South region · Puerto Rico
Yauco
~57 mi from San JuanInland
Yauco is a town in the South region of Puerto Rico, about 57 miles from San Juan. Its downtown sits inland, though the town’s territory extends south to a coastline on the Caribbean Sea; it borders Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas to the north, Sabana Grande and Guánica to the west, and Guayanilla to the east, and is organized into 20 barrios plus Yauco Pueblo across 67.7 square miles, with 32,993 people (Census estimate, 2020–2024).
Founded in 1756, Yauco serves as the principal town of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the larger Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area, giving it a role as a regional hub. Points of interest include the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Lago Lucchetti and Pico Rodadero for outdoor visits, and the Museo Amaury Veray Torregrosa for local culture.
For visitors
Visitors can explore the Lago Lucchetti wildlife refuge and Pico Rodadero outdoors, or learn about local culture at the Museo Amaury Veray Torregrosa.
- Hiking
- Fiestas patronales
For living hereResidents live in a town of about 33,000 people that runs from an inland downtown in the hills to the Caribbean coast, about 57 miles from San Juan.Living in Yauco: rent, commute, schools & safety
At a glance
- Region
- South
- Setting
- Inland
- Distance
- ~57 mi from San Juan
- Population
- 32,993 (Census estimate, 2020–2024)
- Founded
- 1756
- Median rent
- $551/mo
- Median income
- $24,255/yr
- Area
- 67.7 sq mi (175.4 km²)
- Fiestas patronales
- Our Lady of the Rosary · October 7
- Guide spots
- 5
- Stories, last 30 days
- 3
- Water & power
- Water by sector · Power outages
- Living here
- Rent, commute, schools & safety
Right now in Yauco
Road closures in Yauco
No closures reported in Yauco as of 1:08 PM AST on Thu, Nov 12.
Water rationing in Yauco
No rationing plan names Yauco. 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 Yauco
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. Yauco was on that list on none of the last 7 mornings. Outages right now, town by town
News from Yauco
Latest stories
Yauco Family Demands Repair of Deteriorated Road Blocking Access to Medical Care
Yauco Inaugurates Mobile Veterinary Clinic for Abandoned Animals
Governor Lays Cornerstone for $2.58M Yauco Market Plaza Parking Remodel
Yauco Families Take Municipality to Court Over Delayed Post-Earthquake Housing
Bail Set at $6.4 Million for Man Accused of Murdering Woman in Yauco
Our analysis
- Fiesta Calendar · Last month7 Patron-Saint Fiestas and 8 Events in October
Things to do in Yauco
Nature spots
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Lago Lucchetti
Nature reserve
The Refugio de Vida Silvestre Lago Lucchetti is a nature reserve located in Yauco, featuring a body of water. The reserve is a protected area for wildlife.
Pico Rodadero
Mountain peak
Pico Rodadero is a peak in the Cordillera Central within Yauco, rising to 2,864 feet and ranking as the municipality's second-highest point after Mount Membrillo. It sits at a tri-point boundary joining the barrios of Aguas Blancas, Duey, and Sierra Alta, with Lake Luchetti and Guilarte State Forest nearby. The mountain is known as a hiking destination in Puerto Rico's Southwest region, offering elevation gain and a setting tied to the surrounding forest and lake landscape.
Culture & Events
Museo Amaury Veray Torregrosa
Local history museum
Museo Amaury Veray Torregrosa is a local history museum in Yauco, found on Avenida Santiago Vivaldi. It is named for Amaury Veray Torregrosa, and the collection is oriented toward the town's own past rather than island-wide history, so a visit centers on Yauco's local story.
Ruinas de Hacienda Florida
Historic Ruins
Ruinas de Hacienda Florida are the remains of a former hacienda in Yauco, in Puerto Rico's southern municipalities. The site is a historic ruin, so what you see is the surviving fabric of the old estate rather than a restored or furnished house.
Ruinas de la Ermita de Yauco
Historic ruins
The Ruinas de la Ermita de Yauco are the preserved remains of a former hermitage built by the Spanish, now part of the Parque de la Fundación. The site marks the location of the first settlement of Yauco. The municipality maintains these historic ruins.
Outdoors and sports
On the water near Yauco
Marinas, surf breaks, dive sites, wind spots and paddling in Yauco 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
- Bahía de GuánicaAnchorage · 7 mi away
- Diving
- Guánica WallDive site, 45–100+ ft · 5 mi away
- Kite and wind
- Punta BallenaWorks in E, SE, S winds · 6 mi away
- Gilligan's IslandWind spot · 7 mi away
- Paddle
- Gilligan's Island and Isla BallenaMangroves · 5 mi away
- Bahía FosforescenteBio bay · 12 mi away
Trails in and near Yauco
No trail we list starts in Yauco. The nearest four are within 10 mi of the town center, as the crow flies.
- In Guayanilla, 5 mi awayLluberas TrailModerate 3.8 mi each way, 3 h 20 min to 5 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Guánica, 5 mi awayBallena trail (Guánica Dry Forest)Moderate 1.2 mi each way, 1 h 10 min to 1 h 45 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Guayanilla, 6 mi awayCueva trail (Guánica Dry Forest)Easy 0.8 mi each way, 45 min to 1 h 5 minWalk in, no bookingCommunity-mapped
- In Adjuntas, 10 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
Sports in Yauco
Local results
Bills and recovery money
Bills about Yauco
- RS 574Investigate the State of the Luis Muñoz Marín School BuildingsPassed a chamber, Oct 23
- RC 808Investigation of Irrigation System in Sabana Grande, Yauco, and LajasIn committee, Sep 24
Recovery money in Yauco
$230 million committed by FEMA to 437 projects filed under Yauco since 2001: $6,969 per resident, 14th of 78 towns.
Every project located in Yauco, the island-wide agencies’ included
26% paid out: Puerto Rico's Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), which pays out the federal disaster recovery money, has paid $65.1 million of the $255 million committed.
26%17.8% paid out on the town government’s own rebuilding: $34.3 million of $192 million, the projects it runs itself, as of Oct 14, 2026. Our FEMA story charts this figure for every town.
17.8%- Rio Prieto Ward Part 1Roads and bridges$20.1 million
- Alternate Project MYAU079 - Rio Prieto Ward Part 2Roads and bridges$14.8 million
- Sierra Alta Ward Part 1Roads and bridges$10.5 million
The town government’s largest projects in implementation, and what has been paid
- Relocation, Ovidio Millino Park$2.5M of $9.3M27%
- Demolition of Private Property$4.8M of $4.9M98%
- Project PW-00155$3.7M of $3.7M100%
- Project PW-00179$3.6M of $3.6M100%+*
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 Yauco
Crime in Yauco
23 violent crimes and 1 homicide reported to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPD) in Yauco, January 1 – September 30, 2026; in 2025, 13.9 violent crimes per 10,000 people, in the second-lowest fifth of towns.
- Homicides
- 1 YTD
- Violent crimes
- 23 YTD
- All serious crimes
- 61 YTD
- Violent crimes per 10,000 people (2025)
- 13.9
Flood zones in Yauco
FEMA’s flood map sets who must carry flood insurance, street by street. Check an address in Yauco
Phone alerts for Yauco
Our weekly reads: Daily Water Watch · Grid Watch · Safety Watch
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