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City guide

Ponce

Ponce is a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692 and is named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León.

Type City

Why go

  • City and municipality of Puerto Rico.
  • Served by Mercedita International Airport (PSE).

History

Ponce is a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692 and is named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the great-grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce is often referred to as La Perla del Sur, La Ciudad Señorial, and La Ciudad de las Quenepas.

Airports

Mercedita International Airport (PSE) 6.7 km to the centre
Ponce, U, PR — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 1 airline (JetBlue Airways) · direct flights to 2 destinations incl. New York, Orlando (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 2 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Fort Allen Airport 13 km to the centre
Potala Pastillo, U, PR
Outdoor
Adjuntas Airport 24 km to the centre
Adjuntas, U, PR
Outdoor

Where things are

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Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Ponce
Ponce
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Mercedita International Airport (PSE); 3 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: PSE has direct flights to 2 destinations on 1 airline (incl. New York, Orlando).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Ponce. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.