Ponce is the best place to experience an old colonial town in Puerto Rico. Known as "La Perla del Sur" (The Pearl of the South), the city wears its history proudly — pastel-painted mansions line the streets, wrought-iron balconies overhang the plazas, and a general air of faded grandeur hangs over everything.
The heyday of Ponce was during the 19th century, when it was the centre of the island's sugar-growing country. The great wealth that resulted was used to construct ornate buildings and to make the city the cultural centre of the south. Many of its balconied mansions have been renovated and painted pastel pink and mint green, and its classy opera house and impressive museums are once again drawing visitors from across the island.
The heart of the city is Plaza las Delicias, one of the loveliest squares in Puerto Rico, anchored by the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the wonderfully eccentric red-and-black Parque de Bombas firehouse. From there you can walk to the Ponce Art Museum, which houses one of the finest art collections in the Caribbean, or head uphill to Castillo Serrallés, the mansion of the island's oldest rum-making dynasty, with sweeping views over the city and coast.
Down at the waterfront, La Guancha boardwalk offers food stalls, live music on weekends, and a public beach for a quick swim in the Caribbean. Ponce is also the jumping-off point for boat trips to Caja de Muertos, an uninhabited island nature reserve with excellent snorkelling.