The 10 Best Points of Interest & Landmarks in Ponce, Puerto Rico

The Casa Wiechers-Villaronga is a neo-classical style mansion in Ponce. It was designed and built in the early twentieth century. The house was acquired and restored by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and now operates as the Museo de la Arquitectura Poncena (Museum of Ponce Architecture).

Right as you enter the town of Ponce through the PR-52 highway, you'll notice something big: five huge, red letters spelling out the name of the city, P-O-N-C-E. It is one of Ponce's, and possibly the island's, most well known and recognized landmarks. Each of the letters is about 20 feet high painted in red and black paint, the colors that represent the town.

Ponce's main square has enough to keep you busy, from historical sites to boutiques.

Cruceta del Vigia is a 100 feet tall cross located atop Vigia Hill in Ponce, across from Museo Castillo Serralles. It houses a tourist center at its base, a ten-story vertical tower, and a horizontal sky bridge that has panoramic views of the city and the Caribbean Sea. Visitors can reach the skybridge via glass elevators or a staircase. Made of reinforced concrete, the cross has withstood various natural disasters. The arms of the cross measure 70 feet. It was inaugurated in 1984. Owned by the Town of Ponce and is currently operated by the "Patronato de Ponce", a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and administrating several of the city's landmarks.

Also known as "El Castillo", this old building is an antique military base that was constructed around 1894. It was built by Spaniards to serve as the main base for those stationed in Ponce, and as a defense from the American invasion of 1898. Nowadays, the structure is used as the campus for the Ponce School of Fine Arts.

The Ponce Credit and Savings Bank holds a lot of history. It was one of the two first established Puerto Rican banks, and the first one to open in Ponce. As so, it became one of the largest banking companies in the island during the XX century. Its building was constructed in 1924 and declared a historic site later in 1987. It now serves as one of the locations for Santander Bank.

Caja de Muertos Light, (Faro de la Isla de Caja de Muertos) is an 1887 lighthouse in Ponce, Puerto Rico, that is unique amongst all other lighthouses in Puerto Rico for its unusual Cross of Lorraine, double-arm, T-type shape structure. The historic lighthouse is located in Caja de Muertos, an uninhabited island off the coast of Ponce. The light stands at the highest point of the island.

This piece was produced at Ponce es Ley, a Street Art event hosted annually where dozens of artists team up to fill the town with murals. Senora Senorial is a mural painting, showcasing a queen-like figure with the flag of Ponce waving behind her.

Casa Fernando Luis Toro , also known as Casa Chavier, is a historic house in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The house is unique in that it is located in the first upper-class suburban development built in Puerto Rico, La Alhambra. The house dates to 1927 and was designed by the famed Puerto Rican architect Francisco Porrata Doria. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The house was sold by its original owners in the early 1970s to Mr. Jorge Chavier and his wife Ms. Hilda de Lis who still occupied the house in 1986.