Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway, La Ruta del Lechon (Local Guide)

🐖 Jump to: Where to Stay | About Pork Highway | Restaurants | Attractions | Map | How to Get There | Tours | Tips to Visit | FAQ

Guavate’s Pork Highway is where food, culture, and party lovers come together in Puerto Rico.

Stretching between the mountainous towns of Cayey and Patillas, this gastronomic route is home to the island’s most famous roasted pork, a beloved staple of Puerto Rican cuisine. The food here is so good that culinary icons like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have rated it as one of the best destinations to savor Puerto Rican flavors.

As a local, I’ll guide you through the must-visit restaurants and attractions along the Pork Highway. But before we get started, let’s look at a quick list of places to stay in and nearby this route!

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Where to Stay Near the Pork Highway in Puerto Rico

While many visit the Guavate’s Pork Highway on a road trip from San Juan, there is no doubt staying in the Puerto Rico mountains towns comes with amazing perks, including immersing yourself in the local cuisine, enjoying fresh temperatures and gazing at unpolluted skies. 

To that, add that by staying in or near the Pork Highway, you’re also staying near some of the best places to visit in Puerto Rico, including Charco Azul.  

Looking for a quick answer? Here are some of the best places to stay along the Pork Highway:

• 🏆 Best Overall Hotel – Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real
• ✨ Best Luxury Stay  – Hacienda Pura Vida
• 🛎️ Best Boutique – 1912 Boutique Hotel
• 🪓 Most Unique – Grandpa’s Lake House
• 👪 Best for Families – Haven Hill Place
• 💑 For Couples – Romantic Cabin
• 🏕️ Best for Camping  – The Singing Rooster
• 🚜 Best Farmstay – El Pretexto

For more, see my full guide to where to stay around Puerto Rico.

About Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway

Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway, known in Spanish as La Ruta del Lechón, runs along PR-184 between the towns of Cidra, Cayey, and Patillas. The route gets its name from the many lechoneras in it, restaurants that specialize in Puerto Rican-style roasted pig.

At each stop, you’ll spot whole pigs roasting in the window, alongside a mouthwatering variety of side dishes like root vegetables, blood sausage, fried green plantains, and rice with pigeon peas.

On weekends, the lechoneras turn festive with live music, entertainment, and salsa dancing. This is when the Pork Highway truly comes alive, offering not only Puerto Rico’s best cuisine, but also an authentic taste of culture.

You can settle in at one lechonera, or hop between multiple roadside eateries and taste something different at each.

Best Pork Highway Restaurants

From the classic lechoneras with whole pigs exhibited in the kitchen to small food kiosks, you’ll find a bit of everything in Guavate’s Pork Highway. 

Here are some Pork Highway restaurants you shouldn’t miss:

• 🐖 Lechonera El Rancho Original – Puerto Rican culture at its finest. Enjoy roast pork, marinated and later roasted for hours over coal. 
• 🐖 El Nuevo Rancho – Live music during the weekends, and flavorful pork meat with a variety of traditional side dishes to enjoy.
• 🐖 Lechonera Los Pinos – Visited by Anthony Bourdain, this restaurant is known for its authentic Puerto Rican food.
• 🐖 Lechonera Los Amigos – Just off the highway, famous for its roasted pig, sausage, and roasted chicken.

• 🐖 Lechonera El Mojito – Plenty of space and outdoor seating to enjoy roast pork, and it’s one of the easiest lechoneras to reach in the gastronomic route if you’re coming from San Juan.
• 🐖 El Zinchorro – Great atmosphere for visiting with your family and enjoying the traditional lechón. But, mofongo is also one of the top dishes of the house. 
• 🐖 La Placita de Guavate – This place is the best to sip on a Piña Colada with a view of the mountains. The pork chops are particularly popular.

• 🐖 Casita Guavate – A mix and match of Puerto Rican traditional dishes like roast pork with other international favorites like mac and cheese.
• 🐖 Doctor Lechón – One of the easiest lechoneras to visit in Guavate, with a varied menu and drinks served in an IV drip.

Best Pork Highway Attractions

Lechón may be the star of the Pork Highway, but there’s more to enjoy along the route. From nearby attractions to local gems, here are some spots you won’t want to miss:

• Los Tres Reyes – These large sculptures are visible from PR-184, but you can also see them up close. Behind the sculptures, there is a small workshop. 
• Las Manos de Guavate – Next to Los Tres Reyes, the giant hand sculptures are a memorable photo op in the area!
• Charco Azul – Charco Azul is a beautiful waterhole, a short drive from Guavate.
• Carite State Forest – Great for hiking and soaking in nature.

• Shops – Next to Lechonera El Rancho Original and Lechonera Los Primos, you’ll find multiple shops where you can buy souvenirs.
• Hacienda Muñoz – In under 40 minutes, you can reach Hacienda Muñoz, one of the main Puerto Rico coffee farms.
• Las Tetas de Cayey – Located in the small town of Salinas, this is one of the best Puerto Rico hiking and climbing destinations.

Pork Highway Map

Here is a Google Map with all the stops, attractions, and hotels mentioned in this post.

How to Get to the Pork Highway

Regardless of which Pork Highway you choose to visit, the best way to get there is by driving, so renting a car is your best bet. Driving in Puerto Rico is fairly easy, especially if you’re coming from the US. 

If you’re visiting Guavate’s Pork Highway on a day trip from San Juan, you’ll spend 30 minutes on PR-52 highway before taking exit #32 into PR-184. The road winds through the mountains, but the first stretch of PR-184 is comfortable and easy to navigate.

After passing Lechonera El Rancho Original, the road narrows and becomes more winding, and you may lose cell signal, particularly near Carite State Forest. Still, the road is well paved and rewards you with stunning views along the way.

🚗 Use Discover Cars to compare Puerto Rico car rental agencies and to find the best rate per day.

Tours of the Pork Highway

If you’re afraid of driving on curvy roads in the mountains, then driving through Puerto Rico’s Pork Highway isn’t for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t visit at all! I recommend browsing Guavate tours on Viator.

In a hurry? Here are my recommended tours to the Pork Highway:

👉 Famous Guavate Pork Road & Charco Azul Food & River Tour

👉 Private Guavate Local Gastronomic tour

👉 Pork Highway Tasting Tour

👉 Boriken Flavor: Roast Pork Hwy, Rum Tasting, Loiza Fritters

👉 Pork Highway and Culinary Adventure in Guavate

9 Tips for Visiting the Pork Highway in Puerto Rico

Tip #1 – Know Your Spanish

Although most Puerto Ricans speak and understand English, you might have a harder time communicating in the mountainous region than in the tourist side of San Juan. Knowing a few phrases or words can help you out with ordering food and asking for directions.  

Tip #2 – Choose the Best Time to Visit

If you’re looking for that party atmosphere Puerto Rico is famous for, you should visit the Pork Highway during the weekend afternoons. From Friday to Sunday, most restaurants and bars in the area sport live bands and lots of dancing. 

For a quieter atmosphere and to have attractions to yourself, visit during the weekdays. But, keep in mind some attractions and restaurants might be closed.

📅 Related Reading: The Best Times and Months to Visit Puerto Rico

Tip #3 – Go Beyond The Restaurants

While its restaurants are the main draw, there is so much more to the Puerto Rico Pork Highway. 

The Pork Highway extends through Cidra, Cayey, and Patillas. In the region, you will find beautiful Puerto Rico attractions, including Puerto Rico waterfalls, farms, and nature reserves. You’ll also be a short ride from the Carite State Forest, ideal for hiking and relaxing in the outdoors of Puerto Rico.

Tip #4 – Download Maps Offline

If you’re planning on driving beyond Lechonera El Rancho Original in the direction of Patillas, then download your maps offline. 

The reception is spotty and often non-existent in the areas surrounding the Carite State Forest. As you continue to drive south, you’ll be around 20 minutes without phone reception.

Tip #5 – Carry Motion-Sickness Medicine

The more you drive in La Ruta del Lechón, the curvier and narrower the roads get. 

If you or the passengers in your car are prone to motion sickness, then I recommend carrying motion sickness medicine. Intentionally stopping frequently, whether it’s at attractions or restaurants, helps to get a breather from all the curves.

Tip #6 – Try “Cuerito” and Other Local Dishes

If you’re trying the roasted pork, be sure to ask for “cuerito”, the crispy pork skin that locals love. Pork is usually sold by the pound, so you can order “una libra de lechón” or go for a “combinación”, which comes with sides like rice.

Don’t miss other local delicacies, especially pasteles, rice with pigeon peas, and cuajito.

Tip #7 – Hop Between Lechoneras

Hop from restaurant to restaurant to try different variations of the local Puerto Rican cuisine. Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), sweet plantains, roots like cassava plant, tostones, and mofongo, are some of the best Puerto Rico foods you’ll find in Guavate.

Tip #8 – Find Safe Parking

Although most lechoneras, bars, and restaurants in the area have ample parking, during the weekends, the area gets so crowded it might be hard to find a spot in the smaller locations. In some areas, you might be able to park on the side road, but be careful not to obstruct the traffic. 

Tip #9 – Beware if You’re Sensitive

While you’re sure to find a great meal in Guavate, it’s also true that the most flavorful Puerto Rican food is heavily seasoned with garlic, pepper, salt, and other spices. 

Plus, most meals are high in carbs and fat. But worry not! You’ll find plenty of alternatives, including root plants.

FAQs About Visiting the Pork Highway, Puerto Rico

How do I get to the Pork Highway in Puerto Rico?

To get to the Pork Highway in Puerto Rico, visitors need to drive an hour south from San Juan in the direction of Cayey. The best way to get there is either by renting a car or by taking a tour. You can compare rental prices on Discover Cars.

Where is the lechón Highway?

Puerto Rico has three different Rutas del Lechón, also known as Pork’s Highway, but the most popular one is located in PR-184 between the towns of Cidra, Cayey, and Patillas. The other two Pork Highways are located in Trujillo Alto and Naranjito on the north of the island. To learn more, see my guide to everything you need to know about the Pork Highway.

What is Lechón?

Lechón or lechón asado refers to slow-roasted pork with spices often cooked for eight hours over hot coals. The slow roasting allows the pork’s meat to be tender on the inside but its exterior is a crispy skin known as cuerito.

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Now you can start your gastronomic journey through the Pork Highway, Puerto Rico! While on it, don’t forget to visit some of the best Puerto Rico attractions in the area and shop for souvenirs. 

If you’re looking for more fun, continue reading our guide to the best sites to visit in Puerto Rico.