Hacienda Buena Vista (Carr. 123, km 16.8, 787/722-5882, ext. 240 Mon.-Fri., 787/284-7020 Sat.-Sun., Wed.-Sun. by reservation only; English tours: 1:30pm; Spanish tours: 8:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm; $8 adults, $5 children, accessibility is limited) is a carefully restored 19th-century coffee plantation just north of Ponce and part of the network of historic sites operated under the auspices of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
When the island’s coffee industry went bust in 1897, the plantation was converted into orange groves and remained operational until the 1950s.Established in 1833, Hacienda Buena Vista was one of the most successful of the 50 plantations around Ponce. It was founded by a Venezuelan, Salvador de Vives, who began as a small, cash-crop farmer growing corn, plantains, yams, pineapples, and coffee. Eventually he added a corn mill, a rice husker, a cotton gin, and a coffee de-pulper to the operation. As Puerto Rico’s coffee industry boomed, so did Hacienda Buena Vista, due in large part to the labor of as many as 57 slaves.
Hacienda Buena Vista. Photo © Suzanne Van Atten.
When the island’s coffee industry went bust in 1897, the plantation was converted into orange groves and remained operational until the 1950s, when the land was expropriated by the Puerto Rican government and distributed in small lots to local farmers. Termites destroyed most of the original buildings, and the farm machinery was left to rust for many years, but in 1984 the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico began an extensive restoration project using 19th-century construction techniques.
In addition to the restored structures, mill, and machinery, the plantation’s lush natural setting is worth a visit. On the Canas River, the property features mature vegetation filled with a variety of birds, including the mangrove cuckoo and Puerto Rican screech owl, as well as plenty of coqui and lizards.
In October, coffee beans from the property are processed and sold by the bag. The Conservation Trust leads occasional guided hikes and bird-watching expeditions in Spanish. Check the website for details. Note that there is no sign at Hacienda Buena Vista. Look for the black metal gate with a guard shack, pull off the road onto the narrow shoulder, and wait for the gate to open at the appointed time.
Excerpted from the Fourth Edition of Moon Puerto Rico.
