Sightseeing in Ponce - what to see. Complete travel guide

The second largest city of the country, it was founded in the middle of the 17th century. Ponce has been named the "national treasure", as its territory is rich in historical and cultural monuments.

While walking through the streets of the city you can see the ancient churches and picturesque squares, fountains, and decorated colonial buildings. The central square is called Las Delicias, and the majority of cultural institutions and monuments of this place are located around it. The center of the square is the location of the Cathedral of Lady of Guadeloupe; the slender towers of the cathedral are perfectly visible from any part of the city. Here are also located three major museums of Ponce, each of which is always ready to greet curious visitors. The Museum of Art of Ponce is the largest building. Here you will find a rich collection of jewelry, sculptures and paintings. The collections in Ponce museums got their first items yet in the Middle Ages, so many of the exhibits are already several hundred years old. Your tour to the Museum of the History of Ponce, which is considered the best museum in the Caribbean, will be no less exciting. Music lovers should definitely visit the Museum of Music of Puerto Rico, which exhibits a collection of musical instruments and other items, the age of many of which is also calculated in centuries.

However, Tibes Ceremonial Center remains the main attraction of Ponce. This is a reconstructed village of Arawak Indians. They were the first settlers of the island, so much attention and time are devoted to the study of life of these people. The center is also the place of archaeological excavations and everyone can make a tour to the protected areas and watch the work of professionals.

In the northern part of the city is El Vigía Hill, which is a popular tourist attraction. Several symbolic monuments are erected on its top, while in the foothill region there are numerous religious and cultural sites. There are also several ultramodern skyscrapers with observation platforms equipped on its last floors. However, many people prefer admiring the panorama of the city from the top of the green hill. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One of the main natural attractions is the Rio Camuy Cave that was formed more than a million years ago. Currently, it is one of the largest caves in the Western Hemisphere. This huge cave was discovered in 1970, and studies have shown that it once served as a home to representatives of indigenous peoples. The cave is attractive for its crystalline stalactites and stalagmites, and a picturesque river flowing along the bottom.

A quite unusual tourist attraction is a museum called Park Bombay. It can be found in the old fire station building dated 1882. It had served the city until 1990 and later was closed. A very interesting museum was established in the building, the exhibits of which include old equipment used for extinguishing fires, as well as old photos of firefighters and other firefighting accessories.

Another historic building with a facade painted in bright yellow is the Ponce Massacre Museum. It depicts an important historical event that occurred in Puerto Rico on Palm Sunday, 21 March 1937. The annual festival held in the city turned into an indiscriminate shooting, which resulted in the death of several hundred people. According to the official version, the fire was opened by the police. The museum stores old photos taken at the site of the tragedy, as well as various artifacts and historical documents relating to the events of 1937.

Lovers of picturesque nature should definitely go on a tour of Gilligan's Island, which is part of a unique biosphere reserve. The island is extremely popular among scuba diving lovers where they can enjoy and explore its wonderful coral reefs and exotic fish.