The Heritage Blog

The Heritage Blog

Colorful street in Santurce Puerto Rico, formerly San Mateo de Cangrejos, a historic free Black town

Discover Puerto Rico’s Lost Black Town

By Yohancé A. Salmon, Sr • October 10, 2025
What if Puerto Rico had a free Black town in the 1600s and nobody told you? Meet San Mateo de Cangrejos—the hidden history that refused to die.