By road
San Juan, ~115 km, about an hour and a half
North America · Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
The Pearl of the South and its painted firehouse · San Juan, ~115 km, about an hour and a half
Getting there
By air
Mercedita (PSE), ~8 km from the centre
Best time to visit
December to April; the south coast is drier than San Juan all year
Don't miss
Parque de Bombas
Plaza Las Delicias
Museo de Arte de Ponce
Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Centre
Castillo Serrallés
Caja de Muertos
La Guancha boardwalk
Things to do
The Parque de Bombas and the cathedral on the plaza
The Museo de Arte de Ponce
The Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Centre
A boat to Caja de Muertos island
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Light clothes, walking shoes for the plaza and museums, sun protection
A quieter corner
The Hacienda Buena Vista, a restored nineteenth-century coffee estate in the hills above the city
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ponce?
December to April; the south coast is drier than San Juan all year. What to pack: Light clothes, walking shoes for the plaza and museums, sun protection.
How do I get to Ponce?
Fly into Mercedita (PSE), ~8 km from the centre.
What is there to do in Ponce?
The Parque de Bombas and the cathedral on the plaza, the Museo de Arte de Ponce, the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Centre, a boat to Caja de Muertos island. A quieter find: The Hacienda Buena Vista, a restored nineteenth-century coffee estate in the hills above the city.
What should I eat in Ponce?
Mofongo, asopao stews, lechón from the roadside, quenepas in season, Don Q rum.
About Ponce
- Coastal
Where it is
Ponce is the second city of Puerto Rico, on the southern coast of the island about an hour and a half from San Juan, with its historic centre a few kilometres inland from the harbour.
History
Founded in the late seventeenth century, Ponce grew rich on sugar, rum and coffee in the nineteenth and built the neoclassical and Creole houses that still line its centre. Its rivalry with San Juan gave it its own museums, a famous carnival and the red-and-black painted firehouse on the plaza.
People
Ponceños are proud of their city's independent spirit and carnival traditions; the plaza is the meeting place, and the vejigante masks of the carnival are made in workshops around town.
Known for
- The Parque de Bombas firehouse
- The Museo de Arte de Ponce
- The Ponce carnival
- Castillo Serrallés
Did you know?
The Parque de Bombas, built as an exhibition pavilion in the nineteenth century, served as the city's fire station for over a century.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.