Mercado de las Carnes, Art Deco meat market in Quinto, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Mercado de las Carnes is a meat market built in Art Deco style, stretching between Mayor and Leon streets in the Quinto neighborhood. The structure displays geometric shapes, bold lines, decorative horseshoe arches, and intricate mosaic tiles across its facade and galleries.
Architect Rafael Carmoega designed this market in 1926 to solve overcrowding problems at Ponce's main farmers market. The building earned national recognition when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The name comes from stray dogs that once gathered in this area to eat scraps left behind by the vendors. Today, the marketplace remains a social gathering spot where locals come together to shop and interact.
The market sits conveniently between two main streets and works as a pedestrian passage connecting different parts of the neighborhood. The interior layout makes it easy for visitors to walk through and explore the various vendors.
The structure blends Spanish Baroque and Neo-Mudejar architectural styles with glazed mosaic tiles in an elongated courtyard layout. This unexpected mix of historical influences created something quite different from typical markets of that era.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
