Hacienda Buena Vista
Hacienda Buena Vista (Rte. 123, Barrio Magüeyes Km 16.8, Ponce) — Built in 1833, this hacienda preserves an old way of life, with its whirring water wheels and artifacts of 19th-century farm production. Once it was one of the most successful plantations on Puerto Rico, producing coffee, corn, and citrus. It was a working coffee plantation until the 1950s, and 86 of the original 500 acres (35 of 202 hectares) are still part of the estate. The rooms of the hacienda have been furnished with authentic pieces from the 1850s. Hacienda Buena Vista is located in Barrio Magüeyes along the rural mountain road to Adjuntas. From Av. de las Americas, go west until Rte. 500, which you will take to Rte. 123 (Calle La Poncena) and turn left. At km 16.8 you will find the Hacienda.
Casa Wiechers-Villaronga
Casa Wiechers-Villaronga (106 Calle Reina e/Calle Méndez Vigo, Ponce) – In a city filled with neoclassical confections, this is one of the most elaborate. Alfredo B. Wiechers, who returned to his native Ponce after studying architecture in Paris, designed the house. Though small in scale, it makes a big impression with details like huge arched windows and a massive rooftop gazebo. No wonder that soon after it was completed in 1911 the Villaronga-Mercado family decided to make it their own. Check out the stained-glass windows and other fanciful touches. Inside you’ll find original furnishings and exhibits on Wiechers and other Ponce architects of his era. The house, restored by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, now operates as the Museum of Puerto Rican Architecture.
PONCE
Located 75 miles (121km) southwest of San Juan, Ponce — “The Pearl of the South,” was named after Loíza Ponce de León, great-grandson of Juan Ponce de León. Founded in 1692, Ponce is today Puerto Rico’s principal shipping port in the Caribbean. The city is well kept and attractive, with an air of being stuck in the past, like a provincial Mediterranean town. On weekday afternoons, men dressed in starched guayaberas and hats play dominoes while uniformed school girls run along the large walkways.
Its historic district underwent a $440-million restoration for 1992’s 500th anniversary celebration of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World, and improvements have continued. The streets are lit with gas lamps and lined with neoclassical buildings, just as they were a century ago. Horse-drawn carriages roll by, and strollers walk along sidewalks edged with pink marble. Contemporary Ponce has been restored to its former splendor, the city as it was at the turn of the 20th century, when it rivaled San Juan as a wealthy business and cultural center.
La Guancha is a sprawling boardwalk around Ponce’s bayside harbor area near the Ponce Hilton. Several eateries are located here, and it is the scene of free concerts and other events at night. There’s no beach, but during weekend afternoons children and their families come here to fly kites or ride bicycles. Hundreds of yachts and pleasure craft tie up here, which is also home to the Ponce Yacht Club. La Guancha is a relatively wholesome version of Coney Island, with a strong Hispanic accent and vague hints of New England. On hot weekends, the place is mobbed with families who listen to merengue and salsa. Lining the boardwalk are small establishments selling beer, party drinks, fried beach snacks, and souvenirs. There is also a lookout tower here, which is worth a climb.
Playa Puerto Nuevo
Playa Puerto Nuevo — Located on the north coast, in Vega Baja, about 45 minutes west of San Juan, it is just beautiful. Sometimes called the Balneario of Vega Baja, or Balneario Puerto Nuevo, it is has something for everyone. The beach is golden sand and is protected from the violent northern swells by huge limestone rocks. The rock outcroppings act a as a wave break, but also offer magnificent views and photo opportunities. If you want to climb on the rocks and explore, be very aware of wave conditions, wear sturdy shoes (the rocks are sharp) and do so at your own risk. There are picnic tables, bathrooms, lifeguards, parking, showers, a playground and food kiosks
Luquillo Beach
San Cristobal Canyon – located between the towns of Aibonito and Barranquitas, this volcanic canyon is the Yosemite of Puerto Rico. It is a mystical place that is filled with towering granite walls, enormous waterfalls, secret swimming holes, rare plants, insects, and animals. If you are a scientist, photographer, hiker, naturalist, historian, geologist, or lover of wild places, this is a must-see place for you. However, the only problem is that access is very limited. You need to hire a guide! But…it is worth it. This is a beautiful place that many hope never gets discovered; at this time, you will see very few people down there and it is very peaceful. Make sure to bring long sleeves, ponchos, hiking, poles, water, and medical supplies, just in case. It is a wonderful experience with a professional guide. The tour begins with a historical tour of Aibonito, and then they get into the wild in this spectacular forest with great water falls.
San Cristobal Canyon
San Cristobal Canyon – located between the towns of Aibonito and Barranquitas, this volcanic canyon is the Yosemite of Puerto Rico. It is a mystical place that is filled with towering granite walls, enormous waterfalls, secret swimming holes, rare plants, insects, and animals. If you are a scientist, photographer, hiker, naturalist, historian, geologist, or lover of wild places, this is a must-see place for you. However, the only problem is that access is very limited. You need to hire a guide! But…it is worth it. This is a beautiful place that many hope never gets discovered; at this time, you will see very few people down there and it is very peaceful. Make sure to bring long sleeves, ponchos, hiking, poles, water, and medical supplies, just in case. It is a wonderful experience with a professional guide. The tour begins with a historical tour of Aibonito, and then they get into the wild in this spectacular forest with great water falls.
Guanica Biosphere Reserve
Guanica Biosphere Reserve — On Puerto Rico’s southwest coast (west of the regional town of Ponce) is the lush Guanica Biosphere Reserve (Guanica, P.R.) — 9,900 acres of seaside delights. You can focus on watery adventures with snorkeling gear or a kayak, or stay on land with a hike through subtropical forests. Keep your eyes peeled for emerald hummingbirds, bullfrogs and other rare creatures.
Arecibo Observatory
Arecibo Observatory (PR-625, Arecibo)– If this space-age facility deep in the mountains of northwest Puerto Rico looks like something from a sci-fi movie, it is. Contact, with Jodie Foster was filmed here, along with the James Bond spy thriller GoldenEye. Located within the municipality of Arecibo (toward the northwest coast of the island), the radio telescope is operated by the non-profit scientific research organizations SRI International, USRA, and UMET (under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation).
The view over the 1,000-ft.-wide dish (the largest such telescope ever built) is a jaw-dropper. It is used in three major areas of research: radio astronomy, aeronomy, and radar astronomy observations of the larger objects of the Solar System. The visitor center doubles as a superb museum on astronomy, the atmosphere, and Earth.
Hacienda Campo Rico
Hacienda Campo Rico (Avenida Campo Rico, Carolina) — located at the end of Campo Rico Avenue East (a.k.a. Roberto Sanchez Vilella Avenue or Country Club), Hacienda Campo Rico offers visitors ATV (all-terrain vehicle) 4-track tours within its 2,200 acre ranch.
Visitors are given a quick course on how to operate the machines and explained the safety parameters of our tour. Once acquainted with the ATVs, guests are taken for a single practice lap around the pavilion area. Then the excursion begins and traverses through table top ranges, around lakes, along subtropical forest, and out to an area with caves(weather permitting). Participants take a short break at the caverns where they have the opportunity to view and take photos (bats, stalactites, stalagmites, and hieroglyphics). After the break, participants get back on the machines and return to the reception area. For more details, please visit: www.camporicotrailrides.com
Cambalache State Forest
Cambalache State Forest (Bosque Estatal de Cambalache) – located between the regional towns of Arecibo and Barceloneta, the Cambalache State Forest offers a lovely oasis for picnics and gatherings, and it has several miles of trails designed for enjoying nature via mountain bike or walking. This is one of the few places in Puerto Rico where you can mountain bike along cool and shaded forest trails, in an area that has some facilities for your comfort. The forest is comprised of over 1000 acres of protected land, where local flora and fauna can thrive.
