Tibes attracted attention recently when, in 1975, what was to become the discovery of the oldest cemetery in the West Indies came about as a result of rainstorms.

[4] Tibes is a mountainous rural barrio located in the central section of the municipality, north of the city of Ponce.

The toponymy, or origin of the name, is related to the hard, smooth stones plentiful in the rivers of this barrio and used by the indigenous peoples of the area as a weapon and the jíbaro countrymen for sharpening agricultural tools such as the machete.

Some residents of Tibes were cut off for 3 months, unable to find passage from their homes due to blocked roadways.

[15] The highest point in Barrio Tibes is Cerro del Diablo which stands at 2,234 feet.