Iglesia de San José

Lonely Planet review

What the Iglesia de San José lacks in grandiosity it makes up for in age; this is the second-oldest church in the Americas, after the cathedral in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Established in 1523 by Dominicans, this church with its vaulted Gothic ceilings still bears the coat of arms of Juan Ponce de León (whose family worshipped here), a striking carving of the Crucifixion and ornate processional floats.

For 350 years, the remains of Ponce de León rested in a crypt here before being moved to the city's cathedral, down the hill. Another relic missing from the chapel is a Flemish carving of the Virgin of Bethlehem, which came to the island during the first few years of the colony and disappeared in the early 1970s. It's also the final resting place of José Campeche, one of Puerto Rico's most revered artists.