3 Best Restaurants in Ponce and the Porta Caribe, Puerto Rico

Piña coladas may have been invented in San Juan, but nobody does them better than Lajas. This popular spot is literally shaped like a pineapple, Lajas's most important grown fruit, and serves piña coladas inside whole pineapples! There's both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions, as well as varieties with other fruits and candy frappés for different tastes.

An institution since it opened in 1964, King's Cream Helados, across from Plaza de las Delicias, is the place for ice cream in Ponce. It serves 12 varieties—from tamarind, peanut, and passion fruit to classics like chocolate and vanilla. A bench in the tiny storefront seats three, but most folks take their cups and cones across the street and stake out shady benches around the fountain. King's is open daily 9 am–midnight. If you're feeling adventurous, try the local favorite of corn ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon; it sounds weird, but it's great!

This ice-cream shop is a town staple, run by the same family for generations in San Germán. Their unique ice cream textures come in cones, cups, and milkshakes; flavor varieties include classics like chocolate and vanilla, and tropical flavors like coconut and pineapple. These cold treats are great for on-the-go snacking as you walk along the town's double plaza.