Catedral San Felipe Apostol

North Coast


Said to be Puerto Rico's second-largest church, Arecibo's eye-pleasingly symmetrical neoclassical cathedral is a 19th-century replacement for an 18th-century original that was destroyed in the 1787 earthquake. The most impressive thing about the light, cool interior is the huge painted altar that reaches right up into the dome. Outside lies Arecibo's central square, a pleasant place to stroll in the cooler evening air.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Coast attractions

1. Museo de Arte e Historia

0.19 MILES

This well-refurbished colonial-era building displays modern art and a potted history of two of Arecibo's most famous products: rum and the playwright René…

2. Faro de los Morrillos

1.22 MILES

Within the Parque Histórico de Arecibo complex, this lighthouse dates from 1897 and is an excellent example of Spanish neoclassical architecture. There's…

3. Balneario Morrillos

2.04 MILES

If you follow the road past the Faro de los Morrillos lighthouse for less than a mile, you come to the Balneario Morrillos. There is a big parking lot…

4. Cueva del Indio

5.1 MILES

A stroll through coastal scrub brings you to cliffs where impressive formations have been chiseled and hollowed out by the elements. You can descend…

5. Birth of the New World Statue

5.9 MILES

Undeniably Puerto Rico's biggest, most bizarre attraction, the 362ft likeness of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) navigating toward the Americas is…

6. Bosque Estatal de Cambalache

7.74 MILES

The state forest of Cambalache covers an area of just 1000 acres, making it smaller than a lot of Puerto Rican resort hotels. Almost halfway between…

7. Observatorio de Arecibo

8.9 MILES

Puerto Ricans reverently refer to it as ‘El Radar’; to everyone else it is simply the largest radio telescope in the world. Resembling a spaceship…

8. Bosque Estatal de Río Abajo

9.55 MILES

This 5000-acre forest just off Hwy 621, halfway between Arecibo and Utuado, sits amid some of the island's most rugged terrain. In the bosom of karst…

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