Elegant, proud, and steeped in tradition, Ponce is one of the most attractive cities in Puerto Rico. In many ways the city still lives in the 19th century: ornate buildings line the streets, and locals seem to have a sense of hospitality from a different era. Ponce first found fame in 1511, when the city’s namesake, Juan Ponce de León, finally defeated the Taínos there. Far from the Spanish government in San Juan, the city thrived as a port for contraband goods. But in the early 1700s, ponceños transferred their resources into more legitimate business ventures and the city became an exporter of tobacco, coffee, and rum. By the mid-19th century, Ponce had the largest concentration of sugar cane on the island. When sugar diminished in importance, the city began producing other goods, including metals and textiles. Throughout their early history, ponceños remained fiercely independent—when the Americans took over in 1898, Ponce still had its own currency.
The city hit its peak at the turn of the century and by 1950, Ponce was in need of revitalization. Most of the big factories created by Operation Bootstrap (see Let the Good Times Roll) landed in the north, while Ponce continued to subsist on cement and textiles—not exactly quick money-makers. Fortunately, the government’s second goal within the Operation was to provide substantial government investment in tourism. Since the 1950s, Ponce has gradually become a cultural center: this is Old San Juan minus the tourist kitsch, plus a couple of suburban comforts. The municipal government and the Institute of Culture maintain several good museums, and nearby Hacienda Buena Vista and Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Park are among the most interesting historical sites on the island. However, the heart of the city continues to be its charming plaza; standing on a balcony overlooking the busy city center can give you an overwhelming sense that you’ve traveled back to Ponce’s glory days.
Don’t be intimidated by Ponce’s size; the city is rather easy to navigate once you get your bearings. The vast majority of sights cluster around the compact city center and Plaza las Delicias, making it feasible to get around on foot or by public transportation. Rte. 1, 10, and 14 lead toward the city center. Just south of the center, Route 163 (Avenida las Américas) is a large tree-lined street that is also a convenient landmark. Highway 2, also referred to as the Ponce Bypass, originates just east of the city, skirts around the edges, and continues toward the western half of the island. Hwy. 52 avoids the center entirely and deposits travelers on Rte. 2, west of the city. Rte. 12 connects the city center to the port area, the boardwalk, and the beach. Ponceños do their shopping at the malls along Rte. 1 and Rte. 2.
The only reason to pass up the convenient location and cheap rates of the plaza hotels, which are nicely positioned for sightseeing, is to take advantage of the El Tuque recreation complex.
Groceries and basic supplies can be found at Pueblo, Rte. 2 Ponce Bypass, in Plaza del Caribe. (☎840-4095. Western Union. Open M-Sa 6am-midnight, Su 11am-5pm. Cash only.)
Plazas Las Delicias. With an enormous fountain, a stately church, and one of the funkiest museums in Puerto Rico, Ponce’s legendary central plaza provides hours of entertainment. The first stop is the Parque de Bombas, the bright red-and-black structure on the northern side of the plaza. Featured on dozens of postcards, calendars, and tourist brochures, this unique museum serves as the unofficial symbol of Ponce and a monument to the city’s long history. Three years after a fire nearly destroyed the city in 1820, Ponce officials created Puerto Rico’s first firefighter corps, and in 1883 the fire department moved to an Arabic Pavilion on the main plaza. Fast-forward over 100 years and the city government transformed the same building into a monument to honor the many fire officials who have protected the city from countless disasters. Today the small museum contains old fire equipment, a timeline of firefighting, and portraits of famous firefighters. The highlight is the old fire engine, whose bell you can ring and siren you can sound. (☎284-3338. Open daily 9am-6pm. Free.) You can’t miss the enormous Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, behind the Parque de Bombas.The largest cathedral in Ponce was built in 1836 on the site of the city’s first church, which was constructed in 1670. There aren’t many surprises inside, but the stained-glass windows and golden altar are striking. This is a functioning Catholic church, so do not enter unless you are appropriately attired. (☎842-0134. Open M-F 6am-1pm, Sa-Su 6am-12:30pm and 3-8pm.) Across the street, at C. Unión and C. Reina, the exquisite Casa Armstrong Poventud was built in 1899 as a residence and most recently housed the offices of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. The house is currently under construction and may eventually become another museum. On the southern border of the plaza sits the beautiful Casa Alcaldía (City Hall). Built in 1490, the building was once a jail, as well as the site of the island’s last lynchings. Today, it does not have much to spark interest except a pretty facade. (☎284-4141. Open M-F 8am-4:30pm.)
Castillo Serrallés. It may have been over a century since Puerto Rico was ruled by a monarch, but the island has its own royalty. One such dynasty is the Serrallés family, the original producers of Don Q rum, and their house reigns over Ponce like the castle it was designed to be. The family immigrated to Puerto Rico from Spain in the mid-18th century and by 1890 their Hacienda Mercedita produced over 4000 acres of rum-making sugar cane. In 1930 the family started construction on a Spanish Revival house overlooking Ponce; intended to serve as a summer home, the elaborate structure took over four years to complete. This is one of the most beautiful homes on the island that is open to the public, and almost all of the original furniture has been preserved. The only way to visit the interior is with a 1hr. guided tour, which starts with a 15min. film, continues through the many elegant rooms, and passes through a display on the rum production process. The highlight of the tour is the formal dining room and its hand-carved ceilings, imported from France and Italy in three kinds of wood and crystal. The tour ends at a gift shop selling the Serrallés family’s many brands, including Don Q and Captain Morgan rum. The large, manicured gardens are also open to the public, providing an excellent place to wander after the tour. (El Vigil 17. Just downhill from the Cruceta del Vigia. ☎259-1774 or 259-1775. Open Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm. Free English and Spanish tours. $6, ages 3-15 or over 60 $3. Combo ticket with Cruceta la Vigia $9; ages 3-15, over 60, and students with ID $4. AmEx/D/MC/V.)
La Guancha. Ponce makes good use of its coastal location with La Guancha, an elaborate boardwalk strip lined with food kioskos. By day this is a pleasant, quiet place to walk, but come weekend nights the boardwalk overlooking the harbor is packed. Thousands of ponceños of all ages come out of the woodwork on Sundays to look out at the yachts in port while enjoying a cool drink, traditional fried foods, and mofongo. (Av. Santiago de los Caballeros off Hwy. 12. From the plaza head south on Av. Hostos, turn left on Rte. 2, then turn right onto Rte. 12 and follow the signs. Kiosk hours vary, although at least a couple are usually open during the day and everything is open on weekend nights.)
Complejo Turístico Recreativo El Tuque. There’s no better place in Puerto Rico to relive your childhood than El Tuque Recreation Complex at Hotel El Tuque (see Accommodations, page.), 4 mi. west of Ponce. The highlight is the Speed & Splash Water Park, open during the summer months, which has several water slides, a wave pool, a splash area for little children, and a lazy river. (Open May-July W-Su 10am-6pm; Aug. Sa-Su 10am-6pm. $14, under 12 $11. Inner tubes $5. Lockers $3. AmEx/MC/V.) In the same complex, the Ponce International Speedway Park offers a mi. drag strip, 1 mi. raceway, and mi. go-cart track, open to any group that wants to race; call ahead for information about upcoming races. Racers use their own cars on the drag strip and raceway, but go-carts can be rented. (Hwy. 2 Ponce By-Pass 3330, Km 220.1. ☎290-2000; www.eltuque.com. Open mid-Jan. to Nov. M drag race, Th and sometimes Sa full circuit on raceway. Race entry M $5, Th $10 for “Money Hunter” winner takes all. Go-carts $5 for 8 circuits. Children under 8 free. Cash only.)
Cruceta Del Vigia. This popular monument can be seen towering overhead from every point in the city. The original Vigia cross was built on this spot (233 ft. above sea level) in 1801 to mark the spot where guards sat to watch ships entering the harbor. If the ship was an enemy to the Spanish crown, they would alert the authorities; if it was an ally, they would alert local traders to come fetch their goods. The current cross was built in 1984 to honor these faithful guards. A glass elevator leads to the observation tower, which has the best views in the city and an interactive directory in English and Spanish pointing out the dozens of visible landmarks. (On Vigia Hill. From the plaza drive down C. Cristina, turn left on C. Salud, turn left on C. Guadalupe, and turn right on C. Bertoly, which leads all the way up the hill. ☎259-3816. Open mid-May to July daily 9:30am-5pm; Aug. to mid-May Tu-Su 9:30am-5pm. Ticket $4. Combo ticket with Castillo Serrallés $9; ages 3-15, over 60, and students with ID $4.)
Teatro La Perla. Designed in 1941 in imitation of the original 1864 theater that was destroyed in an earthquake, La Perla has a large balcony and 1047 velvet seats. The beautiful Neoclassical building is regularly open to the public, and the lobby has a small museum commemorating past shows. By far the best way to experience the theater, though, is by attending one of the many musical and theatrical performances. (Corner of C. Mayor and C. Cristina. ☎843-4322, box office 843-4080. Theater open M-F 8am-noon and 1-4:30pm; box office open M-Sa 10am-4pm. Performances late Aug. to early July F-Su. Play tickets $20-25. Ballet tickets $45-100. Student and senior discounts available occasionally.)
Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty De Castro. In 1843 the city of Ponce constructed a Catholic cemetery at what was then the edge of the city. For over 70 years Ponce’s most prominent citizens were buried here, including members of the Serraillés family and Román Baldorioty de Castro, an instrumental figure in the emancipation of Puerto Rico’s slaves (see Castillo Serraillés, above). The cemetery closed in 1918 for public health reasons and has been severely vandalized over the years, but in 1991 the government reopened the area, began renovations, and even buried famous tenor Antonio Paoli and former governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella here. The graves of the famous people are beautifully wrought in marble, but the older graves are still in disrepair. (At C. Simón de la Torre and C. Frontispicio. ☎841-8347. 1-2hr. tour. Open W-Su 8:30am-5pm. Free.)
Markets. Ponce has two traditional markets within walking distance of the plaza. The Plaza del Mercado, in a 1970s-style building, has stands for everything you’d expect to see in a Puerto Rican market, including cafeterías, lottery stands, salted fish, and thousands of plantains. (Between C. Victoria and Paseo Atocha. Open M-Sa 6am-6pm. Arrive early for freshest produce.) Next door, the smaller Mercado Juan Ponce de León has a more eclectic collection of kiosks, where you can get your sewing done, watch a cobbler at work, buy hand-rolled cigars, or sample a tasty batida. In both markets about half of the storefronts are empty. (Between C. León, C. Mayor, C. Estrella, and C. Guadalupe. Most kiosks open M-Sa 9am-3pm.)
Museo De Arte De Ponce. While San Juan’s new art museum consists primarily of Latin American and Puerto Rican works, the Ponce museum focuses almost exclusively on European art and has been called the premier European art museum in the Caribbean. The two-story building includes rooms of the Spanish School, the Dutch School, the British School, and several Italian schools. Some of the more famous artists include El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Charles Le Brun, and Edward Coely Burne-Jones. Of course, the museum also has a room dedicated to Latin American artists, including Francisco Oller, José Campeche, and Tomás Batista, as well as temporary exhibitions of modern work. A small sculpture courtyard with a reflecting pool provides a pleasant place to sit. From the outside, the building, designed by Edward Durell Stone, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, looks unexceptional; however, the interior is exquisitely designed to display art, with unusual window and lighting schemes. All captions are in Spanish and English. (Av. las Américas 2325. ☎848-0505 or 840-1510; www.museoarteponce.org. Open daily 10am-5pm. $5, children under 12 $2.50, students with ID $1.25, clergy or handicapped free.)
Museo De La Historia De Ponce. It is only appropriate that a city with so much local pride should also have a museum dedicated exclusively to its history. The Ponce History Museum is housed in three adjacent buildings—Casa Salazar, Zapater, and Casa Ernesto Ramos Antonini—each with its own unique architecture. The museum presents a combination of historical documents, artifacts, furniture, textiles, descriptive signs, and hundreds of photos to describe every aspect of the city, with separate rooms dedicated to subjects such as health, education, ecology, and geology. The most unique exhibit has to be the photo montage of the “personajes,” or local celebrities of Plaza las Delicias; the display depicts people of all social strati, from former governors to street dwellers and local celebrities like “Juana la loca” (Juana the madwoman). All captions are in Spanish, but employees may offer English tours on request, which can be very helpful in navigating the materials. (C. Isabel 47, 51 and 53, at C. Mayor. ☎844-7071; museodelahistoriadeponce@yahoo.com. Open Tu-Su and holidays 9am-4:30pm.)
Museo De La Música Puertorriqueña. The Institute of Culture has filled this museum with musical instruments and artwork that tell the story of Puerto Rican music, from instruments used by the Taínos to salsa. Two rooms focus on bomba y plena (see Music), the latter of which is said to have originated in Ponce and continues to play an important role in the city’s culture. Exhibits include many types of guitars, from an 18th-century bordonúa to a Hawaiian steel guitar from the 1930s. Tours are excellent, and guides may even let you play some of the instruments. All captions are in Spanish but guides speak English. (C. Isabel, at C. Salud, in a large beige mansion. ☎848-7016 or 840-9239; www.icp.gobierno.pr. Open W-Su 8:30am-4:30pm. Free English and Spanish tours. Free.)
Museo Francisco “Pancho” Coimbre. Named after one of Ponce’s all-time greatest baseball players, this one-room museum honors ponceño athletes in all sports. There are a few interesting pieces of memorabilia, including a uniform from Ponce’s short-lived women’s baseball team and a baseball bat that was the only object to survive the house fire that killed Coimbre. Ask for a tour; the endless rows of photos have little meaning without one. (On C. Lolita Tizol, near C. Castillo. ☎843-6553. Open Tu-Su 9am-5:30pm. Free.)
Museo De La Masacre De Ponce. In 1937, 19 Puerto Rican Nationalist demonstrators were killed by police forces in Ponce. For a long time afterwards the government denied any responsibility and schools did not teach students about the controversial event. In an effort to remedy this situation, the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute opened a small museum to promote awareness of the tragedy and prevent something similar from happening again. The museum contains informative timelines and posters, but few actual artifacts. The most interesting are the 1930s-era government cards listing laborers who were suspected to be dangerously revolutionary. Although most captions are in Spanish, there are a few English translations, and the English-speaking guides are happy to answer questions. (C. Marina at C. Aurora. ☎844-9722; masacredeponce@hotmail.com. Open W-Su 8am-11am. Free English- and Spanish-language tours. Museum free.)
Centro Cultural De Ponce. This dark pink Neoclassical building was built in 1870, and the owner was the first to have a phone connection to his office in Ponce Playa. Ponce’s first museum of art was established here in 1959, but it was closed when the current building was constructed. Now the Institute of Culture sometimes hosts temporary art exhibits. Although they vary in form and medium, the exhibits usually explore the theme of blending European and American cultures. (C. Cristina 70. ☎844-2540.)
Beaches are not Ponce’s strong point, but the city has created one acceptable beach area in the La Guancha area just east of the boardwalk. The imported sand barely covers a concrete surface and the water doesn’t get much more than two feet deep, but ponceños fill the beach on hot weekend days. Bathrooms, playground equipment, parking, a beach volleyball court, and fried food in kiosks appease the masses. Lifeguards on duty 9:30am-6pm. For a better beach, catch the boat to Isla Caja de Muertos .
Caribbean Cinemas has two locations in Ponce. The first, in Ponce Towne Center, Rte. 2 Km 24.3, (☎843-2601), behind the Big K-mart, has 10 theaters. The Plaza del Caribe Mall location (☎844-6704), at the intersection of Rte. 2 and Rte. 123, has six. Both play Hollywood films. ($5.50, under 9 or over 60 $3.50. W women $3.50.)
Founded in 1883 as the Firefighter’s Corps Band, the Municipal Band of Ponce has been entertaining locals for well over a century. Today the group sounds like a professional symphony orchestra and performs lively classical music every Sunday in the Plaza las Delicias, across from the Alcaldía (8pm). Every so often, outdoor concerts are also held in the Concha Acústica, an outdoor stage behind the statue of a chained slave at the intersection of Calle Marina and Calle Mayor. Contact the tourism office for concert announcements (☎284-3338).
Ponce’s big shebang is undoubtedly carnaval (see Ponce’s Fat Tuesday). However, the following festivals have also been known to bring out the crowds. The city’s patron saint festival, “Las Mañanitas,” for the Virgin de la Guadelupe, is held on December 12 in Ponce Centro, in the Plaza las Delicias. At midnight a procession moves down Calle Isabel into the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadelupe, led by marchers holding high a replica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, with mariachis and dozens of revelers on their trail. The mariachis play on until breakfast at 7am, when Ponce closes the celebration with a feast in the Casa Alcaldía or City Hall. During a three-day weekend in March, the city hosts a Feria Artesanal. Over 100 artists set up booths on the south side of the plaza for this enormous artisan festival with music, typical food and seemingly endless parties. The tourist office staff recommends that visitors contact them in March for exact dates (☎284-3338).
Ponce’s best shopping awaits on the pedestrian Paseo Atocha, just north of Plaza las Delicias. This market fills three blocks just off the central plaza, and its presence can’t be missed: vendors hawk over microphones with the attitude of auctioneers, and reggaeton blasts from the storefronts of Puerto Rican discount stores. This busy shopping experience is most active on weekdays. For a more conservative shopping experience, try Plaza del Caribe, the largest mall in the Ponce area. Here you can stock up on products from American favorites like the Gap, Sears, Puma, American Eagle, and Foot Locker. There is also a large, intricately carved carousel and a food court. (At the intersection of Rte. 2 and Rte. 123. ☎259-8989; www.plazadelcaribepr.com. Open M-Sa 9am-9pm, Su 11am-5pm.)
The Leones de Ponce (Ponce Lions), Ponce’s professional baseball team, play from November to January at Estadio Francisco Montaner, near the intersection of Av. las Américas and Rte. 2. Games are held Tuesday through Sunday. Purchase tickets at the stadium box office. (☎848-0050. $10, children and seniors $5.)
La Perla (see Sights), is the city’s primary venue for theater. Ponce’s Escuela de Bellas Artes, on C. Lolita Tizol at C. Castillo, holds occasional student ballet and theater performances. Contact the school or check La Perla del Sur for info. (☎848-9156. Most performances F during the school year. Admission $5.)
Ponce is home to a variety of nightlife hot spots, including clubs blasting reggaeton, quiet corner bars, and a popular boardwalk filled with night owls of all ages. The best place to enjoy a drink, live music, and even livelier Puerto Rican company is La Guancha, the seaside boardwalk south of town. Mixed drinks run $2.50-6, beer $1-2. Sandwiches, pizza, and empanadillas are also served. Gamblers can head to one of the city’s two casinos, the Ponce Hilton, just off Rte. 124 (see La Bohemia, below; open daily 8am-4am), or the Holiday Inn, which is open 24hr., Ponce Bypass 3315 (☎259-8300), about 2 mi. west of town down Hwy. 2.
Island Ventures (☎842-8546 or 608-3082) offer trips out to Isla Caja de Muertos. Boat trips depart from La Guancha F-Su 8am-3:30pm and cost $17 per person. The only other means of accessing the island is to ask fishermen around the docks for a ride.
Isla Caja de Muertos (Coffin Island), a 500-acre island with subtropical dry forest surrounded by a few nice beaches, provides one of those relaxing escapes that you imagine before traveling to the Caribbean. The secret behind Caja de Muertos’s magic is the limited means of transportation; in an attempt to minimize human influence and protect the island’s animal population, the DRNA mandates that only private boats carrying fewer than 150 people can visit the island. Therefore, from May to December hawksbill turtles are able to lay their eggs on the eastern side of the island without human interference. Moreover, nobody is allowed on the southern tip of the island, which serves as a protected bird sanctuary.
Caja de Muertos’s main attractions are the quiet beaches, small strips of sand that stay relatively empty, and gentle, clear waters that make for excellent snorkeling. Scuba divers can explore a 40 ft. wall just offshore, and on a good day the visibility can be as extensive as 100 ft. Back on land, the DRNA maintains bathrooms and covered picnic tables. Caja de Muertos is large enough that it also offers activities beyond the beach. An easy 30min. hike leads through the shrubs and cacti and up the hill to a 19th-century lighthouse. Because the US Coast Guard operates the lighthouse today, visitors cannot enter, but they can enjoy the astounding view from the top. A small cave on the island has Taíno petroglyphs inside, but there is no trail. The resident DRNA employee sometimes offers guided tours.
No public transportation goes to Buena Vista. It may be possible to have a público heading to Adjuntas drop you off, but getting a ride back will be almost impossible. If driving, head west on Av. las Américas (Rte. 163) past the Museo de Arte, then turn right on Rte. 2R. Then turn left onto Rte. 123 and continue until Km 16.8 (30min.).
This restored fruit, corn flour, and coffee plantation has one of the best-preserved farm houses on the island and one of Ponce’s must-see attractions. Back in 1821 Salvador de Vives arrived in Ponce and began looking for land to buy. Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford the prime real estate by the sea, which was used to grow sugar cane, so instead in 1833 he purchased 482 acres in the mountains just north of the city. Initially the land was used as a fruit farm, and it later became a corn flour factory; however, by 1872, when the third generation of the Vives family took over, the plantation was used almost exclusively to grow Arabica coffee. The frequent changes in production mean that a variety of equipment can still be found on the grounds. Most interesting is the 1121 ft. canal system that the Vives family used to extract water from Río Canas, power the machinery, and return the water to the river without polluting or damaging the ecosystem. The farm remained in use until the 1950s when it was abandoned by the family and divided among local farmers.
Since 1984, the site has been managed by the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, a private organization that strives to preserve the island’s natural resources while educating the public. The only way to visit the plantation is through a 1hr. guided tour that includes a beautiful walk along the canals through the subtropical forest, a visit to the restored and refurnished house, and fascinating demonstrations of the plantation’s still-functioning machinery. In October, the hacienda has a celebration of coffee called actividad del café, which includes a tasting of coffee grown-on site; call for more information. (Rte. 123 Km 16.8. ☎722-5882, weekends 284-7020; www.fideicomiso.org. Reservations required. Call at least one week in advance. Tours F-Su Spanish 8:30, 10:30am, 1:30, 3:30pm; English by request only 1:30pm. $7, ages 5-11 or over 65 $4, under 4 free. MC/V.)
Públicos to Tibes leave from the main station on C. Unión (15min., $6). From central Ponce, drive down C. Cristina, turn left on C. Salud, then turn left on C. Guadalupe and right on C. Mayor, which turns into Rte. 503. Alternatively, drive north on Hwy. 10, then exit at the Tibes sign onto Rte. 503. Rte. 503 Km 2.8. ☎840-2255 or 840-5685; www.ponce.inter.edu/tibes/tibes.html. Open Tu-Su 9am-4pm. Visits with guided tours only; free English and Spanish tours every hr., usually on the hr. $3, ages 5-12 or over 60 $2, under 6 free.
Tibes is the largest known indigenous center on the island. Technically this is not a Taíno site, as it was constructed between AD 600 and 1200, during the reign of the pre-Taínos and Igneris, but many of the customs were continued; Tibes is accordingly the best place on the island to learn about the area’s indigenous peoples. The sight was uncovered in 1975 when Hurricane Eloise flooded the banks of the Río Portugués, unearthing several Taíno artifacts. The city expropriated the land and upon excavation unearthed 12 structures, including seven batey courts, lots of pottery, and 187 sets of human remains (see Taíno Terms). The presence of multiple structures leads archaeologists to believe that this was one of the largest ceremonial sites in the Caribbean.
The small museum introduces visitors to the various aspects of the Taíno and pre-Taíno cultures, displaying most of the pottery found on the site. A 25min. film illustrates many aspects of indigenous life, from warfare to recreation. Finally, during the 1hr. tour, guides lead visitors through the subtropical forest, explaining the indigenous peoples’ uses of each type of tree. The tour then heads past a replica of a Taíno village, and finally to several batey courts. The site does not boast an overwhelming number of artifacts, but as a whole the complex provides a thorough introduction to Puerto Rico’s indigenous culture. Some years, the Centro hosts celebrations in April and November, when actors don indigenous dress and recreate Taíno ceremonies; call ahead for more information.
Públicos between Ponce and Coamo will drop passengers off at the intersection of Rte. 546 and Rte. 153, 1 mi. from the baths ($2.50). They may go all the way to the end if arranged in advance ($5). From Ponce, take Hwy. 52 east to Exit 76, then drive north on Rte. 153 to Rte. 546. The baths are at the end. ☎825-1150. Offices open M-F 9am-5pm.
Puerto Rico has plenty of opportunities to de-stress, but few compare to the hot springs just outside of Coamo. With temperatures reaching 109˚F, the baths are like all-natural, communal jacuzzis—without the bubbles. These are reportedly the oldest thermal baths in the New World, discovered in 1571; legend says that this was the fountain of youth sought by Ponce de León, Puerto Rico’s first Spanish governor. As early as 1847, a hotel at the baths allowed rich Puerto Ricans to access the soothing waters. Today, two public baths just behind the hotel are free to the public. These look like Old World baths, with small brick- and concrete-lined pools and little waterfalls. Park at the end of Rte. 546, then walk past the gate and down the dirt path. If the lure of the hot springs tempts you to extend your daytrip to an overnight stay, Hotel Baños de Coamo , at the end of Rte. 546, offers a more modern take on the baths, with a swimming pool fed by hot springs. The attractive parador looks and feels like a ski lodge plopped down in the middle of a tropical forest. Rooms are large and wood-paneled, and have cable TV, phone, and A/C. (☎825-2186 or 825-2239; fax 825-4739. Pool, restaurant, game room, and souvenir shop. Check-in 3pm. Check-out 1pm. Singles $87; doubles $91. Extra person $10; 2 children under 12 free. Tax included. AmEx/D/MC/V.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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