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Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Continent

North America

Best States to Visit

  • Aguada
  • Arecibo
  • Cabo Rojo
  • Carolina
  • Cayey

Best Cities to Visit

  • San Juan
  • Ponce
  • Fajardo
  • Culebra
  • Caguas

Size

9,104 KM2

Population

2,792,315

GDP

$105,000,000,000

Spending Budget

$173 - $2,429

Famous For

  • Puerto Rico is known for its beautiful beaches, and with 270 miles of sandy shores, there's no shortage on which type of beach you'll find there.

Best Time to Visit

  • April
  • May
  • June

History

The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people between 430 BC and AD 1000. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. In 1593 Portuguese soldiers, sent from Lisbon by order of Phillip II, composed the first garrison of the San Felipe del Morro fortress in Puerto Rico. Located in the northeastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico formed a key part of the Spanish Empire from the early years of the exploration, conquest and colonization of the New World. The island was a major military post during many wars between Spain and other European powers for control of the region in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Throughout most of the 19th century until the conclusion of the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico and Cuba were the last two Spanish colonies in the New World; they served as Spain's final outposts in a strategy to regain control of the American continents. Realizing that it was in danger of losing its two remaining Caribbean territories, the Spanish Crown revived the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. The decree was printed in Spanish, English and French in order to attract Europeans, with the hope that the independence movements would lose their popularity and strength with the arrival of new settlers. Free land was offered to those who wanted to populate the islands on the condition that they swear their loyalty to the Spanish Crown and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, Puerto Rico was invaded and subsequently became a possession of the United States. The first years of the 20th century were marked by the struggle to obtain greater democratic rights from the United States. The Jones Act of 1917, which made Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens, paved the way for the drafting of Puerto Rico's Constitution and its approval by Congress and Puerto Rican voters in 1952.

Present Day

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated territory of the United States. It is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. The island’s social and economic conditions are generally advanced by Latin American standards, partly because of its ties with the United States. Puerto Rico’s economy, now based on services and manufacturing, was dominated by agriculture until the mid-20th century. Puerto Rico is largely composed of mountainous and hilly terrain, with nearly one-fourth of the island covered by steep slopes. None of Puerto Rico’s rivers is large enough for navigation, but several northward-flowing rivers are harnessed for municipal water supplies, irrigation, and hydroelectricity, and along the south coast irrigation is essential for agriculture. Puerto Rico has a tropical climate with little seasonal variation, although local conditions vary according to elevation and exposure to rain-bearing winds. Plant life is abundant and varied. Tropical rainforests cover parts of the north side of the island, and thorn and scrub vegetation predominates on the drier south side. Puerto Rico’s population is ethnically mixed because of centuries of immigration and cultural assimilation. There is little overt racial discrimination, although people of Spanish and other European ancestry are still esteemed among most elite members of society.

Future

The Alliance for Sustainable Resources Management (AMANESER 2025) is an ecumenical network of grassroots organizations whose purpose is to promote sustainability in Puerto Rico so that the island can design its development as “prosperous, fair, democratic, sustainable and happy.” AMANESER 2025 is beginning to equip local communities with the organizational and material resources to improve their resiliency in the midst of natural disasters and to reduce the community’s dependency on outside assistance in responding to these disasters. Material resources provided to the community include: solar energy panels, community refrigeration system, rainwater harvesting system, which can hold 2,000-4,000 gallons, individual water filters that can filter up to 30,000 gallons, battery operated communication devices. Each community will develop their own strategic plan for becoming a more sustainable community in the face of climate change. In walking with the community, AMANASER 2025 will provide technical and organizational training. Through this process, each community will come together to write a vision statement, identify priority areas, and develop strategies and activities to work toward their vision for the future.
Must Visit Places ------------

Flamenco Beach

If you’re traveling to Puerto Rico, you want to go to the beach. That’s a fact. You want fun in the sun. One of such beaches is the Flamenco Beach. Not only does it offer white sand and blue water that shimmies on the horizon, but it also boasts bathrooms, lifeguards, food kiosks, volleyball nets and tourist stations where you can rent equipment for things like snorkeling and scuba diving. It’s a tropical paradise that will give you just about every vacation experience that you could want in Puerto Rico.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Known to locals as “El Morro,” the Castillo San Felipe del Morro is a gargantuan citadel that was built in Puerto Rico in the 16th century to defend the island against pirates, soldiers, slavers and anyone else who wanted to test their strength against its massive walls. It has an entire assembly of cannons, turrets, bunkers, sentry towers, lighthouses and other places of interest. Today, of course, it’s a lively tourist attraction where people take selfies while kids play hide-and-seek in the hidden nooks of the great stone garitas.

Toro Verde Adventure Park

It offers ziplines, rope courses and rock climbing challenges that are guaranteed to make you pee your pants a little when you realize just what you’ve gotten yourself into! The park’s main attraction is “The Beast,” which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest zipline in the world. You’ll be strapped into a horizontal, full-body harness that will send you careening through the open air for 4,745 feet. Other attractions include “The Wild Bull,” a series of hanging rope bridges that will sway in every direction as you cross them, and “Escape If You Can,” an adventure course that includes everything from ziplining to rappelling down a rock wall.

Old San Juan

With cobbled streets, busy plazas and colorful homes that stack together like building blocks of yellow, blue, green, orange and turquoise, Old San Juan is one of the most vibrant places to visit in Puerto Rico. It’s technically a historic district, and you can see evidence of its past in the abundance of churches, cathedrals and colonial homes.

Isla Culebrita

There’s a certain charm to the lively, rowdy crowds of Puerto Rico, but no one will blame you if you need to escape the noise every once in a while. This is why places like Isla Culebrita exist. Isla Culebrita is an uninhabited island off the coast of eastern Puerto Rico. It’s only about a mile long, and access is restricted to ferries and water taxis. Many tourists don’t even realize that it exists. Its isolation, however, makes it one of the best places to visit in Puerto Rico. The beaches are neat and clean; the shopping centers don’t have long lines.

Museo de Las Americas

There are many museums in Puerto Rico, but only a handful are actually about Puerto Rico. The Museo de Las Americas is one of these precious places. It has artifacts, tokens and textiles from dozens of indigenous groups that lived in Latin America before it was colonized, and it can take you on a multi-continental journey through history. One of the coolest things about the Museo de Las Americas is that it’s housed in a series of old army barracks.

Mayaguez

If you like to eat, Mayaguez is the city for you. It’s home to everything from fine dining establishments to open-air cafes with big, colorful umbrellas, so you’ll have plenty of options when your stomach starts growling. A fun fact about Mayaguez is that it’s known for the creation and production of several famous dishes in Puerto Rico

El Yunque National Forest

Covering more than 28,000 acres, the El Yunque National Forest is a lush, humid rainforest where dense foliage covers everything from slithering snakes to croaking tree frogs. It’s the only tropical rainforest in Puerto Rico, and visitors come from all over the Carribean to witness both its beauty and biodiversity. Hiking is the most common activity in El Yunque National Forest. It has all kinds of sightseeing trails for rivers, crags, waterfalls, meadows and mountains, so your camera will get a nice workout as you go exploring.

Los Morrillos Lighthouse

Located in the city of Cabo Rojo on the southernmost tip of Puerto Rico, the Los Morrillos Lighthouse is one of those gorgeous places that you can only find in the Caribbean. It’s perched on top of white limestone cliffs that are surrounded by salt marshes and lagoons, and the waves crash against the cliffs with a violence that’s startling but beautiful. The lighthouse itself is a simple structure; you’ll find many just like it in Puerto Rico. However, the views from its observation deck are top notch, and the friendly staff will take you on a tour anytime.

Ponce

Ponce is a bustling city in Puerto Rico where you can find everything from pink houses to pineapple ice cream shops. It has such a vibrant, colorful atmosphere that it’s been called “the most Puerto Rican city in Puerto Rico.” It’s filled with some of the best things to do in Puerto Rico. Whether you’re a fan of parks, plazas, museums, shopping malls, restaurants, monuments or movie theaters, Ponce will keep you busy. Another great thing about Ponce is that it hosts dozens of festivals throughout the year.

Cayo Santiago

Cayo Santiago is a small stretch of land off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. From a distance, it looks like any other tropical Caribbean landscape filled with hills, beaches and cliffs. When you get closer, however, you’ll see the furry little heads peeking through the tree canopies, and you’ll realize why “Cayo Santiago” translates to “Monkey Island.” Cayo Santiago was created when a group of monkeys was imported from India to Puerto Rico in the 1930s.

Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

If you’re willing to travel a little outside of the actual island of Puerto Rico, hop on a ferry and visit the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. Hundreds of species call it home, including birds, lizards, monkeys, manatees and sea turtles. There are even wild horses roaming the shoreline! As for activities, you’ll have your choice of fun things to do and amazing places to visit on both land and sea. If you want to splash around, you can swim, snorkel and scuba dive; if you prefer to stay dry, you can go hiking, biking or horseback riding.

Arecibo Observatory

Towering more than 1,600 feet above the lakes and fields of Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory is a testament to the power of man and the importance of scientific research. It operates 24/7 and transmits data to people from all over the globe. It’s one of the best places in Puerto Rico for scenic views, too. You can take a tour of the observatory through the science and visitor center, and when you’re done learning about its value to everything from radar astronomy to atmospheric science, you can end your visit with a climb to the observation deck.

Guajataca Tunnel

Known to locals as “The Black Tunnel,” Guajataca Tunnel is a pitch-black underpass carved into the side of a river canyon that stretches for more than 500 feet. It used to belong to the national railway system, and in its heyday, it connected several different regions of Puerto Rico for the quick, easy transport of things like sugar cane. Today, Guajataca Tunnel is a ghost site that’s been forgotten by the transportation department. It’s become something of a tourist attraction as people dare each other to walk through its completely lightless caverns.

Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center

The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center ensures that none of it will be forgotten. Founded on 800-year-old soil, the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center carefully preserves the landmarks of the area while also inviting visitors to take a walk in the shoes of the people who came before them. Its most famous attraction is the collection of “ball courts” where the Taino people played games among large, carved stones decorated with monoliths and petroglyphs.

Gilligan’s Island

Though it’s officially named Cayo Aurora, this small piece of land is more commonly known as Gilligan’s Island, and it can provide a real-life taste of the tropical paradise that you saw on TV. Gilligan’s Island is one of the lesser-known islands of Puerto Rico. It’s located off the coast of Guanica, a more popular beach destination, and it’s quite small. You can explore the entire thing by foot. It’s one of the best places in Puerto Rico to observe marine life.

San German

San German is the second-oldest city in Puerto Rico, and as soon as you see its cobblestone streets and square-cut colonial buildings, you’ll realize that it never really left its past behind. Hundreds of historical sites might make it obvious, too. San German is a premiere destination for travelers who are interested in the history of Puerto Rico. It boasts churches, cathedrals, museums, plazas, cemeteries and cultural centers as far as the eye can see. From preserved art collections to authentic stained glass windows that depict important religious events, San German has it all.

Mosquito Bay

Located just off the coast of Puerto Rico, Mosquito Bay is one of the most stunning sights in the world. It’s home to thousands of bioluminescent organisms that make the water sparkle like bright blue gemstones! The exact science of Mosquito Bay is something of a mystery, but it’s thought that the organisms have a natural luminescence that thrives in the nutrient-rich waters of Puerto Rico.

Cueva del Indio

History can take many forms, including artwork carved into cave walls between the years of A.D. 1200 – 1500. This is what you’ll see when you visit Cueva del Indio. Located in La Piedras, Puerto Rico, these caves are a prehistoric rock site where history comes alive in a series of paintings, sculptures and petroglyphs. Not only will you get to venture deep into the moss-covered tunnels that make up the cave network, but you’ll also be able to look at genuine artwork left behind by the indigenous people of Puerto Rico.

Playa Sucia

Consistently ranked as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, Playa Sucia is so pristine that you might feel guilty about laying down your towels and drink coolers. The water is the first thing that you’ll notice. It’s so clear that you can see every grain of sand between your toes, and it’s perfect for swimming, snorkeling, wading, diving and paddle boarding. There are some fun places beyond the beach as well. A lighthouse is within walking distance, and a wildlife reserve is a short drive into southern Puerto Rico if you can tear yourself away from the water.

Humacao

There are many places to visit in Humacao, a southeastern city in Puerto Rico. You can tour local churches and museums; you can hike to the top of an astronomy tower; you can dive into the depths of its snorkeling sites. If you’re looking to have the best time in Humacao, however, you’ll wait until the festival season. The city transforms itself every year with celebrations that draw people from all over Puerto Rico. The Breadfruit Festival is probably the most famous. Held every September, it celebrates the versatility of this exotic Caribbean fruit by dishing it up in every way that you can imagine.

Charco Azul

Go off the beaten path in Puerto Rico with a trip to Charco Azul. It’s located deep within a forest in the Cayey region, and you’ll need to walk down several trails and across a series of bridges before you reach it. Literally translated as “blue pond,” Charco Azul offers a bit more than its name suggests. It’s a freshwater swimming hole that extends a good 30 – 40 feet across, and it can reach depths of 10 – 15 feet in the center.

Camuy River Cave Park

Say goodbye to the sunlight with a trip to Camuy River Cave Park. As the largest underground cave system in Puerto Rico, Camuy River Cave Park is one of those places that feels forgotten by time. As you venture deeper and deeper into the complex labyrinth of tunnels, caverns and sinkholes, you’ll hear the flutter of bat wings and the pitter-patter of water dripping from stalagmites and stalactites.

Guanica State Forest and Biosphere Reserve

A trip to the Guanica State Forest and Biosphere Reserve is one of the most unique things to do in Puerto Rico. It’s located within the “rain shadow” of its mountainous landscape, so instead of being a humid, muggy rainforest, it’s a “dry forest” that receives very little precipitation throughout the year. They’re still beautiful, but they look different from other nature reserves. They have a stark, craggy appearance with rocky cliffs and dry fields of cactus-like shrubs.

Rio Abajo Forest Reserve

Covering more than 5,000 acres of central Puerto Rico, the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve is one of the craziest places in the Caribbean if you enjoy unusual geography and topography. It’s basically several forests packed into a single area, and depending on your compass, you might wind up in a dry cave, humid rainforest, barren sinkhole or lush ravine. It’s recommended that you hire a tour guide for your trip to the Rio Abajo Forest Reserve. While there are some places in Puerto Rico that are safe to explore on your own, the ever-changing conditions of this particular forest can make it hard to navigate without help.