El Tuque
Encyclopedia
El Tuque is a beach
and family recreation
al and tourist complex in the Punta Cucharas sector of Ponce, Puerto Rico
. It was designed in the early 1960s by Luis Flores, an architect from Cayey, Puerto Rico
. It is located on PR-2
, Km 220.1, in the El Tuque sector of Barrio Canas
in Ponce. The sector of El Tuque is considered Puerto Rico's largest populated sector.
in the mid 1960s
, as part of the central government's attempt to provide a network of such recreational spots throughout the Island. It included gazebos and fire pits near the beach, a restaurant, changing rooms with showers and lockers, a children's pool, and two adult olympic size swimming pools with snack bars.
By the mid 1980s, however, the area had fallen into disrepair, starting with the swimming pools and parking areas, for lack of proper maintenance. As a result, the beach would opened only sporadically. Eventually the complex was permanently closed in the late 1980s.
picked up the El Tuque project again for purposes of re-furbishing the beach with new sand. In May of 2002, private investors became interested in the area and entered into a contract with the Puerto Rico central government to develop the area into a family and tourist recreational center. The investors spent $16 million to develop the area into the El Tuque Beach Entertainment Center.
hotel that had opened a few years earlier, provides additional lodging facilities for beachgoers.
A second addition to the project, which opened in 2003, includes a new speedway called the Ponce International Speedway Park. It includes a drag-racing track and circuit track. A small marina
has also been added. Boating and kayak
ing is promoted as part of the center’s eco-tourism activities.
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and family recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al and tourist complex in the Punta Cucharas sector of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. It was designed in the early 1960s by Luis Flores, an architect from Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
. It is located on PR-2
Puerto Rico Highway 2
Puerto Rico Highway 2, the longest highway in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico at about 156 miles long, connects San Juan to Ponce....
, Km 220.1, in the El Tuque sector of Barrio Canas
Canas (Ponce)
Canas is one of the 31 barrios in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Anón, Coto Laurel, Guaraguao, Quebrada Limón, Real, San Patricio, and Marueño, and the coastal barrio of Capitanejo, Canas is one of the municipality's nine bordering barrios. It borders the municipality of...
in Ponce. The sector of El Tuque is considered Puerto Rico's largest populated sector.
History
The name El Tuque comes from the name of a farm that was located in that area in the early 20th century. The once deserted beach was developed into a balneario (balneary or bathhouse) by the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto RicoGovernment of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
in the mid 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, as part of the central government's attempt to provide a network of such recreational spots throughout the Island. It included gazebos and fire pits near the beach, a restaurant, changing rooms with showers and lockers, a children's pool, and two adult olympic size swimming pools with snack bars.
By the mid 1980s, however, the area had fallen into disrepair, starting with the swimming pools and parking areas, for lack of proper maintenance. As a result, the beach would opened only sporadically. Eventually the complex was permanently closed in the late 1980s.
New complex
Over a decade later, in 1996, the US Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
picked up the El Tuque project again for purposes of re-furbishing the beach with new sand. In May of 2002, private investors became interested in the area and entered into a contract with the Puerto Rico central government to develop the area into a family and tourist recreational center. The investors spent $16 million to develop the area into the El Tuque Beach Entertainment Center.
Today
El Tuque Recreational Complex today includes an aquatic complex splash water park with three pools with waves, high speed water slides, and water sports. Some of activities the park makes available are hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, whitewater paddling, snorkeling, and scuba diving. The complex has a pub and a Quality Inn hotel located on the beach, within the recreational complex facilities. A nearby Holiday InnHoliday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
hotel that had opened a few years earlier, provides additional lodging facilities for beachgoers.
A second addition to the project, which opened in 2003, includes a new speedway called the Ponce International Speedway Park. It includes a drag-racing track and circuit track. A small marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
has also been added. Boating and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing is promoted as part of the center’s eco-tourism activities.