Caguas is a city in the La Montaña region of Puerto Rico.

Transportation

Public transportation in Caguas, as in most of Puerto Rico is limited to small, “Carro Públicos.” There is service from and to San Juan and Rio Piedras, however, to get to Caguas from the airport can be an adventure. You will have to take a bus to Rio Piedras (the main bus terminal) then take walk several minutes to find the guagua for Caguas. It is a very inexpensive way to travel, but can take up to 3 hours.

Within Caguas, there are several buses and taxis serving the town. Make sure to ask the driver before you go in for your destination.

There will be a light-rail system connecting Caguas to San Juan. It was originally scheduled to start construction in the first quarter of 2008 and take two years to complete. As of the first quarter of 2010, the project had not commenced.

See

• Plaza Palmer in the center of the old section of town, is the main point from where to explore Caguas. At the centre 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, and recently renovated. It has been the center of power for Caguas since the beginning.

• Catedral El Dulce Nombre de Jesus, 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

You can go to Las Catalinas 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, (787)258-1570). The waiters wear authentic-looking uniforms, and the atmosphere is upbeat. Entrees average $10-18.

Sleep

The Four Points Sheraton hotel, conveniently located from 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. (BEWARE: 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.)