Moca

Puerto Rico's capital of lace.

On the northwestern side of Puerto Rico lies the beautiful Moca. Locally it's called the Capital of Mundillo, after a type of bobbin lace made by town artisans. Moca was named after the Andira indermis, or moca tree, which blooms thick with pink-purple flowers.

Celebrate the art and history of this Island gem with a stop by one of the local museums or sample local cuisine with some of the best doughnuts on the Island.

Things to Do

Museo del Mundillo

Since 2004, the Museo del Mundillo has told the history and kept alive the traditions of lace-making, which is an integral part of Moca's identity and economy. Master artisans weave elaborate patterns of a delicate bobbin lace, called mundillo, to craft intricate pieces of jewelry, clothes, and decorative art. The museum is typically open Monday through Saturday and offers weekly mundillo-making workshops.

Every November the town celebrates the Mundillo Festival, featuring artisan exhibits, weaving demonstrations, live music, and even a lace-centric fashion show.

Palacete Los Moreau

The Palacete Los Moreau, is a French chateau that stands proudly on several acres of land. This two-story manor, now a museum, has a long balcony on each floor and is flanked by twin towers. 

The elegant building is also known as the Hacienda Iruena Manor House or the Hacienda Labadie. Its name, the Palacete Los Moreau, honors the famous Puerto Rican novel La Llamarada by local writer Enrique Laguerre, who was inspired by the house and the family that lived there. His remains are interred in a mausoleum on the property.

Take a guided tour of this stunning home for a glimpse into the past, when coffee and sugarcane made the fortunes of European families residing in the area.

Hacienda Museo Enriqueta

Hacienda Enriqueta was the only sugar mill ever built in Moca. Its founder was Heinrich Kleibring, a German mechanic who came to Puerto Rico in 1830 to work at the Coloso Sugarcane Plant in Aguada. He developed the hacienda into its own sugar manufacturing plant and named it after his daughter, Enriqueta. She eventually inherited it and, with her husband, doubled production and acquired 70 acres of land. The property was sold in 1925 and turned into a museum in 1967.

The museum has beautifully kept grounds, historic buildings, and relics from the colonial period which serve as a window into Puerto Rico's past.

Supreme Donuts

Supreme Donuts is a one-of-a-kind local doughnut shop that will astound you with both flavor and the sheer variety of doughnuts offered. Here you'll find every doughnut craving fulfilled, from classic glazed or sprinkled to elaborately designed doughnuts like unicorns, Star Wars characters, Peppa Pig, mermaids, and holiday themes.

If you like filled doughnuts, be prepared to have your sandals knocked off with their special Island flavors, including guava and cheese, chocolate-coconut, and Nutella. They also sell cookies and cupcakes by another local company called Sweet Velvet Cakes by Jeysa. With a cup of strong hot or iced Puerto Rican coffee, there's no better pit stop.