4 Best Sights in Ponce and the Porta Caribe, Puerto Rico

One of the oldest religious buildings in the Americas, this mission-style chapel overlooks the long, rectangular Plazuela de Santo Domingo. It's not a grand building, but its position at the top of a stone stairway gives it a noble air. Queen Isabel Segunda decreed that the Dominicans should build a church and monastery in San Germán, so a rudimentary building was erected in 1609, replaced in 1692 by the structure seen today. (Sadly, most of the monastery was demolished in 1866, leaving only a vestige of its facade.) The chapel functions as a museum of religious art, displaying painted wooden statuary by Latin American and Spanish artists.

On Coamo's main square, the Iglesia Católica San Blás has a gorgeous neoclassical facade. Dating from 1563, the whitewashed building is one of the oldest churches on the island. 

Dating from 1739, this neoclassical church has seen many additions over the years. The impressive crystal chandelier, for example, was imported from Barcelona and added in 1866. Be sure to take a look at the carved-wood ceiling in the nave. This church is still in use, so the only time you can get a look inside is during services or through local tour guides. 

One of the prettiest churches on the southern coast, Iglesia San Antonio de Padua was begun in 1827, but not completed until 40 years later. Don't set your watch by the time on the clock; the hand-painted face is frozen at the time the church was "baptized." The bells in the tower were cast in gold and bronze in 1835. Mass is still held here, but visitors can come by any time.