Known as the Southern Pearl, this is San Juan's look-alike city in Puerto Rico. A one-of-a-kind cultural hub, this city has turned into a model urban area for other formerly colonial towns. Besides, its surroundings invite you to melt into a mixture of beaches and woods. Its colonial architecture goes back to the 17th century, plus over 500 buildings from the 19th and the 20th centuries. Travelers will also find the Tibe's Ceremonial Park, al ancient Indian cemetery considered the oldest graveyard in the West Indies -circa 300 AD- and ultimately viewed as a mock-up Taino village. The Buena Vista Estate, an old 19th-century coffee plantation recently refurbished and opened to the public as a museum, is another must-see. Ponce's Art Museum, the largest in the Caribbean, is another tourist attraction. Founded by Governor Luis A. Ferre and designed by Edward Durrell Stone, it currently contains a collection of over 1,000 pictorial representations and 400 sculptures, especially from the Late Renaissance and the baroque art. Other distinctive elements in Ponce are the Fire Station, a peculiar red-and-black building that harks back to 1983; the Main Square and the Delights Square (Plaza de las Delicias), the latter being the hub of the city's historical section. And don't forget the El Vigia neighborhood, where a cluster of huge 17th and 18th-century mansions owned by Ponce's most distinguished families can be admired. Ponce brags with having some of the island's finest restaurants and lodging facilities featuring the best Puerto Rican cuisine and the coziest hotels overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Major shopping malls are found around the city's main plazas. You cannot pass up the presence of the surrounding beaches nearby to lay back and bask in the sun. For Ponce locals and tourists alike, there's nothing like having a drink or dancing in entertainment spots that glitter the city's night life. Sports, sailing, boating or fishing are some of the options Ponce has in store just for you!