Shopping

If you feel a yen for shopping in Ponce, there are many shops in the renovated downtown area that have local arts and crafts. The Atochoa Pedestrian Mall (tel. 787/841-8044) runs along Calle Cristina just off the city's central Plaza Las Delicias. It's been one of Ponce's main shopping areas for decades.

The best outlet for souvenirs and artisans' work is El Palacio del Coquí Inc., Calle Marina 9227 (tel. 787/812-0216), whose name means "palace of the tree frog." This is the place to buy the colorful veijantese masks (viewed as collectors' items) that are used at carnival time. Ask the owner to explain the significance of these masks.

Utopía, Calle Isabel 78 (tel. 787/848-8742), conveniently located in Plaza Las Delicias, has the most imaginative and interesting selection of gift items and handicrafts in Ponce. Prominently displayed are vegigantes, brightly painted carnival masks inspired by carnival rituals and crafted from papier-mâché. In Ponce, where many of these masks are made, they sell at bargain prices of between $5 and $500, depending on their size. Other items include cigars, pottery, clothing, and jewelry; gifts imported from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mexico; and rums from throughout the Caribbean. Julio and Carmen Aguilar are the helpful and enthusiastic owners, who hail from Ecuador and Puerto Rico, respectively.