Castillo Serrallés, Puerto Rico – Uncommon Attraction
Many different types of attractions draw people to the Caribbean. Castles, though, are not chief among them. This ain’t Europe, after all. That’s not to say, though, that our home region is entirely bereft of storybook-style palaces. Castillo Serrallés, for one, qualifies for me…at least in some ways.
Nestled in the highlands above the city of Ponce in southern Puerto Rico, the castle and its surrounding estate extend over 2.5 impeccably manicured tropical acres. Included in the surrounds is a butterfly nursery, this 100-foot-tall cross, and a Japanese zen garden.
It’s all lovely, of course, but the main attraction remains the castle itself.
Castillo Serrallés espouses a grand Spanish Mediterranean Revival style with its stucco finish, oversized windows and doorways, expansive terraces, and red barrel tile. Interior arches, stained glass windows, and wrought iron accents further echo Old World European influence. So much so, in fact, that the structure appears plucked straight from the southern coast of Spain.
Unlike other notable Caribbean structures that were brought over from Europe and rebuilt brick-by-brick in our islands (see le Bibliothèque Schoelcher), though, Castillo Serrallés was homegrown in Puerto Rico. This means that it lacks anything close to the ancient history cachet of more celebrated world castles.
Indeed, Castillo Serrallés was originally built in the 1930s. Windsor Castle, now nearly 1,000 years old, it is not.
Like its more famous ancient European castle cousins, though, Castillo Serrallés was a private home. Its original owner was royalty too, at least to rum-lovers like me.
His name: Juan Eugenio Serrallés. His dad: Juan Serrallés. The same Juan Serrallés who is the legend behind the famed Don Q rum brand. A brand that for my money is the best rum that Puerto Rico has to offer.
(More on what makes Don Q so very special here.)
The Serrallés family no longer owns its namesake castle. That honor goes to the Ponce city government, which now operates a museum here. Visitors learn all about the history of authentic Puerto Rican rum-making and the story of the Don Q brand. A series of virtual and augmented reality exhibits makes this one of the more immersive museum experiences you can enjoy in the Caribbean.
Even if you’re not into all the rum and history, though, it’s worth it to visit Castillo Serrallés just for the incredible view of Ponce.
Photo credit: Discover Puerto Rico
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