Caguas is a characterful city set in the Turabo Valley and filled with handsome historic buildings. Stroll around the shady botanical gardens, visit a museum dedicated to Puerto Rico's legendary tobacco industry and enjoy an evening of culture at the performing arts centre.
Things to do in Caguas
Explore an oasis of green at Jardín Botánico y Cultural de Caguas. The botanical gardens are set on the Caguitas River and celebrate the biodiversity of the Turabo Valley. Paths wind through the gardens and take you past towering palms, vibrant heliconias and fragrant orchids. See the ruins of a 19th-century sugar plantation and don’t miss the arboretum filled with medicinal plants used by the indigenous Taíno people.
Learn about one of Puerto Rico's most lucrative industries at Museo del Tobacco. Exhibits spotlight the city’s heyday as a tobacco-growing powerhouse. Tour a recreated tobacco ranch and take part in hands-on tobacco rolling workshops. By the time you leave, you’ll have a complex understanding of how tobacco is grown, trimmed, cut, dried, processed and packaged.
Take a deep dive into Puerto Rico’s national identity at the Caguas History Museum. The museum is housed in City Hall, a beautiful historic building set on Plaza Palmer. Exhibits cover everything from Taíno traditions to the Puerto Rico campaign led by the US military.
Admire works by local artists at Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas. From larger-than-life art installations to thought-provoking paintings, the cultural and performing arts centre champions a wide range of mediums. The intimate theatre hosts music concerts, ballet recitals and opera concerts.
Getting around Caguas
Parts of Caguas are pedestrian-friendly and easy to get around on foot. Local buses are a fast and affordable way to get around the city. Caguas is a 40-minute drive from San Juan and 30 minutes from Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport.