Ponce Travel Guide

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Ponce

Catholic Church, Ponce © www.elyunque.com

Lying a few miles inland in the centre of Puerto Rico's south coast, the attractive city of Ponce is rich in Spanish colonial heritage and architecture with a well-preserved 17th century historic heart. Pretty colonial homes and majestic churches surround the lovely city plazas where fountains play.

The preservation of its neo-classical architectural heritage and several interesting attractions makes Ponce a worthy port of call for Caribbean cruisers and holidaymakers. The city has a busy port: the nearby Playa de Ponce Port is Puerto Rico's principal trade port. Tobacco, coffee, rum and sugar cane from all over the Caribbean are loaded aboard vessels here, and floods of sightseers are disgorged regularly from an increasing number of cruise liners that have added Ponce to their itineraries.

The city, dubbed 'the pearl of the south', also offers some interesting excursions and a short drive out of town is the lovely white sandy Playa de Ponce where the clear waters are good for snorkelling. The city's built-up beachfront promenade area, a few miles south of the centre, is called La Guancha. The boardwalks, bars, souvenir shops, restaurants and snackeries surround hundreds of yachts and small boats moored in a saltwater estuary, and the area becomes very crowded with locals and visitors at weekends and holiday periods.

Attractions

Castillo Serralles

Perched above the city on El Vigia Hill is the restored residence of the Serralles rum-producing family. The multi-level Spanish-revival hacienda, designed by Pedro de Castro, is a beautiful example of the island's 1920/30s architecture. The house surrounds an elegant courtyard featuring fountains and... see full details

Museum of Puerto Rico Music

This museum is dedicated to documenting the rich tapestry of the island's music history and pays tribute to Puerto Rican musicians. It explains the significance of the romantic 'danza' music style, and the African-inspired popular forms of 'bomba' and 'plenza'. The museum features displays... see full details

Parque de Bombas Fire Station

A unique attraction on the central Plaza de las Delicias is the unusual Ponce fire station, a landmark wooden building painted in black and red stripes. The firehouse was built in 1882 and was tested to its limits just a year later when... see full details

Ponce Art Museum

The 'Museo de Arte de Ponce' contains the largest art collection in the Caribbean, housed in a building designed by Edward Durrell Stone, who designed the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The impressive building is comprised of seven interconnected hexagons topped with... see full details

Excursions

Coffin Island

At weekends a ferry carries visitors from the pier at La Guancha on the Ponce waterfront to Coffin Island, a tiny uninhabited island five miles south of the city, where there are pristine beaches and a marked snorkelling trail. Visitors can also explore... see full details

Tibes Indian Ceremonial Center

This ancient Indian site, still being excavated, is one of the most important archaeological sites in the West Indies. Apart from an ancient cemetery, it also features the remains of seven courts used by the Igneri (pre-Taino) people for a football-like game, two dance... see full details

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