Canóvanas (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈnoβanas], locally [kaˈnoβanaʔ]) is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico, located in the northeastern region, north of Juncos and Las Piedras; south of Loíza; east of Carolina; and west of Río Grande.

[2] The region was led by cacique Canobaná, from which the actual name is derived, in the south half, and female Cacica Loaiza in the north (mostly modern day Loíza).

During the Spanish colonization, the region of Canóvanas was granted to Miguel Díaz, who turned the Taíno yucayeque into a ranch.

As a result of the transfer, land was acquired to build a new city hall, a town square, a slaughterhouse, and a cemetery.

A 20-acre (8.1 ha) plot of land was purchased by Don Luis Hernaiz Veronne, a townhall senator and local farmer.

[4] Like other nearby towns, the proximity of Canóvanas to the capital, San Juan, has allowed extraordinary urban and commercial development in the region.

It is bordered by the municipalities of Loíza, Río Grande, Las Piedras, Juncos, Gurabo, and Carolina.

[8] Canóvanas combines flat alluvial plains in the center and north, areas with both gentle hills and rugged, deeply dissected mountainous areas made up of volcaniclastic rocks (lava flows and exposed intrusive igneous rocks) to the southeast and south.

The Cuchilla de Santa Inés, a karstic limestone hill (mogote) with an elevation of 328 feet, rises from coastal sediments on the northeast of the municipality near San Isidro, while the Cuchilla El Asomante lies at the south with elevations that range from 656 to 2,296 feet.

On the southeast, Canóvanas features portions of the Sierra de Luquillo mountain range, with the Cerro El Negro being the tallest peak in the municipality at 2,592 feet.

The residence, which was built around 1931, houses a museum dedicated to the life of Jesús T. Piñero, first Puerto Rican governor of the island.

[33] In recent years, Canóvanas economy has shifted to commerce and industry, supplemented by the production of fresh milk.

Canóvanas is referred to as "The Door to the East" due to its location on the eastern edge of the San Juan Metropolitan Area sprawl, and its proximity to the northeast region of Puerto Rico.

del Pilar is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.

The Indios de Canóvanas, of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, won the championship two years in a row (1983–1984) and reached the finals in 1988.

[36] The Indias of Canóvanas team, from the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, also won a number of championships.

She is the daughter of long-serving former Mayor Jose "Chemo" Soto, who distinguished himself for his eccentricities in clothing,[38] and for successfully using the urban legend of the Chupacabra to promote the city.

[41] The flag of Canóvanas features a purple background with a wide yellow band across, and the town's coat of arms in the center.

The laurels are a symbol of the 23 consecutive wins achieved by the Loíza Indians basketball team, establishing a record in Puerto Rico, also represented by the basket in the middle.

The rising sun, with its sixteen rays of light, indicate the sprouting of a new municipality in Puerto Rico and the number of incumbent mayors before Canóvanas was separated from Loíza.

Canóvanas is also known as the "City of Races", because of the Hipódromo Camarero, and the "Town of the Chupacabras" because of the alleged sightings of the creature, and the beliefs in it of former mayor, José Chemo Soto.

Canovanas is reasonably close to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina and to the Port of San Juan.

[45] Canóvanas, Puerto Rico The Cradle of The Indians by Greg Boudonck, Translated by Maria Ruiz O'Farrill