Ponce, Puerto Rico

Is a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city serves as the governmental seat of the autonomous municipality as well as the regional hub for various Government of Puerto Rico entities. It is also the regional center for various other commonwealth and federal government agencies. The heart of Ponce dates from the late 17th century and has been declared a national treasure. It consists of plazas and churches and highly decorative colonial homes, some glorious fountains and a unique fire station.
Ponce is an important trading and distribution center, and has a port of entry; Playa de Ponce Port is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean area, handles tobacco, coffee, rum, and sugar cane. SeaDream docks alongside at the yacht marina rather than the commercial port and offer several yachting land adventures.


Ponce was founded in 1692 by Juan Ponce de Leon's great-grandson - Loi­za Ponce de Leon. Ponce was Spain's capital of the southern region until it fell to the U.S. in 1898.

Ponce is located in the Southern Coastal Plain region (about 5 km (3 mi) from the south central coast of the island), south of Adjuntas, Utuado and Jayuya; east of Pei±uelas; and west of Juana Di­az. The annual precipitation is approximately 36 inches on the coast and 48 inches in the interior and the average temperature is 75°F.

Nearly one half a billion dollars have been spent preserving the colonial core of Ponce. The heart of Ponce dates from the late 17th century and has been declared a national treasure. It consists of plazas and churches and highly decorative colonial homes, some glorious fountains and a unique fire station.

Ponce is an important trading and distribution center, and has a port of entry; Playa de Ponce Port is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean area, handles tobacco, coffee, rum, and sugar cane. Nearby golf courses are among Puerto Rico's best.

The world class Ponce Museum of Art, designed by Edward Durrell Stone (Museum of Modern Art, NY), is the only museum of stature, houses the most extensive art collection in the Caribbean. Located on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, 90 minutes from San Juan. The museum was donated by a foundation established by Luis A Ferre (Governor 1968-72). The building, with seven interconnected hexagons, glass cupolas and a pair of curved staircases, contains one of the most important pre-Raphaelite collections in the western hemisphere. The museum houses more than 1,000 paintings and 400 sculptures, including the finest collection of European works in the Caribbean, such as works by Velasquez, Rubens and Rodin. Many important Puerto Rican pieces are included in the collection, some Inca pottery and even Thai pieces. The museum also offers exhibits by contemporary Puerto Rican artists