Arecibo, town in Arecibo Municipality, northern Puerto Rico, a port of entry on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Río Grande de Arecibo. It is a commercial, manufacturing, and shipping center. Products include rum, refined sugar, plastic products, machinery, and clothing. The Inter-American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo Branch (1957), Catholic University (1960), and Arecibo Technological University (1967), and a junior college are there. One of the world's largest fixed-radio telescopes is located south of the town, and several hydroelectric facilities are nearby. The community, settled in 1556, was chartered as a town in 1616. Population (1990) 93,385.
