[1][4][5][6] Manatí barrio-pueblo is where the central plaza, the municipal buildings (city hall), and a Catholic church are located.

Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year.

These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.

[12] Located across the central plaza in Manatí barrio-pueblo is the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y San Matías Apostol[14] which was built in 1729 and renovated many times since.

In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico in 1899 finding that the population of Manatí Pueblo was 4,494.