East of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands lies the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Approximately 3,500 sq. miles and about the size of the state of Connecticut, PR isa US territoryand US citizens do not need a passport to travel to and from Puerto Rico. With one of the busiest cruise ship ports in the world, many tourists visit Puerto Rico before or after embarking on acruise.
Although the list of things to see and do on this culturally colorful island is extensive, we’ve listed 10 Things You Shouldn’t Miss on Puerto Rico to get your travel planning started.
1. Old San Juan
Founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, the7 square block areacontains a wealth of history, culture, restaurants and shopping. Take time to walk down the streets taking in the colors, the historic buildingsand delicious aromas surrounding you.Look to see if you can find the blue cobblestones in old town. The bricks were brought over on Spanish ships in the 1700’s and time and moisture have caused them to have a blue hue, but word has it that they are slowly being replaced due to cracking and unevenness.
Blue cobblestones
2. El Morro and San Cristobal
It’s hard to miss the forts of El Morro and San Cristobal while walking around Old San Juan. Construction on Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) was begun in 1539 as a way to protect the city from an attack by sea, but it not completed until 1787. Castillo San Cristóbal was built to protect the city from attacks by land. The views here are phenomenal and history is always so much more interesting when you’re able to experience it in person.
Read more about exploring El Morro here
Gun turret inEl Morro
3. El Yunque
El Yunque National Forest islocated approximately 25 miles southeast of San Juan.Receiving over 200 inches of rain a year, thisjungle like area is filled withlush flora and fauna (some species only found here), beautiful waterfalls and trails that crisscross the area for easy exploration. Listen to the sounds of 13 species of coqui fill the airand keep your eyes open for the endangered Puerto Rican amazon (parrot) – the only remaining native parrot in Puerto Rico.
Read more about exploring El Yunque here
Small waterfall in El Yunque
4. Drink a PiñaColada
Named the national drink of Puerto Rico in 1978, you won’t have a problem finding a bar or restaurant that serves one. In fact, two places in San Juan claim to haveoriginally createdthe creamy rum drink, Barrachina and Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar. If you want to do a bit of “research”, you could try one at each location to see which you prefer.
PiñaColadas at Barrachina’s
5. Eat
Puerto Rican cuisine was not something we were familiar with before we started visiting the islands and now we love it. Nottypically spicy – but well spiced, it seems to be a unique and tastyblend of influences from different ethnic groups that settled on the island. Mofongo (mashed plantain filled with steak, chicken, shrimp, pork, etc.), Alcapurria (fritters made of green bananas and filled with seasoned meat), Mallorca (Puerto Rican sweet brean), Bacalaítos (fried codfish fritters),Lechón (roasted pig)and Arroz con gandules (the Puerto Rican style of rice and beans made with pigeon peas and sofrito)are just a few of the succulent delicacies or dishes you might find.
Mofongo
6. Roadside Food Stands
As if there’s not enough good food tochoose fromin Puerto Rican restaurants, there’s another place to sample great local cuisine with the added bonus of chatting with the cook/owner. On roadways all over Puerto Rico you’ll find roadside food stands selling everything from barbeque chicken to arepas to pinchos. Want to wash it down with smething cold? Try a Coco Frio (coconut water), Medalla Light (the local beer) or anotherPiñaColada. Our favorite? A row of food kiosks close to Luquillo Beach!
Luquillo Beach Food Kiosk
7. Rum
Called the rum capital of the world, Puerto Rico sells 70% of the rum sold in the US. Bacardi is the best known and has a distillery with tours on island,but if you have the chance, be sure to sample the local favorite Don Q and our favorite – Ron Del Barrilito Three Star, considered the “Cognac of the Caribbean”.
Puerto Rican Rums
8. Check Out the Non-Tourtisty Areas
Sure it’s great to be able to visit the popular tourist attractions in PR – they’re popular for a reason! But there are so many other things to experience on PR if you have the time and some transportation. If you’re staying on-island and can rent a car, check out some of these less touristy, but still cooldestinations. Spend some time exploring Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla – the site of a former military port that still has some of the military pier infrastructure, surf in Rincon, a sleepy town on the west coast that is a favorite of expats, kayak over to Gilligan’s Island (Cayo Aurora)from Guánica and do some snorkeling, visit Café Gran Batey Coffee Farm in Utuado for a tour, a tasting and some coffee beans to bring home, and explore the neoclassical architecture of Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second largest city, founded in 1692 by Ponce de Leon’s great grandson.
Crash BoatBeach
9. Explore Puerto Rico’s Beautiful Out Islands
There are approximately 143 islands, cays, islets and atolls surrounding the island of Puerto Rico and the only inhabited ones – Vieques and Culebra are great for day trips orlonger and easy to get to via ferry.
Sun Bay, Vieques
10. Relax
After all the sightseeing, don’t forget to just take time to relax, breathe in the tropical air and enjoy the sunshine. After all, you’re in paradise!
Great place to relax in a hammock in Rio Grande
To see more posts onPuerto Ricoand other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
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