Salinas • Catholic wooden carvings in Porta Coeli Church Museum • Church in Coamo

You need 3 days and 3 nights to see the south coast......

The south coast of Puerto Rico is considerably drier and hotter than the lusher north coast. The 'Cordillera Central' ( central mountain range) captures the rain and little of it gets over the mountains. Ponce is the largest city, sometimes called the 'Pearl of the South'.

A days drive could well start at the southwest tip of Puerto Rico from Yabucoa to Maunabo then along the scenic south coast. There are many scenic vistas and lovely beaches to walk on. the swimming is not great in this area, rough but scenic waters. Guayama is a town with a bit of history to see. 'Casa Cautina' is a restored house on the plaza that has been turned into a museum. Stop in Coamo and take a dip in the thermal springs just outside the town.

Arrive in Ponce late in the afternoon and stay near the plaza at Hotels Melia or Belgica, or the new Fox. Dine in the truly gourmet restaurant called "Marks", located in the lobby of the Hotel Melia. Ponce is a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon and evening walking around the heart of Old Ponce. Spanish Colonial architecture, and a quiet dignified old plaza, pretty fountain. Be sure to visit the Museum of History, next to the Ponce La Perla Theatre, for the architectural wonder of it the building! Art Nouveau details and lovely stained glass throughout.

Next morning head out of Ponce, one of two ways. You can can go west towards Guanica or you could go up Route #10 to Adjuntas. You could also visit the Ponce Art Museum.

• A great day can be spent driving west from Ponce towards Cabo Rojo. The Dry Forest is near Guanica. It is very hot to walk in this forest. Early morning would be your best bet, summers are impossibly hot to try to hike here.

• Gilligans' Island ( next page) in Guanica is a great swimming and snorkeling excursion. The private ferry takes you from the dock just beyond the Copamarina Hotel to the dock on Gilligans Island for a few dollars. Clear water and white sand with a cool current running through the mangrove canals. A wonderful place to spend a few hours.

• La Parguera is a small town on the coast beyond Guanica that has become a local tourist destination, often quite crowded, known for its' seafood restaurants and the bioluminescent bay. This biobay is no longer very spectacular due to the loss of brilliance as the dense dinoflagellate population has practically died out. Biobays are very fragile ecosystems and are often destroyed before neccessary protections have been put in place. The biobay in Vieques is the healthiest and consequently the brightest. The Biobay near Fajardo is also much brighter than the La Parguera one is now. See Biobays page for more information.

Below left a view of the 'Monte Oscuro' hills • Coamo Municipal Hot Springs on the right