South region · Puerto Rico
Peñuelas
~49 mi from San JuanCoastal
Peñuelas is a town on Puerto Rico’s southern coast, situated in the Peñuelas Valley south of Adjuntas, east of Guayanilla, and west of Ponce, facing the Caribbean Sea. It lies about 49 miles from San Juan, spans 44.6 square miles across 12 barrios plus Peñuelas Pueblo, and is home to 19,853 residents as part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Founded in 1793, Peñuelas carries the nicknames "La Capital del Güiro" and "El Valle de los Flamboyanes," reflecting its cultural and natural character. The town preserves its heritage through sites such as the Casa de la Historia Ramón Rivera García "Bonyé" and the former Antigua Estación del Tren Hacienda Dolores, while La Soplaera Waterfall offers a natural counterpoint on the outdoors side.
- El Valle de los Flamboyanes
- La Soplaera Waterfall
- Historic Hacienda Dolores train station
- Coastal setting in the Peñuelas Valley
- Casa de la Historia Ramón Rivera García "Bonyé"
For visitors
Visitors can explore Peñuelas's local history at sites like Casa de la Historia Bonyé and the old Hacienda Dolores train station, and take in the outdoors at La Soplaera Waterfall.
- Hiking
- Outdoors
- Eat and drink
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a coastal valley town with a long history dating to 1793, a strong cultural identity tied to its güiro and flamboyán nicknames, and proximity to the larger Yauco and Ponce area.Living in Peñuelas: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- South
- Setting
- Coastal
- Distance
- ~49 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 19,853 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1793
- Median rent
- $489/mo
- Median income
- $22,697/yr
- Area
- 44.6 sq mi (115.6 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Saint Joseph · March 19
- Guide spots
- 6
- Stories, last 30 days
- 4
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Peñuelas
Road closures in Peñuelas
No closures reported in Peñuelas as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.
Water rationing in Peñuelas
No rationing plan names Peñuelas. None of the plans the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) has published includes the town, as of Nov 12. Repairs and breaks cut service sector by sector: search your sector
Power outages in Peñuelas
Not among the 7 towns with the most interruptions on LUMA’s morning reading of Nov 12, when 0.5% of customers island-wide were without power. Peñuelas was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
News from Peñuelas
Latest stories
Shooting at Peñuelas Business Wounds Three, Including a 77-Year-Old Woman
PREPA Seeks Regulatory Approval for Amended 20 MW Battery Storage Deal with EcoEléctrica in Peñuelas
Puerto Rico Governor Urges Tsunami Readiness: Only 30 to 35 Minutes to Evacuate Coasts After a Quake
Driver Shot in Peñuelas
Peñuelas to Celebrate Town Festivities from October 9 to 11
Our analysis
- Town of the Week · EarlierAdjuntas, Where Rent Runs 20% Below the Island Median
Things to do in Peñuelas
Nature spots
Eat & Drink
Esencia Boricua
Bacalaíto con pan
A spot in the Plaza Artesanal of Peñuelas built around one of the town’s typical foods, the bacalaíto con pan, which won it the title of the best in Peñuelas.
La Gloria
Galletas de manteca
A Peñuelas bakery and pastry shop known for its galletas de manteca, baked fresh every day from the recipe the shop began with. The owner is the fifth generation of the family to run it.
Sushi Temptation
Yin Yang Balls
A Peñuelas restaurant with an Asian menu of Mongolian beef, Thai chicken and bulgogi, plus sauces and starters made in house. Its signature Yin Yang Balls pair Thai crab with Japanese bread and aioli; chef Yován Torres opened it after the pandemic cost him his job.
Culture & Events
Casa de la Historia Ramón Rivera García "Bonyé"
Local history museum
Casa de la Historia Ramón Rivera García "Bonyé" is a local history museum on Calle Luis Muñoz Rivera in Peñuelas. It focuses on the municipality's own past, gathering artifacts, records, and stories tied specifically to Peñuelas rather than the island as a whole, giving visitors a community-level view of the region's development that broader regional museums in southwest Puerto Rico don't typically offer.
Antigua Estación del Tren Hacienda Dolores
Historic Railway Station
The Antigua Estación del Tren Hacienda Dolores is a tourist attraction located in Peñuelas. This historic site showcases the island's past, specifically its railway history. It is a place of cultural significance, offering insights into the region's heritage.
Outdoors and sports
On the water near Peñuelas
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Peñuelas or within 12 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- Sailing
- Bahía de GuayanillaAnchorage, 35 to 50 ft, 0.5 to 1 mile northeast of Punta Verraco · 6 mi away
- Ponce YFC168–174 slips · 10 mi away
- Ponce: Isla de Gatas and Caleta de CabullonesAnchorage, 19 to 30 ft; 18 to 30 ft · 11 mi away
Trails in and near Peñuelas
No trail we list starts in Peñuelas. The nearest four are within 11 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- In Adjuntas, 5 mi awayVereda Puente de Hamaca del Lago GarzasEasy 0.4 mi each way, 25 to 35 minLago Garzas suspension bridge trailWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Adjuntas, 9 mi awayCamino al Charco El MangóEasy 0.5 mi each way, 25 to 35 minPath to the El Mangó swimming holeWalk inCommunity-mappedSwimming hole
- In Guayanilla, 9 mi awayLluberas TrailModerate 3.8 mi each way, 3 h 20 min to 5 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Guayanilla, 11 mi awayCueva trail (Guánica Dry Forest)Easy 0.8 mi each way, 45 min to 1 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Peñuelas
- RS 569Investigate Conditions and Future of Puerto Rico Olefins and CORCO SitesPassed a chamber, Sep 8
Recovery money in Peñuelas
$96.2 million committed by FEMA to 221 projects filed under Peñuelas since 2001: $4,846 per resident, 18th of 78 towns.
Every project located in Peñuelas, the island-wide agencies’ included
12% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $88.7 million of the $723 million committed.
12%16.8% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $14.2 million of $84.6 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
16.8%- A&E-MPEN299 - La Moca Run-off Water ChannelWater control$10.4 million
- El Prado to Barreal Municipal RoadRoads and bridges$5.8 million
- Bo. Barreal Hacienda HoyosRoads and bridges$5.3 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Carlos Rodriguez/ElFiscal/6-RC Municipal Road$921K of $3.1M29%
- 1-K Municipal Road and Culvert$728K of $2.9M25%
- Debris Removal$2.8M of $2.8M100%
Every town and the island-wide agencies
FEMA Public Assistance data, as of Nov 11, 2026. Obligated by FEMA: committed to the project and drawn as the work is done. Paid out: COR3’s transparency portal, as of Nov 4, 2026.
Living in Peñuelas
Crime in Peñuelas
45 violent crimes and 4 homicides reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Peñuelas, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 13.6 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-lowest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 4 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 45 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 51 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 13.6
Flood zones in Peñuelas
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Peñuelas
Phone alerts for Peñuelas
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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