Caguas

Caguas sits in the Turabo valley south of San Juan and has invested heavily in cultural infrastructure over the last two decades: a cluster of small museums around the plaza covering tobacco, popular art, the Caguas region and criollo identity, and on the edge of the city a botanical and cultural garden laid out on a former sugar estate with sections on Taino, African and Spanish contributions to the island's culture alongside the planting.

What you actually see

• The botanical and cultural garden - planting and heritage sections on a former sugar estate.
• The museum cluster - small museums around the plaza on tobacco, art and local identity.
• The plaza - the central square with the cathedral on it.
• The Turabo valley - the inland basin the city sits in.

When to go

December to April is the drier season and the most comfortable. Museums keep weekday and Saturday hours and close on Mondays. The garden is best in the morning.

Honest expectations

The museums are small and several can be done in an hour. Opening hours vary and some have closed for periods. The city is otherwise a commuter centre with heavy traffic.

Nearby

San Juan is north, and Carite forest is south in the mountains.