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17 Things to Do in Caguas that are Worth It
👉 Jump to: Best Things | History and Culture | Food & Drink | Family-Friendly
Located between the metropolitan and mountainous regions of Puerto Rico, Caguas has a ton of awesome things to do.
Though not frequented by travelers, Caguas is just a short ride from San Juan. It’s home to museums, outdoor parks, and some of the best stuff to explore in Puerto Rico.
I’m a local who’s been to the city, and I can promise that Caguas has plenty to offer.
17 Best Things to Do in Caguas
Jardín Botánico y Cultural de Caguas
Stroll in a peaceful garden in the middle of the metropolitan area.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 653-0470 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 3 pm Wed-Sun; Closed Mon-Tues | Entrance: $10 + tax, 2 years and older
One of my favorite city getaways, the Caguas Botanical Garden offers visitors outdoors, history, and culture in a single place.
Extending over 60 acres, the garden has trails that allow you to unwind with your family in a safe place. Out of the many photo-ops in the area, one of the many photo ops is next to a water lily pond.
History enthusiasts visiting can’t miss out on the museums, the modern recreated Taino plaza (batey), and the San José plantation ruins.
Pet lovers can visit with their dogs as long as they are on a leash.
🚗 How to Get There: Although public transportation does reach Caguas, renting a car in Puerto Rico allows you to explore with flexibility. Discover Cars lets you find the best car rental deals in Puerto Rico.
Cañón Tornasol (El Salto San Salvador)
Hike through the forest until you find this unique waterfall.
🥾 Moderate | 1.8 miles roundtrip | 📍 Google Maps | 🚗 1 hour from San Juan | 🅿️ Parking: Free, 10 mins from trailhead | 👉 Book a Tour to Cañón Tornasol
Caguas is a concrete jungle, but it hides some outdoor treasures like Cañón Tornasol (aka El Salto San Salvador).
One of the unique waterfalls of Puerto Rico, this waterfall is located within the Carite State Forest, and it took me about 30 minutes to get there from the trailhead in Calle Ramiro Figueroa.
Most of the trail is marked by ropes to help you climb the boulders. But the last three minutes to get to the waterfall, you’ll walk through the Turabo River.
Although the route is pretty friendly, I don’t recommend it for small kids or inexperienced hikers. Those outdoor enthusiasts who do take on the challenge are rewarded with a 80-foot drop of crystalline waters surrounded by a beautiful canyon.
Getting there is a challenge even for locals, so I recommend booking a waterfall tour. Plus, it allows you to add rappelling, rock climbing, or ziplining to your experience.
👉 Local Tip: If you do visit on your own (which I don’t recommend), park in PR-7765 near the bus stop without blocking the road or any house. The community is apprehensive of tourist crowds.
Montadero Chocolate
Make your own chocolate bar at Montadero Chocolate.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 436-6618 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Tues-Sat; Closed Sun-Mon | 👉 Book a Chocolate-Making Workshop in Montadero
Montadero Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate shop in Caguas that sources its cacao directly from cacao farms in Puerto Rico. Besides buying its delicious chocolate, you can also book a chocolate-making workshop in the facilities.
During the workshop, you’ll learn about the company’s history and cacao. Best of all, you’ll get to create your own chocolate bar.
Museo de Arte – Casa Amarilla Dra Concha Meléndez
Tour this small museum with a legacy of Puerto Rican art.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 258-3505 | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tue-Sat; Closed Sun-Mon
One of the best gems in the city, the Caguas Art Museum is a small museum that hosts a permanent exhibition of Caguas and Puerto Rican artists’ pieces, highlighting the culture and history of the country.
Inside the museum, you’ll also find a temporary exhibition hall that changes every six months. Follow the museum’s social media to learn about upcoming events, exhibitions, and workshops.
Best History and Culture
Centro Criollo de Ciencias y Tecnología del Caribe
Explore a world of science interactive exhibitions with your kids.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 653-6391 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm Thur-Sat; Closed Sun-Wed | Entrance: $17.25
The Centro Criollo de Ciencias y Tecnología del Caribe (often called C3Tec) is a science museum in Caguas with over 30 interactive exhibitions about science, space, and sustainability.
One of the main attractions of the museum is its large theater. The building also has a green roof with great views of the surroundings. You can find out about events and workshops on the museum’s social media and plan a visit with your kids.
Keep in mind that some temporary exhibitions might have an additional cost.
Herminio Torres Grillo Tobacco Museum
Learn about Puerto Rican tobacco history at this museum.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 744-2960 | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tue-Sat; Closed Sun-Mon | Entrance: Free
If you’re interested in the history of Puerto Rico’s tobacco production and want to check out Puerto Rico’s museums, then make a stop at the Tobacco Museum of Caguas.
This small museum in the city of Caguas is the only one dedicated to tobacco making in Puerto Rico. Besides learning about the production of tobacco, you will also get to see the relationship between Cuban and Puerto Rican tobacco. You can also take cigars home as a souvenir.
Caguas History Museum
Immerse yourself in Caguas and Puerto Rico’s history.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 744-8833 | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tue-Fri; Closed Sat-Mon | Entrance: Free
The Caguas History Museum is located in a historical building from 1887 that’s listed in the National Register of Historic Sites of the United States. This museum has multiple exhibition rooms that narrate the history of Puerto Rico and Caguas from pre-Columbian to the modern era.
The Caguas History Museum also narrates how Puerto Rican identity and culture came to be. It’s one of my favorite small museums in Puerto Rico. Take a self-guided tour to explore this hidden gem close to the city hall.
Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesús
Admire a historical cathedral in the town center.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 743-4311 | Website | Hours: 6:30 – 7:15 am, 12:10 – 12:55 pm Tue-Fri; 7:00 – 7:45 am, 5:00 – 6:10 pm Sat; 6:00 – 7:10 am, 8:30 – 9:40 am, 11:00 am – 12:10 pm, 5:00 – 6:10 pm Sun (Mass)
The Dulce Nombre de Jesus Cathedral is a beautiful church across the main town square of Caguas, which hosts the remains of the beatified Carlos Manuel Rodríguez.
The current structure dates back to 1930 when a second tower was added to the original 1830s structure. The cathedral’s facade has a neo-Gothic style with multiple arches. The interior is somewhat simple, but it hides beautiful mosaics worth seeing.
👉 Not sure what to bring? My Puerto Rico packing list will make sure you have everything you need for a great trip!
Urbe Apie
Take workshops and see street art created by this non-profit organization.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (939) 945-8736 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Wed-Fri; 9 am – 5 pm Sat; Closed Sun-Tue
Urbe Apie is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring Caguas’ abandoned buildings. Its mission is to promote cultural and economic growth, preventing gentrification and forced migration.
The NGO organizes workshops, art exhibitions, classes, pop-up markets, and community meets. It occupies 8 buildings in downtown Caguas that are used as an art gallery, a refuge, a museum, a garden, and a clothing store.
Urbe Apie also hosts a festival called Despierta Verano every summer, during which dozens of artists take over the urban center of Caguas to create murals.
Some of the streets with murals include Calle Jiménez Sicardo, Baldorioty, and Vizcarrondo.
Best Food and Drink
The Sangria Factory
Get a taste of Puerto Rico’s most awarded sangría.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 747-0000 | Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm Saturday; Closed Sun-Fri
Connoisseurs and mixology enthusiasts visiting Caguas should stop at The Sangria Factory, a tasting room for Sangría Los Hermanos.
This homemade sangría has more than 12 refreshing flavors like coconut, passion fruit, and grape. Enjoy your preferred flavor and a variety of snacks when visiting.
Heladería Artesanal Jendy’s
Taste unique ice cream flavors and escape the city’s heat at this artisanal ice cream shop.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 745-1110 | Hours: 12 – 9 pm daily
Heladería Artesanal Jendy’s is a small ice cream shop that sells peculiar ice cream flavors like pumpkin, garlic, and beans.
But if you have a more conventional sweet tooth, you’ll also find traditional flavors like chocolate and vanilla. Besides its variety of flavors, the ice cream shop offers vegan, sugar-free, and lactose-free options.
F.O.K. Brewing Company
Enjoy tap beer in one of Puerto Rico’s most popular brewing companies.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (939) 437-0365 | Website | Hours: 3 pm – 12 am Fri; 12 pm – 11 am, 3 pm – 12 am Sat; 12 pm – 11 am, 3 pm – 9 pm Sun; Closed Mon-Thu | 👉 Book a Tour on Viator
If you prefer beer sangria, then head over to F.O.K. Brewing Company, one of the most popular places to visit in Caguas for night owls and beer lovers.
This brewery has more than 18 flavors for beer lovers, including one of the original names of the city, Caguax. On Fridays, the location boasts a lively atmosphere with live music and food trucks, with security all over the area.
Oh, and if you love beer, be sure to see my guide to the top breweries in Puerto Rico.
Don Rey Cigars
Indulge in a cigar or enjoy a drink at this cigar lounge in Caguas.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 241-8605 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 8 pm Mon-Wed; 10 am – 9 pm Thurs & Sat; 10 am – 12 am Fri; 12 – 8 pm Sun
Besides the Tobacco Museum, there is another great indulgence option in Caguas for cigar lovers: Don Rey Cigars. Don Rey Cigars is a combination of a bar, a lounge, and a store where visitors can buy handmade cigars and enjoy them paired with a drink.
Connoisseurs can ask for a customized order too! Don Rey Cigars once held the Guinness World Record for the longest cigar in the world.
Best Family-Friendly
Teatro Luis M. Arcelay
Watch a play in this historical theater.
The exterior of the theater
Me participating in a play in Teatro Luis M. Arcelay
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 746-4354
Founded in 1912, the Luis M. Arcelay theater is a charming small theater perfect for enjoying a play while you’re visiting Caguas. The theater presents plays almost every weekend and is home to multiple festivals throughout the year.
Most of these festivals are free and open to the public. You can find upcoming events and calendars on Caguas’ social media.
Plaza Santiago R. Palmer
Enjoy a snack while listening to music in the town square.
Caguas’ main plaza is not only beautiful, but it’s also home to frequent festivities the whole family can enjoy.
In and around the plaza, you’ll find multiple food kiosks to enjoy some of the best Puerto Rico foods, like a piña colada in La Almendrita or a warm coffee in Café Palmer. The plaza also has a carousel that your toddlers will love! And, you’ll find live music every Saturday in the town square.
👉 Short on Time? Book this multi-city Puerto Rico tour with a stop in Caguas.
Paseo de las Artes Abelardo Díaz Alfaro
Eat, dance, and buy local crafts at this popular promenade.
📍 Google Maps | Hours: Open 24 hours daily | Entrance: Free
Paseo de las Artes is a promenade in Caguas where multiple cultural activities take place. If you’re an art lover, then you’ll especially enjoy Paseo de Los Artistas on the third Saturday of the month, a festivity during which the place gets crowded with local artists, musicians, dancers, and performers.
On the last Friday of the month, foodies can attend the Al Fresco Culinary Show. Also a cultural activity, the Al Fresco Culinary Show has food as the main attraction of the night.
Caguas Real Golf & Country Club
Conquer this golf course in the countryside of Caguas.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (787) 653-4653 | Website | Hours: 6:30 am – 9 pm Tue-Sat; 6:30 am – 7 pm Sun; Closed Mon
⚠️ Closure Note: Caguas Real Golf & Country Club is temporarily closed until further notice.
Hidden in the countryside of Caguas, Caguas Real Golf & Country Club offers golfing fans a discreet and relaxing place to practice their skills. The golf course has 18 holes among lakes and trees, all surrounded by mountains.
The site has a driving range for practice, a restaurant, and a golf shop. This parkland-style course is budget-friendly compared to other Puerto Rico golf courses, so it’s a great option for visitors doing Puerto Rico on a budget.
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Thanks for reading my guide to Caguas, one of the best Puerto Rico cities. If you’re wondering what else you can do while visiting the island, here is my pick of the top sites in Puerto Rico you can’t miss.
Enjoy Caguas!
