South Coast
Framed to the north by the Cordillera Central, the narrow and relatively dry southern coastal plain has only a few good beaches, but draws nature-lovers with its wildlife-rich Bosque Estatal de Guánica and Bahía de Jobos, a mangrove forest best explored on a kayak. Ponce, the island’s second-largest city, delights with its restored historic core and world-class art museum. Divers marvel at The Wall – a dramatic coastal drop-off with dozens of excellent dive sites that teem with marine life. History fans are drawn to the indigenous ceremonial site at Tibes, the time-warp sugar-processing town of Aguirre, and antique coffee plantations such as Hacienda Buena Vista.
1. Centro Ceremonial Indigena de Tibes
This pre-Columbian site in the hills north of Ponce was only unearthed in 1975, when floodwaters revealed the Taíno ruins. Guides take visitors on tours that lead past 12 bateyes – ceremonial ball courts – as well as petroglyphs and an ancient cemetery. The site was inhabited by the Igneri, a pre-Taíno tribe, and artifacts of both cultures are exhibited in a museum here, which shows a 30-minute video and displays an adult skeleton in the fetal position (for further details see Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes).
2. Museo de Arte de Ponce
More than 3,000 works of art by European masters and well-known painters from North and South America, along with Puerto Rican art spanning three centuries, are displayed at this spectacular museum. Works by Rodin, Delacroix, Gainsborough, and Puerto Rico’s foremost artists are among the permanent displays, but the museum is most famous for Lord Frederic Leighton’s eye-catching Flaming June (for further details see Museo de Arte de Ponce).
3. Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Guadalupe
This grand cathedral, with its striking, twin-spired, Neo-Classical façade, was designed by architects Francisco Porrata Doría and Francisco Gardon in the 1930s and built on the site of a building that was destroyed in the 1918 earthquake. Rising over Plaza Las Delicias, the white and duck-egg-blue church honors the city’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe. The interior boasts stained glass windows, a grandiose alabaster altar, and a huge pipe organ installed in 1934.
Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce • Open 6am–1:30pm Mon–Fri, 6am–noon & 3–8:30pm Sat–Sun
4. Bosque Estatal de Guanica
Guánica State Forest protects acres of dry deciduous forest spanning the east and west shores of Bahía Guánica. Its mosaic of habitats comprises moist and shady ravines and exposed ridges, and the flora and fauna is replete with mangrove swamps. Spanish moss and mistletoe festoon tree branches, and agaves and cacti pierce the sun-baked soils. More than 100 bird species flit among the branches, thimble-size frogs hop around underfoot, iguanas scurry about the leaf litter, and marine turtles lay their eggs in pristine sands. The forest has 36 miles (58 km) of trails.
5. Museo Antiguo Parque de Bombas
This photogenic Arabesque structure, on the east side of Plaza Las Delicias, served as the city’s fire station for over a century. Now a museum, it hosts an antique fire truck and 19th-century hand-pulled water tanks. Other exhibits poignantly recall a fire in the US Army’s artillery store in 1899 that threatened to destroy Ponce; the fire-fighters disobeyed orders to retreat and saved the city.Av Marina and Av Cristina, Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce • 787 284 3338 • Open 9am–5pm daily
6. Hacienda Buena Vista
This coffee plantation in the hills north of Ponce dates from 1833 and features an original hydraulically operated processing mill, complete with giant water wheel and water-powered turbine. The former slave quarters, storage sheds, and the owner’s house are all furnished with original 19th-century pieces. The gift shop sells coffee and preserves from fruit still grown here.Carretera 123 Km 16.8 • 787 722 5882 (Mon–Fri) • 787 284 7020 (Sat–Sun) • Open Wed–Sun • guided tours by appointment • Adm
7. Museo Castillo Serralles
This majestic Spanish Renaissance-style mansion stands atop El Vigía Hill, high above Ponce. It was built in the 1930s by the Serrallés family, owners of the Don Q rum distillery. Guided tours lead through rooms filled with hand-carved period furnishings and paintings, and a permanent exhibit explores Puerto Rico’s sugarcane and rum industries. The lush, landscaped gardens and courtyards offer panoramic vistas over Ponce.Calle Vigía 17 • 787 259 1774 • Open 9:30am–5:30pm Thu–Sun • Adm
8. The Wall
The continental shelf along Puerto Rico’s south coast plunges into an abyss that is like an underwater Grand Canyon. This drop-off – “The Wall” – extends along 22 miles (35 km) of coast between Ponce and La Parguera, and offers great diving. Beginning at a depth of just 50 ft (15 m), the steep drops and canyons, which are studded with coral formations, teem with marine life.
9. Gilligan’s Island
This uninhabited mangrove-fringed cay, named for its similarities to the island in the popular US sitcom Gilligan’s Island, lies less than half-a-mile (1 km) offshore of Bosque Estatal de Guánica. It is rimmed with beaches that dissolve into turquoise shallows where conditions are perfect for snorkeling. Restrooms and picnic tables serve day-trippers, who flock here on weekends.
10. Central Aguirre
Built around the Central Aguirre Sindicate sugar refinery near Salinas in the late 19th century, this once-thriving company town had plantation-style houses, a theater, bowling alley, hotel, hospital, and even a golf course. The company closed in 1990 and the town has since been left to decay, but its ruins serve as a legacy of a once-glorious era.
Ponce Massacre
Nationalist sentiment against US occupation boiled over on March 21, 1937 during a pro-independence rally in Ponce’s Plaza Las Delicias. When the nationalists began singing the Puerto Rican national anthem, armed police opened fire, killing 17 civilians. Two policemen were also killed in the melee, now known as the Ponce Massacre.
Walk Around Ponce
Early Morning
Begin your half-day tour at Plaza Las Delicias, where you can admire the fountain and various statues, and explore the Museo Antiguo Parque de Bombas and Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe. Stroll around the plaza’s perimeter to admire the 1847 town hall on the south side, and Romanesque 1899 Casa Armstrong Proventud on the west. Turn south along Calle Marina for the Casa de la Masacre de Ponce. This lovely colonial structure is now a museum honoring the 17 nationalists killed by police during the 1937 demonstration. Retrace your steps to Plaza Las Delicias and turn right onto Calle Cristina. Walk down a block to admire the imposing Neo-Classical Teatro la Perla, erected in 1941.
Mid-Morning
One block further east, turn left onto Calle Salud. Ahead, on the southeast corner of Calle Isabel, and peruse the Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña. This museum is housed in an exquisite Art Nouveau building and displays fine exhibits tracing Puerto Rican music through the centuries. Walk west along Calle Isabel to the Museo de la História de Ponce, which features a scale model of the city among its historical exhibits. Continue to walk west along Calle Isabel to the Ramada Ponce Hotel for a gourmet lunch at the renowned Lola restaurant. Don’t forget to leave room for ice cream at King’s Cream.
Best of the Rest
1. La Cruz de Vigia
This giant hilltop cross soars 98 ft (30 m) and has an observation tower offering fabulous views over Ponce.Calle El Vigía Final • Open 9:30am–5pm Tue–Thu, 9:30am–5:30pm Fri–Sun
2. Museo de la Historia de Ponce
The museum’s exhibits trace the history of Ponce from the 17th century to the present day.Calle Isabel 53 • 787 844 7071 • Open 9am–4pm Tue–Sun
3. Casa de la Masacre de Ponce
Former headquarters of the Nationalist Party, this colonial structure was the site of a massacre by police in 1937 (for further details see Ponce Massacre).Calle Marina & Calle Aurora • 787 844 9722 • Open 8am–4:30pm Wed–Sun
4. Teatro la Perla
This grandiose Neo-Classical theater (1941) features a balcony supported by Corinthian columns.Calle Cristina & Calle Mayor • 787 843 4080 • Guided tours: 8am–noon & 1–4:30pm Mon–Fri • Adm
5. Museo de la Musica Puertorriquena
Browse through traditional Taíno, Spanish, and African musical instruments displayed at this museum, which is housed in a pink building.Calle Salud, Ponce • 787 848 7016 • Open 8am–4:30pm Wed–Sun
6. Guanica
US marines landed at this seaport during the Spanish-American war in 1898. A memorial recalls the event.
7. Isla Caja de Muertos
This nature preserve protects endemic species and is popular for its beaches and great snorkeling conditions.
Island Ventures • 787 842 8546
8. Reserva Nacional Bahia de Jobos
A kayak trail leads you through these mangrove forests, which teem with wildlife.Carretera 705 Km 2.3 • 787 853 4617 • Open 9am–4pm
9. Museo Antigua Aduana
This former Customs House is now a museum dedicated to Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse code.Calle Morse 65, Arroyo • 787 839 8096 • Open 8am–4:30pm Wed–Sun
10. Banos de Coamo
Many believe in the healing properties of these thermal mineral waters, and often bathe here.Carretera 546 Km 1, Coamo • 787 825 1150 • Open 10am–5pm • Adm
