Iglesia de San José

One of the oldest churches in the Americas, begun in the 1530s by the Dominican order in the high part of the walled city and notable for its early Spanish Gothic vaulting, rare in the region. It served for centuries as a place of worship and once held the tomb of Ponce de León before his remains were moved to the cathedral. After a long restoration the church reopened, revealing its ribbed ceilings and historic altarpieces. It stands on a small plaza beside a monument to the conquistador.