Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Post
Post office (93 Atocha; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 7am-noon Sat)
Four blocks north of
Plaza Las Delicias, this is the most central of the city's four post offices.
Tourist Information
PuertoRicoTourismCompany(PRTC;
www.letsgotoponce.com
;ParquedeBombas,
Plaza Las Delicias; 9am-5:30pm)
You can't miss the big red-and-black structure in
the middle of the park, where friendly, English-speaking members of the tourist office are
ready with brochures, answers and suggestions.
Getting There & Away
Air
Four miles east of the town center off Hwy 1 on Hwy 5506, the Aeropuerto de Mercedita
(Mercedita Airport) looks dressed for a party, but still waiting for the guests to arrive.
Cape
Air (
www.capeair.net
)
has four flights a day to San Juan (one way/return $87/152) and
jetBlue(
www.jetblue.com
)
also services Ponce from a number of American cities.
Car
Cruising to Ponce from San Juan is easy on the smoothly paved A-52 (Hwy 52), a partially
toll-controlled highway called the Autopista Luis A Ferré. You'll know you've arrived
when you pass through the mountains and drive through the towering letters by the road-
side reading 'P-O-N-C-E.' The city center is about 2 miles from the south shore and 2 miles
from the foothills of the Central Mountains to the north.
You don't have to drive through the center of town to get through Ponce - two bypass roads
circle the city to the south. The inner road is Av Emelio Fagot/Av Las Américas (Hwy 163).
The faster route is the outer road, Hwy 2, called the 'Ponce By Pass' which hosts the town's
biggest mall and loads of American chain stores. To reach the port, take the freshly paved
route just east of the square, Rte 12. It becomes a divided highway south of the Ponce By
Pass. Follow the signs to La Guancha.
Público
There's a nice, new público (shared taxi) terminal three blocks north of the plaza, near
Plaza del Mercado, with connections to all major towns. There are plenty of long-haul vans
headed to Río Piedras in San Juan (about $20) and Mayagüez (about $10).
