Entertainment in Southern & Western Puerto Rico
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Calypso Tropical Café
Wall-to-wall suntans, svelte girls in bikini tops, bare-chested blokes nursing cold beers, and syncopated reggae music drifting out beneath the sun-dappled palm trees; the Calypso is everything you’d expect a beachside surfers’ bar to be – and perhaps a little more. All that’s missing is a prepsychedelic-era Brian Wilson propping up the jukebox (then again, Brian never could surf). On the ocean side of the leafy road to the lighthouse, Calypso hosts the oldest pub scene in Rincón and regularly books live bands to cover rock, reggae and calypso classics. Not surprisingly, it’s a microcosm of the region at large and the place to go to find out about surf gossip,…
reviewed
-
Crash Boat Café
Wedged with its bows sticking out into the bay, the Crash Boat is – exactly as its name implies – shaped rather ingeniously like a crashed boat. The bar is in the bows and sports an authentic ship’s wheel along with some deftly sculpted male torsos (minus heads). Behind is a stage where live music entertains a mixed bag of gay and straight revelers with techno, house and reggaeton music. Trendy without being trashy, this is quite the place for a raucous late-night beer or six.
reviewed
-
B
Banana Dang
Set up in 2007 by two committed coffee and banana addicts from LA, Banana Dang comes pretty close to delivering the best shots of caffeine on the island. Next door to the Lazy Parrot Inn in the hills above Rincón, it’s well worth stopping off here to – in the words of the owners – think, drink and link (yes, there are computer terminals and wi-fi access). The banana smoothies are pretty memorable too.
reviewed
-
C
La Perla Del Sur
This chipper little bar attracts a crowd of amiable older gents who leisurely push pool balls around the table and practice their English swear words when nothing drops. The drinks are about as cheap as they come (a Medalla will set you back $1.50), making cheerful exchanges of rounds common. There’s no phone and the hours are random, but it’s usually open from about noon to dinner time.
reviewed
-
D
Bar Code
This dance club is sweaty and riotous on the weekends, bringing in Ponce’s young and restless who tend to drink like fish, dance like dogs (the local term for a distinctive step) and party like every animal in between. Beware the Wasikoki, a five rum concoction that’s served out of jugs. Expect a thorough security check at the door.
reviewed
-
E
Mar y Tierra
This stands out among the cluster of places packed together between the main street and the docks. It is more of a pavilion with indoor and patio seating than a traditional bar, and it pumps out live Latin rock and salsa on the weekends. Right in the center of town, it’s impossible to miss.
reviewed
-
F
El Garabato
In the same building as Red Baron but on the 1st floor, El Garabato is more of a typical pub than a dance hall. Here students swing by for a quick one between classes or stop to play dominoes with the regulars. Happy-hour prices are laughably low – $2 for a mixed drink and $1 for a beer.
reviewed
-
G
Blue Kafé
You’d never know by strolling past, but hidden within this monocolored lounge is an expansive, open-air courtyard where young ponceños chat and toast the balmy weather, offering a reprieve from some of the more wild options on the block.
reviewed
-
H
El Karacol
This brightly lit bar/diner has the ambience of a fluorescent-lit fast-food chain, making a bizarre partner to the dark and noisy adjoining game room. The ‘sangria coño’ is their famous drink, which tastes like rum-spiked wine.
reviewed
-
I
Café Plaza
A slightly classier crowd comes here to thin their blood on juice drinks and beer. The tables on the sidewalk fill quickly, especially when they host live music or DJs. When it gets late, the crowd migrates into the narrow quarters to dance.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Red Baron Pub
The dance club above El Garabato, Red Baron often has a DJ spinning reggaeton, rap, hip-hop and Spanish rock. Lots of students get tanked up downstairs and then come up to work the dance floor until the small hours. Cash only.
reviewed
-
Hollywood Café
In the neighborhood near the Howard Johnson, this is off the beaten path, but a mid-20s crowd sprawls into the parking lot from Thursday to Sunday, getting rowdy with Latin rock, competitive pool and cheap swill.
reviewed
-
K
Pavilion
The disco at the Hilton is one of Ponce’s weekend hot spots, catering to a mostly English-speaking crowd and Ponce’s young and wealthy.
reviewed
