Puerto Rico's second city is home to beautiful plazas, an eclectic mix of architectural styles, and one of the Caribbean's best museums of art. Here is a list of things to see and do when you visit.
Museo de Arte de Ponce
Photo © Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Ponce's crown jewel is its spectacular museum of art. In addition to showcasing the best contemporary Latin American artists (including Puerto Ricans José Campeche and Francisco Oller), the museum houses a world-renowned collection of European art with particular focus on the Italian Baroque, Spanish Golden Age, and British Pre-Raphaelite periods. Among the masters you'll find here are Rodin, Rubens, Goya, El Greco, and Velázquez. Two of the museum's stars are from the British school: Lord Leighton's lushly colorful "Flaming June" and Burne-Jones' "The Sleep of King Arthur in Avalon."
Plaza Las Delicias
Photo © Puerto Rico Tourism Company
The centrally located Plaza Las Delicias ("Plaza of Delights") is the heart of Ponce's restored historic disctrict. Adorned with the sparkling Fuente de los Leones ("Lions Fountain") and monuments to firefighters, Luis Muñoz Rivera, and composer Juan Morel Campos, this beautiful square is bordered by two of Ponce's iconic buildings: the blue-and-white Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with its elegant twin bell towers, and the Parque de Bombas, a funky black-and-red firehouse built in the 1880s. The plaza and its surrounding streets form a charming neighborhood that's worth a stroll or, for a true yesteryear experience, a horse-drawn carriage ride.
