Historical Overview

Quebradillas, known as 'La Guarida del Pirata' (The Pirate's Lair), is a northern coastal municipality founded in 1823 when it separated from Camuy. The town sits along the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Río Guajataca, a geography that shaped its colonial economy and gave rise to its legendary association with corsairs. Its patron saint, San Rafael Arcángel, gives the main parish its name and his attributes are reflected in the municipal escudo. For genealogical research, parish records at San Rafael Arcángel date from the town's founding in 1823, with digitized church records available through FamilySearch from 1876 onward, and civil registration beginning in 1885.

Coat of Arms

Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The coat of arms reflects the town's name and the attributes of its patron saint, the Archangel San Rafael. The shield's design incorporates imagery tied to San Rafael's role as divine healer and protector, as described in the official Notas para su Historia. The three bands and other heraldic elements draw from both the geography of the quebradas (ravines) that give the town its name and the saint's iconography.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Quebradillas has 8 barrios:

Cacao
Charcas
Cocos
Guajataca
Quebradillas barrio-pueblo
San Antonio
San José
Terranova

Neighboring Municipalities

Also check records in neighboring municipalities:

Historical Maps

Historical maps help identify barrios, boundaries, and communities as they existed in the past. Maps from the 18th and 19th centuries are preferred.

Quebradillas (2026)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line Shapefiles

Genealogy Toolkit

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Civil Records

Began in 1885

Covers births, marriages, and deaths.

⬇ Search Civil Records

Parish Records

Parish: San Rafael Arcángel

Records from 1823

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Diocesan Archive

Diocese: Diocese of Arecibo

For sacramental records not available digitally, contact the diocesan archive directly.

Diocese Website

Digital Archives

FamilySearch: Quebradillas Civil and parish records
Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records, 1645–2021 Digitized Records Broad collection of Puerto Rico Catholic baptisms, marriages, burials, confirmations, and parish censuses; includes Quebradillas parish records digitized from 1876 onward.
Quebradillas Church Marriage Records — FamilySearch Digitized Records Pre-filtered FamilySearch search for Catholic church marriage records from Quebradillas, Puerto Rico within the Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records collection.
Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 Digitized Records Civil registration births, marriages, and deaths for all Puerto Rico municipalities including Quebradillas, beginning 1885.
Cementerio Municipal de Quebradillas — Find a Grave Cemetery Index Memorial and burial index for the municipal cemetery of Quebradillas; useful as a finding aid alongside civil and church records.
FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide