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Vega Alta.- Beyond the coastal scenery that enraptures those who visit the “town of los maceteros”, there is a rich variety of attractions that make this destination worth visiting. Full of interesting adventures, Vega Alta is ready to receive both locals and tourists.

Vega Alta offers diverse spaces for those passionate about history, art, and gastronomy. Nestled in the northern plains, this town features a large variety of recreational activities.

One of the more popular locations for visitors to this town founded in 1775, is Galería Lin-Manuel Miranda, a fascinating gallery that compiles the trajectory of the award-winning composer, actor and playwright, who has vegalteño roots.

The gallery —located downtown— features three rooms containing photos, awards, and a journey through the life of the talented artist, who created and starred in the successful Broadway musicals “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.”

“We don’t present him as the star here, but as the grandson of don Güisin Miranda. The gallery showcases him from his family’s perspective, because this is a space of the townspeople, for the townspeople. That’s why we have childhood photos of him with his family, as well as awards from when he was still in grade school,” explained Cristal del Mar Ramírez Escalera, a visual artist who works as a guide.

“We have elements from his early collaborations, all the way up to things we collected from his major works, those being “In the Heights” and “Hamilton.” In addition, some objects from his most recent works in television and the latest Disney movies, including Moana and Encanto, are being shown” explained the artist, who is a graduate of the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico.

The first room is a fan tribute through an art exhibition, inspired by Lin-Manuel’s works.

“There’s a series of works from different parts of the world, made by people of different ages, that intends to give back to Lin-Manuel some of that inspiration he offered through his work. Among these, a watercolor painting from the Netherlands, which depicts Lin-Manuel with one of the characters from his animated films, Vivo,” she said.

“We have other works from Australia, done in crochet. Also, a pencil portrait, made by a Spanish artist. The most striking piece is a portrait of Lin-Manuel with Alexander Hamilton; it is an oil painting done in chiaroscuro, a technique that was used when Hamilton was alive (1755-1804) and shows a direct comparison between these two men, at different eras, doing the same thing: writing,” she explained.

Meanwhile, the second room, which is the main room, presents “a compilation of Lin-Manuel’s career”.

“The most recent room focuses on Hamilton. There you have a timeline about the process of creating the musical, some of the Schuyler sisters’ original costumes from the musical, and one of Hamilton’s versions. You will find photos and different awards the show earned, each with specific details,” she outlined.

The gallery is adjacent to the Placita de Güisin, inspired by Lin-Manuel’s grandfather, where locals and visitors can enjoy the best of Puerto Rican cuisine and the cultural offerings exhibited in this space.

While in Vega Alta, there’s a few must-see places to visit. Among these is the Gilberto Concepción de Gracia public square, where a monument honoring this illustrious vegalteño stands. Don Gilberto Concepción de Gracia “distinguished himself as a journalist, professor, constitutional lawyer and founder of the Puerto Rican Independence Party”.

“Then we enter the Immaculate Conception church, which is dedicated to the eponymous patron saint of the town; it was completed in 1813. Afterwards, we pay a visit to the Plaza en Honor a las Despalilladoras de Tabaco. Near that square was the tobacco factory and many women worked there, while the men worked at the Carmen sugar plantation,” explained Joshua Otero Valle, who is the first municipal tour guide.

According to Otero Valle, “the demonym of ‘ñangotao’ comes from the custom of people waiting for the train, ñangotados (squatting), because there was nowhere to sit. For a long time there was also no train station; it was built years later.

“Vega Alta is also known as the town of ‘los maceteros’ because of the town’s Double A Baseball team,” he explained during the tour, which included the Sala del Deporte Vegalteño, the Ruinas de la Chimenea (Ruins of the Carmen sugar plantation chimney) and “the Javier Calderón Nieves National Park, which is the Cerro Gordo Public Beach,” among other points of interest.

The beach is a local favorite, since it provides spaces and facilities to enjoy with family and to do different activities, such as swimming, walking or cycling.