Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center

In 1975 a hurricane flooded the Portugués river and stripped soil from its bank, exposing stone alignments and human remains that turned out to be the largest and oldest indigenous cemetery yet found in the Antilles, with close to two hundred burials. Excavation revealed a ceremonial centre used from around 700 by the Igneri and later by pre-Taíno people, with nine ball courts and plazas bordered by stone slabs, some aligned to solstice and equinox sunrises. Among the burials was a woman interred with unusual care, and pottery, amulets and stone collars came out with them. The site has reconstructed bohíos, a botanical garden of useful plants and a museum of the finds.

What you actually see

• The ball courts - nine bateyes bordered by upright stone slabs.
• The astronomical alignments - plazas oriented to solstice sunrises.
• The museum - burials, pottery, amulets and stone collars from the site.
• The reconstructed village - bohíos and a garden of useful plants.

When to go

December to April is drier. The site closes on Mondays and Tuesdays and entry is by guided tour at set times, mostly in Spanish with English available on request. Mornings are cooler for walking the open plazas.

Honest expectations

What survives above ground is stone borders and grass plazas, so the museum and the guide carry the visit; going without the tour would be pointless. Tours are often Spanish-only unless arranged. The site has closed for extended repairs after storms.

Nearby

Ponce is fifteen minutes south; Hacienda Buena Vista is nearby in the hills.