Ponce – The Pearl of the South
Wednesday, September 19: Here in Ponce you get the feeling that time stood still some 200 years ago.
More than 600 of the roughly 1,000 historic colonial-era buildings in the heart of the city have been restored at a cost of around half a billion dollars, giving you the impression of walking through a film set. The city has been declared a national treasure.
The most famous building in this city is the Parque De Bombar, an old fire station — now a museum — originally built in 1882 for an agricultural fair. It stands directly behind the Spanish-Creole church Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe dating from the 17th century. Attempts by the church to have the colourful building relocated were thwarted by the resistance of the local population.
A little way from the centre you can get an impression of what things might have looked like before the great renovation effort.
La Paguera – Phosphorescent Bay – Puerto Rico
Completely fascinated by Ponce, we head on at midday to La Paguera, a charming resort town that was once a fishing village. We check into the Hotel Nautilus and relax for a while... There is no particularly beautiful beach here, but it is good enough for a swim. Southwest of town, however, you will find the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse, which offers a wonderful view along the coast.
In the evening we make our way to the harbour, where boats depart for the famous Phosphorescent Bay. In the lagoon that reaches into the mangrove swamps, prehistoric bioluminescent organisms begin to glow when disturbed. It sounds spectacular, but you have to look very carefully to see anything. Apparently it is much better at Vieques...
