5 Urban Legends that are from Puerto Rico
Every place in the world has their own urban legends and horror stories. This is why I wanted to talk about 5 urban legends from where I am: Puerto Rico.
5 Urban Legends from Puerto Rico
1. The Normandie Hotel
Builded on the late 1930s the Normandie Hotel is an historic building located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It opened on October 10, 1942 and closed in the 1960s. After that it has been reopened and closed multiple times until the official close in 2009. The engineer Félix Benítez Rexach meet his future wife on the French transatlantic SS Normandie. He decided to construct a structure inspired by the ship, the hotel was designed by the architect Raúl Reichard.
The legend that goes around the hotel is that on the first years of being opened a woman committed suicide by jumping of the highest floor of the hotel. Many employees and guest claimed that you can see her ghost on the halls and even hear her.
2. Guajataca’s Tunnel
The Guajataca Tunnel is a railroad tunnel that connects the towns of Isabella and Quebradilla on the north-western part of the island. The tunnel is one of the most significant structures of the national railroad that use to run around the whole island during the first half of the 20th century.
Is usual on railroads accidents to happen and this tunnel wasn’t the exception. During the first years of the train being operating a little group of people died. Even after the railroad was closed the tunnel is still opened to public where you are allowed to cross from one end to the other. Visitors claim that you can hear the voices of the victims and even feel their presence when you’re inside or close.
3. The Gargoyle
Probably one the most known legends in Puerto Rico is The Gargoyle o “La Gárgola”. He’s a creature with wings that eats animals from the mountains of the island. For years the existence of the Gargoyle has been questioned and while it doesn’t exist any strong evidence or pictures of the creature locals still believe that this creature exist and will appear and haunt again.
4. La Garita del Diablo
La Garita del Diablo or the Devil’s Sentry Box is a box that is part of El Morro, Forth San Cristóbal in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Builded with the purpose of repel enemy attacks the soldiers will remaing in the “garitas” to stood guard at night.
Of all of them one is specifically called La Garita del Diablo because of an old legend that resurged around it. The legend says that one night two soldiers in the farther garita disappeared and that the devil took them. It’s also said that because many soldiers died in the forth is usual to hear voices or see one of them.
5. Mavilla Bridge
The Mavilla Bridge located in the town of Corozal on the center of the island. The legend says that one night while returning from work Sixto Febus picked up a woman from the side of the road who was standing near the bridge. He tried talking with her but she didn’t respond until she asked to be dropped off at the cemetery. She drop off the car and he looked at her as she was walking away and noticed she was headless.