Come up to the mountains of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and visit Hacienda Buena Vista, a former coffee plantation from the mid-19th century.

At the former hacienda's heart is a carefully restored historic site containing structures that are over a century old and a hydraulic turbine that is the only one of its kind. Completely refurbished, the turbine is still powered by the waters of the Río Canas and serves as the main engine for other machines from that time. Come observe the turbine and see how the river's power was transformed into a way to process food products like corn and coffee.

Hacienda Buena Vista offers guided tours year round, as well as workshops, bird watching, volunteer activities, and seasonal events. Under the forest canopy, visitors can explore the natural protected area around Hacienda Buena Vista, take a tour with a history and nature experts to learn about the shaded polyculture of coffee, cocoa, oranges, and other fruits, or follow one of the trails to reach the beautiful waterfall that gave Hacienda Buena Vista its name.

Para la Naturaleza is a nonprofit unit of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico. It aims to integrate society at large into the conservation of natural ecosystems, in order to increase the amount of protected lands in Puerto Rico.

Reservations can be made from 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m on Mondays through Fridays at 787-722-5882.