Buenaventura Lakes: The FL community that feels like la Islita

For anyone who misses Borinquen, this place in Central Florida has captured the warmth and the unique charm of la Islita. Welcome to Buenaventura Lakes.

If Miami has Little Havana, which is home to the Cuban exile community that brought the colors, tastes, and customs of home to Florida, then Orlando has its own “Little Puerto Rico” in a charming enclave called Buenaventura Lakes. 

Hispanics, mostly Puerto Ricans, are the majority there. In fact, as of the 2010 Census, Puerto Ricans alone made up 44.5 percent of the area’s population! 

Many came—and still come—from the island. Others are New York transplants looking for a little tropical warmth. 

Here’s what you should know about the community. 

About Buenaventura Lakes

For anyone who misses Puerto Rico, this is the place to visit or live to capture the warmth of la Islita. That’s because signs of the Puerto Rican community’s vibrancy—the colors, the aromas, the sounds—are everywhere. 

Along Buenaventura Boulevard and other thoroughfares, for example, small and large businesses—car-repair shops, supermarkets, banks, restaurants that serve authentic mofongo and arroz manposteao, dance clubs, churches, and even funeral homes—cater to Boricuas and help maintain a strong sense of community. 

Goya Foods, a Hispanic-owned food company, has its Central Florida distribution center on the outskirts of Meadow Woods. Many worship in Spanish at the Catholic church Santa Catalina de Siena, and dances and bingo fill the local community center with the spirit of Borinquen. 

These are the places where, the moment people walk in, they feel as if they had stepped back on the island; the rinconcitos where they feel at home and free to speak “en arroz con habichuelas” (use Boricua expressions). 

There is even a green homage to Puerto Rico that residents and visitors can enjoy! Located on 65th Infantry Veterans Park, El Yunque Rainforest Splash Pad is a fun water feature inspired and named after Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest in the US National Forest system and a place loved by those from the island.

The fun begins when park goers press a button near the front gate to activate the water, which runs for 30 minutes. Press the button again, and the fun starts all over. The park also includes restrooms, picnic tables and benches, and a lawn for those who want to put down a blanket and catch some rays.

A splash pad named after El Yunque? Mi gente, you can’t get any more Boricua than that!

A long migration

When did Boricuas start moving to Florida? Puerto Rican migration to the Sunshine State dates to the late 19th century, when the first wave of Puerto Rican immigrants settled in the Tampa Bay area, lured by Ybor City’s tabaqueras (cigar manufacturers). 

The migration to central Florida continued in the middle of the 1980s. However, the biggest expansion of the Boricua population in the state—especially in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area—took place during the early decades of the 21st century. 

After Hurricane Maria, which occurred on September 20, 2017, Orlando took in waves of Puerto Ricans looking to start a new life in the Sunshine State. But they wanted to do it somewhere familiar, somewhere that felt like home. Many moved to suburban communities such as Buenaventura Lakes in Osceola.

The best of all worlds!

Buenaventura Lakes is more than un rinconcito Boricua located near Orlando that is known for its beautiful lakefront properties and natural Central Florida wildlife.

With its easy access to Disney World and major theme parks like Universal Studios, BVL—as its residents refer to it—is a great place for families looking for fun. But these are just a fraction of Buenaventura Lake’s many charms. 

Whether you wish to enjoy a good mofongo in a homey Puerto Rican restaurant, shop at la bodega, get your hair done in the neighborhood peluquería, or dance to the latest Latin rhythms, there are plenty of places to enjoy in and around the most Puerto Rican rinconcito in the continental US.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.