| Complejo Recreational y Cultural La Guancha La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex |
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La Guancha Boardwalk, the centerpice of the La Guancha Recreational Complex |
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| Type | Passive park |
| Location | Bario Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Area | approx 20 cuerdas |
| Created | June, 1998 |
| Operated by | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
| Status | Open every day |
The Complejo Recreational y Cultural La Guancha (English: La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex) is a sector located in barrio Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico with family recreational and cultural facilities that opened on June 23, 1998[1]. The highlight of the complex is La Guancha Boardwalk, which is flanked by a beach, an observation tower, an amphitheater, and 24 open-air kiosks.[2] It was developed during the administration of Mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago.[3]
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Originally La Guancha consisted of a road alongside a dike built close to the easternmost shore of barrio Playa across Ponce Yacht Club. The romantic area was frequented by families and sweethearts alike, especially on weekends, for relaxion 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.[4]
Seven new facilities were added to the exiting boardwalk area:[5]
This project complemented the recently inaugurated tourist pier in the nearby Port of Ponce, and which saw an investment of $4 million.[7]
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.[8]