Cañas River (Ponce, Puerto Rico)

Canas River
Canas River in Ponce, Puerto Rico, crossing through Hacienda Buena Vista
Country	Puerto Rico
Location	Ponce
Basin features
Main source	Cerro Avispa, Barrio Guaraguao 930 feet (280 m)
River mouth	Rio Matilde 15 feet (4.6 m)
Progression	Guaraguao Magueyes Magueyes Urbano Canas Urbano
River system	Río Matilde
Physical characteristics
Length	14 km (8.7 mi)

Cañas River, also known as Río Canas (English: Canas River), is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is also known as Río Magueyes in the area of barrio Magueyes in the municipality of Ponce. This river is one of the 14 rivers in the municipality.

The river originates in Cerro Avispa, located in Barrio Guaraguao, near Guaraguao's boundary with the municipality of Adjuntas and runs south towards the Caribbean Sea. The old Hacienda Buena Vista plantation in barrio Magueyes, now a coffee mill museum, used the force of Cañas River in the early 20th century to turn its coffee bean grinders via an elaborate system of water channels.

The river runs in a southernly direction parallel to Puerto Rico route PR-123, the old road from Adjuntas to Ponce. Continuing south and running parallel to Route 123, the river enters the city of Ponce in the area of barrio Magueyes Urbano (the urban zone of barrio Magueyes) before approaching PR-132, the country road from Ponce to Peñuelas. This area of PR-132 is known as Calle Villa Final, and the river crosses Calle Villa Final immediately east of the entrance to Urbanizacion Jardines del Caribe from Calle Villa Final. The river then runs parallel to Jardines del Caribe's East Main Street, and crosses Avenida Las Americas (PR-163), next to the intersection of PR-163 and PR-500. Continuing south, Río Cañas merges with Río Pastillo, as it approaches Calle Barayama behind Urbanizacion Río Cañas, to become Río Matilde. Less than one mile further south Río Matilde empties into the Caribbean Sea at barrio Playa.