Kuyambira Columbus mpaka Ponce de León
Pamene Christopher Columbus anafika ku Puerto Rico m'chaka cha 1493, sanakhalenso. Ndipotu, anakhala masiku ambiri masiku ano, akunena chilumbachi ku Spain, akuchiritsa San Juan Bautista (Yohane Woyera wa Baptisti), ndikupita kumalo odyetserako ziweto.
Wina angathe kulingalira zomwe chilumba cha chilumbachi chinalingalira zonsezi. Amwenye a ku Taíno, omwe anali anthu apamwamba kwambiri omwe anali ndi ulimi wamakono, akhala akukhala pachilumbachi kwa zaka mazana ambiri; iwo amatcha Borikén (lero, Boriquen akadali chizindikiro cha mbadwa ya Puerto Rico).
Adzatsalira kuti aganizire zochita za Columbus kwa zaka zingapo, monga momwe akatswiri ofufuza anthu a ku Spain ndi anthu ogonjetsa adaniwo ananyalanyaza chilumbachi popitirizabe kugonjetsa dziko latsopano.
Ponce de León
Kenako, mu 1508, Juan Ponce de León ndi gulu la amuna 50 anadza pachilumbacho ndipo anakhazikitsa tauni ya Caparra pamphepete mwa nyanja. Nthawi yomweyo anapeza malo abwino kwambiri okhala ndi malo ake omwe anali atangoyamba kumene, malo omwe anali ndi doko labwino kwambiri lomwe anawatcha Puerto Rico, kapena Rich Port. Izi zikanakhala dzina la chilumba pomwe tawuniyi idatchedwanso San Juan .
Pokhala kazembe wa gawo latsopano, Juan Ponce de León anathandizira kukhazikitsa maziko a chilumba chatsopano pachilumbacho, koma, monga Columbus, sanamamatire kuti azisangalala nawo. Pambuyo pa zaka zinayi zokha, Ponce de León anachoka ku Puerto Rico kuti akalandire maloto amene amadziwika nawo kwambiri: "kasupe waunyamata." Kusaka kwake kosakhoza kufa kunamutengera ku Florida, kumene iye anamwalira.
Banja lake, komabe, linapitiriza kukhala ku Puerto Rico ndipo linakula bwino limodzi ndi dera limene kholo lawo linakhazikitsidwa.
Koma Taíno, sizinali bwino. Mu 1511, iwo anapandukira a ku Spain atazindikira kuti anthu akunja sanali milungu, monga momwe adakayikira poyamba. Iwo sankatsutsana ndi asilikali a ku Spain, ndipo pamene chiŵerengero chawo chinachepa chifukwa cha chitsanzo chodziwika cha kugonjetsedwa ndi kukwatirana, ntchito yatsopano inatumizidwa kuti ikhale m'malo mwawo: Akapolo a ku Africa anayamba kufika mu 1513.
Iwo adzakhala gawo lalikulu la chikhalidwe cha Puerto Rico.
Mavuto Oyambirira
Ku Puerto Rico kunali kosavuta komanso kovuta. Pofika mu 1521, panali anthu 300 okhala pachilumbachi, ndipo chiwerengero chimenecho chinafika pa 2,500 pokhapokha mwa 1590. Izi zinali chabe chifukwa cha zovuta zapangidwe za kukhazikitsidwa koloni yatsopano; Cholinga chachikulu cha chitukuko chake chosauka chimaikidwa podziwa kuti ndi malo osauka okhalamo. Mayiko ena mu New World anali minda golide ndi siliva; Puerto Rico analibe mwayi woterewu.
Komabe, panali akuluakulu awiri omwe anaona kufunika kwa kanyumba kakang'ono kameneka ku Caribbean. Tchalitchi cha Roma Katolika chinakhazikitsa diocese ku Puerto Rico (inali imodzi mwa atatu okha ku America panthawiyo) ndipo, mu 1512, anatumiza Alonso Manso, Canon ya Salamanca, ku chilumbachi. Iye anakhala bishopu woyamba kubwera ku America. Tchalitchi chinathandiza kwambiri popanga Puerto Rico: idamanga mipingo yakale kwambiri ku America pano, komanso sukulu yoyamba yophunzirira maphunziro apamwamba. Pambuyo pake, Puerto Rico idzakhala likulu la Tchalitchi cha Roma Katolika ku New World. Chilumbacho chimalinso Chikatolika mpaka lero.
Gulu lina loti likhale ndi chidwi ndi coloni linali asilikali.
Ku Puerto Rico ndi likulu la mzindawu kunali malo abwino kwambiri oyendetsa sitima zapamtunda zomwe zinkabwereranso kunyumba. A Spanish ankadziwa kuti ayenera kuteteza chuma ichi, ndipo adayesetsa kulimbitsa San Juan kuti ateteze zofuna zawo.