Yauco

Yauco is a town of 34,000 people (2020) on the southwestern Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. The town is one of the most visited (aside from Ponce) in Puerto Rico's southern coast due to its rich history and architecture, its renowned coffee heritage and its indigenous past.

Understand
The area where Yauco is located today used to form part of the Guaynia Taino region, led by Agüeybana, the most powerful Taíno cacique (chief) at the time of the Spanish arrival to Puerto Rico in 1493. The town of Yauco was founded in 1756, and it became a center for Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico in the 19th century. Corsicans have contributed to many areas of life in Yauco, particularly to its coffee industry and heritage. For this reason the town is nicknamed El Pueblo del Café ('Town of Coffee') and its residents are called Los Corsos ('The Corsicans'). You will probably also notice the Corsican/Italian-sounding names of streets and geographical features in the area. The town was later the scene of numerous historical events such as the 1897 Intentona de Yauco ('Yauco coup attempt') against the Spanish government and the year after, the Yauco Battle of the Spanish-American War. These two historical events have the commonality in the history of Puerto Rico for being the place where the Puerto Rican (1897) and American (1898) flags were flown for the first time.

The municipality of Yauco extends from the western Cordillera Central in the north to the Caribbean Sea in the south. As such, it can be divided into three sections: the mountainous area famous for its coffee plantations and its rainforests, the historic Pueblo area (the administrative and historic downtown) in the center, and the coastal area, which is part of the Guánica Dry Forest.

Get in

 * Ponce: Mercedita International Airport, 24 miles (39 km) away
 * Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport, 51 miles (82 km) away
 * San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, 91 miles (146 km) away

By car
Yauco Pueblo is along PR Route-2, the main road connecting Ponce to Mayagüez. The coastal area (Playa Ballena) of Yauco can only be reached by car from Guánica (PR-333) or as a hike from the nearby Guánica State Forest.

Get around
As with most parts of Puerto Rico, driving is the best way to get around within the municipality of Yauco. The Pueblo or historic downtown area however is compact enough to be seen by foot.

Do




Buy

 * Coffee is probably one of the best things to buy in Yauco. The town is considered one of the coffee capitals of Puerto Rico.
 * There are gift shops selling handcrafted items in the downtown area (Pueblo) of Yauco, particularly around the Fernando de Pacheco y Matos Plaza and the Parque Arturo Lluberas.

Eat

 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.
 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.
 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.
 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.
 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.
 * You can also find the typical fast food places in and around Yauco Plaza such as Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut, as well as Puerto Rican chains such as El Mesón Sandwiches, Martin’s BBQ and Taco Maker.

Go next

 * Adjuntas
 * Guánica
 * Guayanilla
 * Lares
 * Maricao
 * Sabana Grande