Caguas
Caguas, located in the Caguas Valley, is the largest city in the mountainous region of Puerto Rico with a population of 127,000 in 2020. This historic rural town the city has grown to become a southern suburb of San Juan.
Get in
- San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
- Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport
- Ponce: Mercedita Airport
By car
ALSA – National Express operates a modern coach service between Caguas and San Juan, with service seven days a week in modern coaches which have air conditioning and a bathroom. ALSA has two routes to San Juan, both starting at the Caguas bus terminal, with stops at Catalinas Mall in Caguas, the Río Piedras Medical Center and Plaza las Américas mall in Hato Rey. At this point, the buses will follow two routes, depending on one’s destination: one route ends at Covadonga in Old San Juan, with stops at Minillas and Paseo del Caribe and the other route ends at Isla Verde Avenue, with stops at the Urban Train stations in Hato Rey and the Sacred Heart area. The routes operate daily from 5:30AM to 9PM. The buses from Caguas leave every half hour to 1 hour, depending on the route. Tickets vary in price from $2.50 to $4.00 each, depending on the destination (Jul 2019).
Other public carriers (known locally as “carros públicos” or “guagas”) take longer and are not always reliable.
Caguas can be easily reached by car from San Juan through highway PR-52 and the old central road PR-1, as it is on the same route that connects San Juan to Ponce.
Get around
Within Caguas, there are several buses and taxis serving the town. Make sure to ask the driver before you go in for your destination.
As with most of Puerto Rico, driving is the easiest way to get around in Caguas as it is a very car-centric city.
See
- 🌍 Caguas Pueblo (downtown Caguas). See the historic Roman Catholic church, Spanish-style recreational plaza, and the municipal buildings surrounded by streets and shops.
You can drive around the pueblo or park your car and walk around the square and into the plaza. The Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for celebrations and festivities. - Plaza Palmer in the center of the old section of town, is the main point from where to explore Caguas. At the center there is a statue of Jose Guatier Benitez, a romantic poet that made Caguas famous in the 19th century. There is also a clock that highlights some of the most prominent cagueños.
- City Hall or Casa Alcaldía has been very well preserved. It has been the center of power for Caguas since the beginning.
- Catedral El Dulce Nombre de Jesús, built in the 18th century and renovated after an earthquake destroyed most of it. It has the remains of the first Puerto Rican saint, St. Charlie, born in Caguas.
- Museums: Casa Rosada, Museum of Tobacco, Quinton House.
Do
Landmarks and places of interest
- Cable Car
- Caguas Historical Museum
- Coquí Villa
- Hacienda Catalina Ruins
- Hacienda Cofresí
- Hacienda Country Club
- Turabo Park
Festivals and events
- Rosario Cantado a los Reyes - 4 January
- Three Kings Festival - 5 January
- Criolla Beatriz - February Criolla Borinquen Fair -
- March Criolla Cañabón Fair - April
- Felipe "La Voz Rodríguez' Birthday - 8 May
- Cross Festival - 23–31 May
- Typical Criole Festival - 1–2 June
Buy
- 🌍 Walmart Supercenter, 301 Av. Rafael Cordero, ☏ +1 787-653-1376. 6AM-11PM. Department store, grocery store and pharmacy.
You can go to Las Catalinas Mall, Plaza del Carmen Mall or Plaza Centro Mall.
Eat
There are many restaurants with all of Puerto Rico's authentic foods in Caguas.
The mofongo is excellent at Raíces restaurant near south-central Caguas (H31 Calle Pino, ☏ +1 787 258-1570. The waiters wear authentic-looking uniforms, and the atmosphere is upbeat. Entrees average $10-18.
One famous restaurant that sells international food is El Cantinflas, which serves Mexican food and is a popular place among locals.
Sleep
The Four Points Sheraton hotel, off the highway south of Caguas, has a nice pool area with slide and fountains for the kids, a hot tub, a nice restaurant that looks out onto the pool, a workout room, very comfortable accommodations, and excellent service. However, it is co-located with a small casino run by the same company and sharing the same parking lot. Parking is $9/night (as of January 2010), even for hotel guests. Much of the property is well-built; the parking garage has a glass elevator, there are colored accent lights, a glassed-in walkway that goes by a large outdoor fountain, etc. However, as is common in Caribbean countries, all of it has a soon-to-be-run-down feeling about it. (Most online mapping tools will place the Four Points' address, "500 Alhambra En Granada Boulevard," a few miles north of where it actually is. Follow the directions on their website instead.)
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