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Puerto Rico Day 9: Ponce and Fajardo

2 January 2022 • 294 km / 183 mi (map)

  • Added to Eric Scouten :: Travel on 13 January 2022
  • Puerto Rico 9

This morning, we said goodbye to the treehouse and started our journey home. We had a full day to spend on the island, so we spent our lunch time in the southern coastal city of Ponce and then made our way to the very northeast corner of the island for a night-time bioluminescent kayak tour before heading back to the airport.

After lunch at a roadside coffee shop, we walked around the main square of Ponce for a bit.

Two glossy black grackles with pale yellow eyes and long dark bills perch side by side on a black-painted metal railing, both facing right, with a blurred paved lot and blue parking-line markings in the background.
CoffeeHouse, Ponce, Puerto Rico
A large ornate lion fountain sprays tall jets of water in a plaza, flanked by reclining stone lion sculptures and green shrubbery, with the white domed towers of a cathedral rising above leafy trees against a blue sky with dramatic clouds.
Plaza Degetau, Ponce, Puerto Rico
The pale gray and white facade of the Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Ponce, Puerto Rico, with its two symmetrical silver-domed bell towers topped by crosses, a central cross above the pediment, and a wooden door studded with golden crosses, set against a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. A checkerboard-paved plaza with chain-linked posts and green trees frames the foreground.
Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Ponce, Puerto Rico
The historic Parque de Bombas firehouse in Ponce, Puerto Rico, an ornate two-story building painted in bold red and black stripes with decorative floral and fireman motifs, its front lettering reading “Parque de Bombas 1883.” Vintage fire engines are visible parked inside the open arched bays, set against a bright blue sky with scattered clouds and an empty tiled plaza in the foreground.
Parque de Bombas, Ponce, Puerto Rico
A bronze lion sculpture spouting water from its mouth sits on a stone pedestal at the center of the Lions Fountain in Ponce, with a tiered stone fountain behind it and tall jets of water spraying against a blue sky with scattered clouds and green trees.
Plaza Degetau, Ponce, Puerto Rico
An arched wooden doorway on a gray building painted with the Puerto Rican flag in muted, faded tones—white star on a bare-wood triangle beside brown and white stripes. Above the door, a blue stained-glass transom reads “AD HOC,” and a black wall-mounted globe lamp hangs to the right, with a second matching arched doorway visible nearby along the tiled sidewalk.
Plaza Degetau, Ponce, Puerto Rico

On our way out of town, we were struck by the remains of the old municipal hospital, so we stopped and made a few photos:

An abandoned, weathered white building with the words “Hospital Municipal” carved across its facade and “Tricoche” on a central medallion, its neoclassical arches and windows deteriorating with peeling paint. A rusting wrought-iron fence and gate topped with cross-shaped finials run across the front, with a large green tree on the left and dramatic clouds against a deep blue sky above.
Antiguo Hospital Tricoche, Ponce, Puerto Rico
A rusted, bent wrought-iron gate topped with fleur-de-lis finials frames a view of an abandoned building with peeling paint, shuttered windows, and an arched doorway. Dry weeds and overgrown vines fill the foreground beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
Antiguo Hospital Tricoche, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Antiguo Hospital Tricoche, Ponce, Puerto Rico · by Lisa Rozmyn
An abandoned old building with peeling plaster, weathered green wooden doors, and a moss-covered flat roofline stands on a corner under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. A tall, narrow evergreen tree rises behind it, and colorful houses, including a teal one, line the quiet street beyond.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
A weathered building facade in Ponce, Puerto Rico, painted in a two-tone scheme of teal and cream, with a tall wooden door topped by a scalloped metal awning and an old street lamp mounted above. Overhead wires cross the frame diagonally, and metal handrails flank steps leading up to the door from a concrete sidewalk with a yellow-painted curb.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
A brown and white dog walks through a doorway of a derelict pink building with peeling paint, exposed brick, and the word “NO” spray-painted in red, while a second dog rests in a sunlit debris-strewn courtyard beyond.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
A weathered white plaster wall with a barred window whose vertical metal bars are rusted and peeling white paint, revealing a dark interior behind them. A small green fern-like plant grows out of the wall from the sill below the window.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
An overgrown vacant lot enclosed by weathered, peeling walls of an abandoned building, with dense green brush and vines reclaiming a gravel yard under a bright blue sky dotted with white clouds. A bird flies overhead in the upper portion of the frame.
Antiguo Hospital Tricoche, Ponce, Puerto Rico
A weathered metal fence with peeling white and rust-streaked paint bears a faded sign reading “NO ENTRE / VEHICULOS AUTORIZADOS SOLAMENTE,” behind which lies an overgrown, abandoned lot with crumbling stucco buildings under a bright blue sky with clouds.
Antiguo Hospital Tricoche, Ponce, Puerto Rico

We had heard about bioluminescent bays and that Puerto Rico had a few of them. We managed to finagle a spot at the last moment with Glass Bottom Kayak Tours, so we drove all the way to Fajardo on the very northeast corner of the island during the afternoon.

They advised us to arrive an hour early so we could find a parking place, because … “well, you’ll see why when you get here.” Turns out there was either some kind of festival or big party and it took us a while to find a parking place. This was a lot of fun, but it made finding dinner before the tour … challenging.

Parque Recreativo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico · by Lisa Rozmyn
Parque Recreativo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico · by Lisa Rozmyn
Parque Recreativo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Parque Recreativo, Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Sadly, bioluminescence is only really visible in almost absolute darkness, so we have no photos to share. But it was a truly magical experience. If you go to Puerto Rico, you should definitely plan on taking this or a similar tour.

Driving in Puerto Rico

If you are a US mainlander tempted to rent a car and drive while in Puerto Rico, it’s definitely doable, but here are a few things you might want to know:

  • The road signs are all in Spanish; English translations are rare. That said, if you have even the most minimal knowledge of Spanish, you’ll be fine. The shapes and style of the signs are almost exactly the same as in the mainland.
  • Many road signs were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Maria some years ago and have not been replaced. Many freeway exits have no signs whatsoever. Plan on using a maps app for navigation.
  • The roads themselves are often damaged and unmaintained. Stay alert for potholes. There are lots of them.
  • “Slower traffic keep right” is a mainland concept. You will often find people driving at or below the speed limit in the left lane and they will not change lanes for you. Get used to passing on the right; it’s common.
  • Puerto Rico uses a rather bizarre combination of metric and US traditional measures: Speed limits (velocidad máxima) are in miles per hour, but distances are in kilometers. Gas is sold by the liter. Bridge clearances are in feet and inches.
  • Despite all these quirks, Puerto Ricans are pretty decent drivers. I’ve driven in more than 40 countries and consider P.R. to be in the middle of the pack as driving cultures go. Stay alert and you’ll be fine.
Ponce to Fajardo and San Juan, Puerto Rico · 294 km / 183 mi
(Mouse over or tap on the markers to see the photos there. Use the button to adjust the map’s position and zoom.)

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