Gurabo's history dates as far back as the 17th century, when it was actually part of
Caguas. Then, the area was known as
Burabo. By 1700, transportation, medical and economic troubles were crippling the population of the
Burabo area; traveling to Caguas' center for business and medical help was not easy and took hours. This led many of
Burabo's citizens to seek autonomy for the area. It would be long, however, before Gurabo was separated from Caguas. The separation movement was brought forward by an 1812 meeting of all 168 family leaders in Gurabo, who decided to have
Luis del Carmen Echevarría lead them in their quest for independence, based on the large number of residents in
Burabo. In 1815, Gurabo became a municipality. In 1822, the first
Catholic church in town was erected. In 1903, the first
Baptist church opened its doors in Gurabo town. Gurabo is also known as "
La Ciudad de las Escaleras", or the "City of Stairs". Located in the town center district of
El Cerro, the stairs (
step streets) are about twenty-two floors high, and they are painted in bright colors. Gurabo's mayor is
Rosachely Rivera Santana. Many people had to be rescued from floods and 489 homes were destroyed. ==Geography==