The Caribbean Coast

Puerto Rico’s Caribbean Coast offers a tropical and cultural escape to some of the island’s best gems. The coast features unspoiled beaches, protected marine reserves, a bioluminescent bay, a dry forest and pink salt flats. It is also home to Indigenous cultural sites and the colonial city of Ponce.

Ponce

Known as “The Pearl of the South,” Ponce is famed for its architecture, cultural sights and annual carnival festivities. We spent a week here, celebrating Carnaval and exploring other areas along the Caribbean Coast.

Architectural Styles

Ponce is a historic city with multitudes of architectural styles and colorful buildings. We spent an afternoon wandering the streets to see the mix of Creole, Colonial, Neoclassical, Spanish Revival, Miami Art Deco, Arabesque and 90s Modernist style buildings.

An Underdog

The city is a bit of an underdog; recovering from hurricanes, earthquakes and the effects of the pandemic. Though quieter and less traveled to, it has a charming local ambiance that can’t be overlooked. Like many Ponceños, we’re rooting for this beautiful city!

Sights & Museums

Plaza de las Delicias. The lush town square and historical center of Ponce with monuments, statues, landmark buildings and adjacent restaurants.

Fuente de los Leones. A large two tiered fountain with statues lions, a symbol of strength and of Ponce.
Ponce Cathedral. A large light blue and white neoclassical cathedral that divides the plaza.
Parque de Bombas. Ponce’s iconic red and black striped former fire station and now museum.

Museo de la Historia de Ponce. Ponce’s historical museum with galleries explaining the significance of the city, its history, politics, architecture and cultural impacts on Puerto Rico as a whole. A local historian, Ronald, gave us a tour, recommended places to eat in Ponce and nearby places to visit.

Museo Castillo Serrallés. A large mansion overlooking the city that once belonged to a sugar cane & rum baron. It’s now a museum and event venue with lush gardens and city views. Come to tour its grounds and interiors while sipping on a Don Q piña colada from its cafe.

La Guancha. A waterfront boardwalk and beach with restaurants, kiosks, a marina and an observation tower. Hurricane Fiona caused structural damage to the boardwalk and its since been condemned. Many restaurants have since opened food trucks along a road in the parking area.

Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes. A free archeological museum dedicated to the Tiano people with exhibits displaying artifacts including pottery, stone tools, shell jewelry and human remains. A short walk behind the museum is an open air exhibit with uncovered petroglyphs, stone platforms, ball courts and a plaza.

Places to Eat & Drink

Campioni Pizza Birra & Tapas. A popular restaurant for Puerto Rican style pizza (thin crust pizza cooked in a wood fired oven). Order the fruto del mar pizza topped with shrimp, calamari and octopus to and a sangria.

Lola Eclectic Cuisine. An elevated restaurant serving international cuisine. Try the tuna tartare wonton tacos, grilled salmon on a taro cake, sea bass over lentils and ice-cream on a fried plantain.

Mariscos Patio Beach. A roadside seafood kiosk overlooking the Caribbean with fresh and fried seafood dishes. Try the octopus salad, shrimp salad and tostones.

Tazza D' Oro Caffé. A breakfast and brunch spot across from Plaza de las Delicias. Try the egg quesadilla or eggs Benedict on brioche. They serve Gusto’s coffee, a Puerto Rican coffee roaster.

Con Leche. A breakfast and brunch cafe. Try the Mallorca egg sandwich or breakfast wrap made with eggs and salsa rojo.

Chango Bar. A dive bar named after the little black birds seen across Puerto Rico. Come here for a Medalla or glass of Don Q served neat.

Carnaval Ponceño (Festival of Masks)

Ponce’s week long carnival festival included nightly events, parades, performances and the famous Vejigantes leading up to carnival Tuesday.

Vejigantes

Carnaval Ponceño, also known as The Festival of Masks, is famous for the Puerto Rican Vejigantes, elaborately painted paper mache masks decorated with pointed horns, jagged teeth and worn with colorful jumpsuits. The Vejigantes are the symbol of the carnival and traditionally act as a reminder of evil spirits. Nowadays, they’re an expression of Puerto Rican culture.

The Festival

Plaza de las Delicias is turned into a fair with food, drink and craft vendors, amusement park rides & a main stage hosting musical performances and announcing the events on the carnival. Unlike what’s typically expected from carnival, Ponce’s is very family friendly.

Food vendors fry all types Puerto Rican dishes like mero (grouper), mofongo bites (mashed plantain), bacalaitos (cod fritters) and cheese. Full bars serve medalla, the local beer, and a list of cocktails like piña coladas, cuba libres and rum punch. Craft vendors sell handmade items like Vejigante pins, masks, horns and painted jackets. We bought and wore a pair of horns, similar to the full face masks worn by the Vejigantes.

The Main Parade

The main parade is the largest event of the carnival celebrations with Vejigantes, marching bands, floats, the queens of the carnival, classic cars & loud speaker trucks. The parade travels west down Calle Reina towards Plaza de las Delicias and ending in front of the main stage. The parade happens on Sunday afternoon before carnival Tuesday. It started around 2:30pm and lasted into the evening with festivities lasting even longer. Most people arrive by late morning and set up chairs along the shaded side of Calle Reina for the best views.

Guanica

Referred to as the “Paraíso del Eterno Verano,” of the Paradise of Eternal Summer, Guanica is a sunny region with white sand beaches, dry forests and coastal look out points.

Playa Santa. A popular white sand beach with turquoise waters, kayak rentals and beach restaurants. Stop for drinks at Mojito Beach Bar & El Anclan Flontante for all kinds of fried empanadas like fish, lobster, conch, octopus and shrimp.

Guanica State Forest. A dry forest home to many species of cacti, thorny evergreens and coastal mangroves. The park is divided by the Guanica Bay with several hiking trails that lead to beaches, rock formations and ruins. It’s designated as a UN bio-reserve. Located 30min west of Ponce.

Fuerte Capon. The ruins of a small fort overlooking the Guanica Bay and forest. Start at the visitor center and hike follow the 6 mile trail to hike here or park at Playa Jaboncillo beach and follow the shorter 30 minute trail to Fuerte Capon.
PR-333. A scenic coastal road with views of the dry forest and Caribbean Sea. There are many beaches, scenic pull offs and hiking trails along the way.
Pro Tip. The visitor center closes at 4pm and doesn’t allow people to begin hiking longer trails after 2pm.

La Parguera Nature Reserve

A marine reserve located in the fishing town of La Parguera. The reserve is made up of over 30 cayos, mangroves, sand bars, coral reefs and a bioluminescent bay. The only way to explore the reserve is by boat. We hired a captain for 5 hours with Joy Tours PR to bring us to different cayos in the reserve.

They Cayos

Cayo Caracoles & Robo la Gata. Two cayos with a shallow sand bars and clear turquoise water protected by the reefs and mangroves. Underwater trails lead through the mangroves and into the reef. They’re a popular spot for swimming, snorkeling, relaxing and partying. We spent the afternoon lounging in a raft, tanning in the sun and drinking Caribbean rum.

Good to Know:

Bring all food and drink with you for the day.
Wear water shoes to avoid sea urchins and broken coral.
Some cayos were closed due to damage from Hurricane Fiona.
Many boats often dock here on the weekends while the weekdays are quiet.

La Parguera Bio Bay

One of three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico, and the only one that people are allowed to swim in. Arriving on a tour boat at night, we jumped into the water causing a bright blue cloud of bioluminescence to form around us. As we swam in the warm salty water, it glowed bright blue with every movement, sparkling on our skin. It was a surreal experience that felt like swimming in a pool of glitter.

We booked with Paradise Scuba. Our tour included unlimited medallas and 2 fired vegetarian empanadas. We stoped at Cayo Caracoles to swim at sunset before making our way to the bio bay. We spent about half an hour in the bio bay before returning. Out of all 3 bio bays in Puerto Rico, this one was our favorite experience!

Pro Tips. The best time to visit this bio bay is on a fully dark, moonless night, after a sunny day and at least five days after the last rain. Bring a hoodie for the boat ride back. After swimming it gets cold.

Parguera Restaurants

There are many restaurants and bars along the main road in the city center of La Parguera. Most serve seafood, Puerto Rican dishes and rum based cocktails.

Puerto Parguera Restaurant. A seafood restaurant with dishes like octopus salad, whole fried red snapper and seafood paella. We splurged and ordered a grilled Caribbean lobster with a side of maduros (fried sweet plantains).

Isla Cueva. A restaurant and bar with over a dozen burger options including beef, chicken, pork, fish and vegan. We ordered the fried mahi mahi burger, piña colada and sangria. It’s a great spot to come before or after visiting the bioluminescent bay tour.

Cabo Rojo

A picturesque corner on the south west side the island with pink salt flats, desert-like terrain and turquoise Caribbean waters.

Cabo Rojo Salt Flats

Famous for their pink and light blue hued salt ponds. Upon arrival, we parked at the visitor center. It has a quaint museum with information on the surrounding ecosystem, the indigenous history behind the salt ponds and their use today. They also sell bottled water and have a restroom if needed.

Across from the visitor is a 3 story tall observation tower overlooking the salt flats. It offers a great vantage point to take in all of the different colored ponds. Further down the road is an entrance to the salt ponds where we walked across the narrow pathways separating each pond. The salt flats are open from 8:30am-4:30pm

Cabo Rojo Trails

There are a few nature trails that weave through the salt flats and desert-like terrain. We spent about two hours hiking through them and exploring the area. When coming here, wear sun protection, bring a sturdy umbrella and plenty of water.

Observation Tower Loop. A trail leading through the dry forest from the visitor center to an observation tower overlooking a large salt pond.

Ruins Trail. A trail that cuts across two large salt ponds, past a pile of salt, to a series of smaller ones and ends at the sea. The trail connects to the Observation Tower Loop and Bikes Trail.

Bikes Trail. A long trail that weaves throughout the salt flats, frequently used by mountain bikers

Coastal Sights

Playa Sucia. A crescent shaped beach covered in soft white sand hugging a turquoise bay. There are no nearby restaurants so bringing food, snack and water is a must. It’s a popular beach despite being semi remote and best to arrive early to find parking and a shaded spot under the trees. From here, we hiked to Faro Los Morrillos Lighthouse.

Faro Los Morrillos Lighthouse. A cliffside lighthouse with panoramic views of the Caribbean. There are hiking trails throughout the peninsula, rock formations and steep jagged cliffs.

Maunabo

A remote town on the far southeast side of Puerto Rico with lengthy natural beaches along the Caribbean Sea.

Playa Los Bohios. A pristine yellow and black sand beach lined with palm trees and views of the mountains. The water can be dangerous for swimming due to currents.

Faro de Punta Tuna. A historic Spanish lighthouse overlooking Playa Los Bohios and Punta Tuna Beach.

Punta Tuna Beach. A secluded palm lined yellow sand beach. The beach is not safe for swimming but makes for a beautiful setting for a relaxing afternoon.

Ecuarican Bar Restaurant. A restaurant with Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican fusion cuisine. It’s perched high on a cliff with an outdoor deck overlooking the coast. Come here for the mixed seafood ceviche and empanadas.

Puerto Rican Cuisine

Chillo Frito Entero. A fried red snapper served whole with crispy skin, tender meat and squeezed with lime. It’s usually accompanied by fried plantains like tostones, mofongo or amarillos.

Mofongo. Fried plantain mashed with garlic and butter. It’s often served plain or stuffed with an option of seafood. If prepared with bread fruit and yucca, it’s known as trifongo.

Empanadillas. Puerto Rican style fried empanadas stuffed with a range of fillings like octopus, conch, cod, shrimp, crap and pizza.

Pinchos. Grilled meats served on a stick often served at beaches or roadside kiosks. Our favorites are shark and shrimp.

Mojo Isleño. A savory sauce made from tomato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, olives and bay leaves. It’s often served on fried red snapper, lobster or mixed with octopus and conch.

Mallorca. A Puerto Rican pasty often shaped like a bun or swirled roll and dusted in powered sugar. Our favorite preparations are pressed with guava with cheese or egg and cheese.

Coco Frio. A cold and freshly opened coconut. Drink the coconut water inside then the sweet meat inside. Alternatively, enjoy it with coconut rum to create a tropical cocktail

Rum. Puerto Rico is unarguably the rum capital of the Caribbean with several distilleries and local brands served in bars across the island. Order it on the rocks, in a Pina Colada or other tropical cocktail.

Medalla. The island’s most popular local beer, recognizable by it’s small golden can. It has a light slightly nutty flavor and is served everywhere. Buy a 6 pack for the beach!

Getting Around

Fly into Ponce. Ponce has a small airport with several flights per day operated by Frontier and Jet Blue. It’s located 15 minutes from the city center.

Rent A Car. Renting a car is necessary to get around anywhere on the south side of Puerto Rico outside of Ponce. There are multiple car rental companies at the airport.

Driving Between Towns:

Cabo Rojo is about 1 hour 30 minutes west of Ponce.
La Parguera is about 1 hour west of Ponce.
Guanica is 30-45 minutes west of Ponce.
Salinas is about 45 minutes east of Ponce.
Maunabo is about 1 hour 30 minutes east of Ponce.

Where to Stay

Casa Luna. An inexpensive hotel in a neon green creole style building located 2 streets away from Plaza de las Delicias in Ponce’s city center. It has multiple private rooms with bathrooms, a public patio and outdoor kitchen. Book on Airbnb.

Elsewhere in Puerto Rico

Having visited Puerto Rico nearly 20 times, we’ve experienced many places across the island. Though we don’t live here, we consider ourselves non-local experts and one day hope to call this beautiful island our home. Experience Puerto Rican culture in the capital city of San Juan. Explore the colorful and colonial streets of Old San Juan. Hike the El Yunque Rainforest in Eastern Puerto Rico. Visit the surf towns along Western Puerto Rico. See the indigenous Taino sights of Central Puerto Rico. Get off the mainland to visit the islands of Culebra and Vieques.

For Next Time…

Whether a spontaneous weekend trip or planned vacation, we will certainly be back to Puerto Rico many more times! We have our eyes set experiencing things we’ve missed during past trips around the southern side of Puerto Rico including:

Isla Caja De Muertos (Coffin Island). A secluded nature reserve off the coast of Ponce home to a dry forest, many species of birds, coral reefs for snorkeling and diving, sandy beaches, turquoise water, hiking trails and mangroves. It can only be reached by boat however most ferries and tour operators have stopped visiting the island since hurricane Fiona and a series of earthquakes.

Explore Yacuco. Spend a day exploring the colorful hillside community and its nearby coffee haciendas.

Caribbean Puerto Rico