enough to make the trip. Day trips depart from Rincón and Aguadilla.
Mona Island / Mona Passage
Mona Island is an uninhabited island in the Mona Passage, run as a nature reserve by Puerto Rico's natural resources department (DRNA). Diving here is open-ocean: visibility runs 100–150 ft, and divers can encounter sharks, sea turtles and largely untouched coral. February through April is the best window for diving because the crossing is calmest. Reaching the island means going by private boat or on a licensed trip from Cabo Rojo. Landing and camping both require a DRNA permit, and camping is allowed only from May to November.
Eat & Drink
Brazo Gitano Franco
Brazo gitano, the rolled sponge cake
Brazo Gitano Franco is a Mayagüez bakery devoted to the brazo gitano, a rolled sponge cake with Spanish roots. The business began in the city in 1850 as a chocolate maker, and the cake recipe came with Enrique Franco, who brought it from Andalusia. The shop's own claim is that a trip to Mayagüez isn't complete until you have stopped here, which makes it a traditional place to pick up the cake it is named for.
Outdoors and sports
On the water in Mayagüez
All conditions- DiveFairMayagüez2.8 ft seas
- DiveRoughDesecheo Island4.9 ft seas
- DiveRoughMona Island / Mona Passage5.1 ft seas
Open-Meteo marine forecast for 12:00 AM AST
On the water near Mayagüez
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Mayagüez or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Sailing
- MayagüezAnchorage, 7 to 12 ft, 1.2 miles south of the terminal · 2 mi away
- Puerto Real (Cabo Rojo)Anchorage, basin 6 to 15 ft · 10 mi away
- Diving7 near
- Tourmaline ReefDive site, to 33 ft · in Mayagüez
- CandylandDive site, 40–80 ft · in Mayagüez
- Desecheo IslandDive site · in Mayagüez
Trails in and near Mayagüez
No trail we list starts in Mayagüez. The nearest four are within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- In Cabo Rojo, 4 mi awayCaminos de Monte Pirata Cabo RojoModerate 3.5 mi each way, 3 h 5 min to 4 h 35 minPirate Mountain paths, Cabo RojoWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve, Cabo Rojo, 11 mi awayPunta GuaniquillaModerate 1.6 mi each way, 1 h 25 min to 2 h 5 minGuaniquilla PointWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve, Cabo Rojo, 12 mi awayGuaniquilla Point LoopModerate 1.8 mi loop, 45 min to 1 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve, Cabo Rojo, 12 mi awayCamino Túnel de GuaniquillaModerate 1.6 mi each way, 1 h 20 min to 2 h 5 minGuaniquilla tunnel pathWalk inCommunity-mappedTunnel
Sports in Mayagüez
- Winter leagueIndios de Mayagüez 3-6Next: Sun Nov 15, time TBA at CarolinaLast: Nov 14: Won 5-2 at San Juan
Local results
- Caguas Criollos Acquire Outfielder Danny Ortiz in Trade with MayagüezNov 14
- 13–3Criollos de Caguas Beat Indios 13-3 for Fifth Win of LBPRC SeasonNov 14
- 4–3Reimer Leads Leones de Ponce Past Indios de Mayagüez 4-3Nov 12
- 8–4Ponce Routs San Juan 8-4 Despite Jiménez Grand Slam; Caguas Beats Mayagüez 9-2Nov 9
The winter league The island scoreboard
Data © MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Mayagüez
- RCC 417Transfer $1,496,886.02 to Mayagüez MunicipalityPassed a chamber, Nov 2
- RS 638Extend Senate Committee on Housing and Social Welfare Reporting DeadlinePassed a chamber, Oct 29
- RCS 225Establish Offices for Puerto Rico Background Check Program in Aguadilla and MayagüezIn committee, Oct 22
- RCC 62Order Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority for Efficient Street LightingVetoed, Oct 16
- RC 61Investigation of Roads and Highways in Mayagüez and San GermánPassed a chamber, Sep 22
Recovery money in Mayagüez
$107 million committed by FEMA to 216 projects filed under Mayagüez since 2001: $1,510 per resident, 53rd of 78 towns.
Every project located in Mayagüez, the island-wide agencies’ included
19% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $123 million of the $655 million committed.
19%31.5% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $19 million of $60.4 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
31.5%- Building and Equipment-Specialized Project (Donor)Public buildings$11.2 million
- MARIA/FIONA - MMAY009 - Teatro YaguezPublic buildings$9.9 million
- Debris Alternative ProceduresDebris removal$9.3 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Debris Alternative Procedures$9.3M of $9.3M100%
- Project PW-00011$3.2M of $3.2M100%
- Debris removal$3.1M of $3.1M100%
- Leclerc Roads$725K of $2.9M25%
Every town and the island-wide agencies
FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.
Living in Mayagüez
Crime in Mayagüez
86 violent crimes and 11 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Mayagüez, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 12.8 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-lowest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 11 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 86 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 174 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 12.8
Flood zones in Mayagüez
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Mayagüez
Phone alerts for Mayagüez
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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