41 Best Sights in Ponce and the Porta Caribe, Puerto Rico

Encircling the cove of a working harbor, the seaside boardwalk features a small lookout tower and kiosks where vendors sell local food and drink. The adjacent park has a large children's area filled with playground equipment and, on weekends, live music. The nearby public beach has restrooms, changing areas, a medical post, and plenty of free parking. On Sunday night, this place gets packed with locals strolling the boardwalk. Weekend visitors might want to take advantage of tour outfitters, including Island Venture, which lead day trips to Caja de Muertos from here, as well as evening bay rides.

Banker and industrialist Carlos Armstrong and his wife, Eulalia Pou, lived in this neoclassical house designed and built for them in 1901 by Manuel V. Domenech. The building has undergone a top-to-bottom renovation, and now you can admire the ornate facade, which is chock-full of columns, statues, and intricate moldings. Original furnishings belonging to the family are on display.

This early-20th-century home—built in a criollo style with some obvious neoclassical influences—has been turned into a museum. Displays include colonial furnishings, religious art, and artifacts of indigenous peoples; there are also rotating exhibits by local artists.

Housed in two adjoining neoclassical mansions, this museum includes 10 rooms with exhibits covering the city's residents, from the indigenous Taíno people to Spanish settlers to the mix of the present. Guided tours in English and Spanish give an overview of the city's history. Although descriptions are mostly in Spanish, displays of clothing from different eras are interesting.

At this museum you'll learn how Puerto Rican music has been influenced by African, Spanish, and Native American cultures. On display are dozens of instruments, such as the tres (a small string instrument resembling a banjo), as well as memorabilia of local composers and musicians. The small museum takes up several rooms of a neoclassical former residence, which alone is worth the trip.

Off the main square, the Museo Histórico de Coamo is appropriately housed in the former residence of one of the city's illustrious citizens, Clotilde Santiago, a wealthy farmer and merchant born in 1826. The museum is on the second floor of this sprawling, tangerine-color building, which dates from 1863. Several rooms are decorated with colonial-style furnishings; photographs of the town and the Santiago family line the walls.

Rugged cliffs make a dramatic backdrop for this little cove off Route 333, but the water can be rough. The road down to the beach is extremely steep and rocky and shouldn't be attempted without a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Locals tend to visit this spot for family cookouts and relaxation by the water's edge. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; sunset.

You can rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats at this beach at the end of Route 325 in the Ensenada district. This beach is popular with local teenagers and can get congested, but the mile-long shoreline is kept clean. The light sand and clear water are great for smaller children and people who just want to relax by the ocean. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

The small beach doesn't compare to some of the longer beaches on the southwestern coast, but it's a convenient place for a quick swim. There's also a square dock built like a picture frame where locals gather to splash in the center of this natural swimming pool. 

This theater was restored in 1941 after an earthquake and fire damaged the original 1864 structure. The striking interior contains seats for 1,047 and has excellent acoustics. It's generally open for a quick peek on weekdays.