Ponce, Puerto Rico's second-largest city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, receives over 100,000 visitors annually.Cumple dos décadas de historia y pasión. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 26 August 2009. Page 24.
Ponce's sights include monuments and architecture, such as its Monumento a la Abolición de la Esclavitud and Residencia Armstrong-Poventud, and pink marble curbs and chamfered streets corners, as well as historic houses, castles and concert halls. There are also more modern attractions such as its seafront Tablado La Guancha as well as attractions that date back some 1500 years, like the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center. The city has been called "the most Puerto Rican city in Puerto Rico."Aida Belen Rivera Ruiz, Certifying Official, and Juan Llanes Santos, Preparer, Puerto Rico Historic Preservation Office. (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 26 February 2008. In National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. United States Department of the Interior. National Park Service. (Washington, D.C.) Page 13. Listing Reference Number 08000283 (McCabe Memorial Church). 11 April 2008.
Within the city's urban area
Within the Ponce Historic Zone
Museums
Museo Parque de Bombas Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Museo de la Historia de Ponce Museo de Arte de Ponce Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña Museo de la Masacre de Ponce Museo del Autonomismo Puertorriqueño Museo Casa Paoli
Parks
Plaza Las Delicias Plaza Degetau Plaza Muñoz Rivera Parque de la Ceiba Parque Lineal Veredas del Labrador Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell Parque del Tricentenario Parque de la Abolición Parque Ecológico Urbano
Monuments
Monumento a la abolición de la esclavitud Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (obelisk)
Historic houses
Casa Vives (1860) Casa Paoli (1864) Residencia Ermelindo Salazar (1870) Casa Saurí (1882) Casa Rosaly–Batiz (1897) Residencia Armstrong-Poventud (1899) Residencia Subirá (1910) Casa Salazar-Candal (1911) Centro Español de Ponce (1911) Casa Serrallés (1911) Casa Wiechers-Villaronga (1912) Casa Oppenheimer (1913) Casa Rosita Serrallés (1926)
Churches
Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - located at Plaza Las Delicias Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad - first Protestant church in Latin America (1873) Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce Iglesia Metodista Unida de la Playa de Ponce
Historic commercial institutions Hotel Meliá (1895) Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino (1882) Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (1924) Banco de Ponce (1924)
20th and 21st century architecture
Coliseo Pachin Vicens (1972) Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico (1948) La Guancha (1990) Concha Acústica de Ponce (1956) - one of the venues for Banda Municipal de Ponce Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico (2012)
Theaters
Teatro La Perla (1864) Teatro Fox Delicias Concha Acústica de Ponce
Shopping
Paseo Atocha - charming 20th century shopping experience Los Chinos de Ponce - ice cream parlor over 50 years old Fox Delicias Mall - historic theater-turned-shopping mall (now closed) Plaza de Mercado de Ponce - historic farmer's market marketplace Mercado de las Carnes - aka, Plaza Juan Ponce de León
Cultural institutions
Centro Cultural de Ponce Carmen Sola de Pereira Biblioteca Municipal de Ponce - at Boulevard Mguel Pou Banda Municipal de Ponce, located at Centro Integrado para el Fortalecimiento de las Artes Musicales (1864) Antiguo Casino de Ponce
Festivals and events
Carnaval de Ponce Día Mundial de Ponce Feria de Artesanías de Ponce Festival Nacional de la Quenepa Las Mañanitas Fiesta Nacional de la Danza Ponce Jazz Festival Ponce Marathon Cruce a Nado Internacional
Others Campo Atlético Charles H. Terry Albergue Caritativo Tricoche Antiguo Cuartel Militar Español de Ponce Antiguo Hospital Militar Español de Ponce Ponce Servicios - building with the largest footprint in the city Casa Alcaldía de Ponce (1840)
Outside the Ponce Historic Zone
Museums
Museo de Arte de Ponce Museo Castillo Serrallés
Cemeteries Cementerio Civil de Ponce – burial site for Hector Lavoe and many other prominent Puerto Ricans Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul - NRHP#88001249 Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro (1842) - the burial site of many illustrious citizens
Historic homes
Castillo Serrallés (1930) - HRHP# 80004494, a "castle" built by Pedro Adolfo de Castro for rum baron Juan Eugenio Serrallés Casa Fernando Luis Toro (1927) - NRHP# 86000421
Others Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (tomb) (1911) - to the seven men that saved the city from a devastating fire in 1899 Cruceta del Vigía - lookout for panoramic views of the city and Caribbean Sea, located next to Museo Castillo Serrallés Ponce YMCA - NRHP# 12000331 Calle 25 de Enero - historic Victorian village, home to Ponce firefighters and their families Iglesia Metodista Unida de la Playa de Ponce - NRHP #08000283 Plaza del Caribe Centro del Sur Mall Grand Prix de Ponce - speedway Villa Pesquera - fishing village Club Náutico de Ponce - private sports complex, viewable from the La Guancha Boardwalk Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico - convention center
Outside the city's urban area
Beaches
Playa Pelícano Beach - a Blue Flag beach El Tuque Beach La Guancha Beach
Mountains
Cerro Punta - It is Puerto Rico's tallest, and both northern and southern coasts of the island can be seen on clear days Monte Jayuya - Puerto Rico's second tallest peak Cerro Maravilla - Known as El Cerro de los Mártires, it is the annual gathering point for independence activists Cerro del Vigía - Home to Cruceta del Vigía, Museo Castillo Serrallés, and (now closed) Hotel Ponce Intercontinental
Parks, forests and recreational areas Caja de Muertos Parque Luis A. "Wito" Morales Parque Ceremonial Indigena de Tibes Cerrillos State Forest Toro Negro State Forest Cerrillos Dam La Guancha Boardwalk Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas
Others Hacienda Buena Vista - 19th century coffee plantation Destileria Serralles - makers of Ron Don Q Portugues Dam
See also
List of barrios of Ponce, Puerto Rico Porta Caribe List of people from Ponce, Puerto Rico List of islands of Ponce, Puerto Rico
References