CRIMPED CASTILLO

Probably the museum not to be missed in Ponce, first because the place is beautiful, and second because you discover the past prosperity of the city. Located on a hill overlooking Ponce, the castle of the wealthy Serrallés family, who made their fortune in rum production, takes you into the heart of the bourgeois lifestyle of the time. Since its construction in 1930, the immense 4-story villa is so imposing that all the inhabitants of Ponce nickname it the Serrallés castle. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens that you can also visit. The members of the Serrallés family lived here until the late 1970s and left most of the original furniture to the museum.

Getting there. A shuttle bus runs daily from Plaza las Delicias to Serrallés Castle at 10:30 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Here you can learn about the history of sugar cane and DON Q rum on a guided tour. Stroll through the park, which also includes a beautiful Japanese garden, a butterfly sanctuary and the emblematic Cruceta del Vigía, a giant cross (30 meters high) built in 1984. It offers a beautiful view of the city and the Caribbean Sea.

New. The DON Q Rum Tour, dedicated to the process of making Puerto Rico's most popular rum, is one of the main points of interest in the city of Ponce. Tours are held Thursday through Monday at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. in Spanish, at 1 p.m. in English. The cost is US$60. Reservations can be made online (https://donq.com/tour/).