Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
burial of a sardine (the traditional significance of which has been washed away by booze)
and the onset of Lent. Each parade and all of the critical activities take place in Plaza Las
Delicias in front of Casa AlcaldÃa. If you're planning to visit Ponce during Carnaval, make
your hotel and transportation reservations at least three months in advance.
Semana de la Danza
DANCE, MUSIC
Held in mid-May, this 'Week of Dance' has parades and dance events. The (humorously
stuffy) Ponce Municipal Band performs in Plaza Las Delicias as well-groomed couples of-
fer postured examples of the form of dance that goes along with what's regarded as 'Puerto
Rico's classical music.' It's in the right place; Ponce was home to high society and com-
posers who made
danza
a distinctive art form at the turn of the 19th century.
Fiesta de Bomba y Plena
MUSIC, DANCE
Drummers and
pleneros
(
plena
singers) arrive from all over the island to participate in
this festival of
bomba y plena,
the singing, dancing and drumming style that evolved in
Ponce from citizens of African descent who came en masse to work the cane fields. Held
in August, with major events at the Rafael 'Caro' Maldonado baseball park.
Sleeping
If you're planning on spending any quality time in Ponce, it's best to make your bed at one
of the hotels surrounding the Plaza Las Delicias, instead of the bland chain resorts outside
of the city center. The sterility of the Hilton and Holiday Inn might comfort the most cau-
tious gringo, but the local flavor is nil and prices soar for accommodations that are only
questionably more comfortable.
Hotel Meliá
HOTEL $$
( 787-842-0260, 800-44-UTELL;
www.hotelmeliapr.com
;
2 Cristina; r incl contin-
ental breakfast $100-140; )
Just east of the plaza, this independent, historic
hotel might remind you of favorite three-star hotels in Spain and Portugal. The grand lobby
is plusher than the basic rooms, but everything is clean and functional, the building is mo-
numental and the staff is friendly and helpful. Continental breakfast is served on a sunny
rooftop deck and the beautifully renovated pool makes an attractive bonus. The 80 rooms
are spread over four floors and bit by bit they are being updated. The beds are big and bath-
rooms fully modernized. The hotel has been in the family for generations - check out the
