Complejo Recreativo y Cultural La Guancha

Complejo Recreativo y Cultural La Guancha La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex
Paseo Tablado La Guancha, the centerpice of the La Guancha Recreational Complex
Type	Passive park
Location	Bario Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Area	approx 20 cuerdas
Created	23 June 1998
Operated by	Autonomous Municipality of Ponce
Status	Open every day
Parking	Several areas with parking for about 900 vehicles

The Complejo Recreativo y Cultural La Guancha (English: La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex) is a recreational complex in barrio Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico with family recreational and cultural facilities that opened on June 23, 1998. The highlight of the complex is the Paseo Tablado La Guancha, which is flanked by a beach, an observation tower, an amphitheater, and 24 open-air kiosks. It was developed during the administration of Mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago.

Originally La Guancha consisted of a road and sidewalk alongside a dike built close to the easternmost shore of barrio Playa across from Ponce Yacht Club. The romantic area was frequented by families and sweethearts alike, especially on weekends, for relaxation and bonding. During the administration of Mayor Cordero, however, a number of facilities were added to the La Guancha area at a cost of over $18 million, developing it into a new recreational complex.

Seven new facilities were added to the existing walkway area:

This project complemented the recently inaugurated tourist pier in the nearby Port of Ponce, and which saw an investment of $4 million.

The Complex was developed by the Department of Community and Economic Development of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce at a cost of $18.6 million. The breakdown of the cost included $3.6 million in the acquisition of the Paseo Tablado La Guancha, 6.5 million in the purchase of over 27 acres (110,000 m²) of land, $8.0 million in the construction of the project, $0.2 million for the bidding process, and $0.3 million for the upgrade of PR-12 (Avenida Santiago de los Caballeros) as infrastructure leading to the new complex.

Hector Lavoe Rides and Amusement Plaza (Western End)

Rides and Amusement Park Area (Eastern End)