Miles of sandy beaches, a lush forested interior, elegant upscale resorts and an exciting blend of Spanish, African and indigenous Taíno culture have seen Puerto Rico become one of the Caribbean’s go-to destinations. Lying 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, this unincorporated United States territory is a short hop from mainland America, but the archipelago’s incredible natural biodiversity and infectiously joyful vibe are uniquely its own.
Click through the gallery to discover 24 reasons to add Puerto Rico to your holiday wish list...
Spend a couple of days wandering the blue-grey cobblestone streets, buzzing plazas and UNESCO World Heritage-listed fortifications of Old San Juan: a unique Caribbean city shaped by five centuries of history. Old San Juan is the second oldest city established in the New World and from the well-preserved Spanish citadel of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, to its rows of rainbow-coloured townhouses and elegant Moorish-inspired facades, the city reveals snapshots of its past at every turn.
A perfect, horseshoe-shaped curve of white sand fringed by swaying coconut palms, sloping gently into a warm sea. Sound like paradise? Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra consistently ranks as one of the best in the world, and you can explore this tropical idyll on a boat cruise with Sail Getaways from Fajardo, stopping at snorkelling spots along the way. Walk along the beach to see The Tank, left behind by the US Navy.
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There are very few places around the world where natural bioluminescence lights up the ocean at night, and Puerto Rico is home to three of them: Laguna Grande in Fajardo, La Parguera in Lajas and Mosquito Bay on the island of Vieques; the brightest bio bay in the world. Join a kayak tour with Taino Aqua Adventures or Kayaking Puerto Rico to experience the neon-blue aquatic displays, created by microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates, which illuminate these magical marine realms, which are particularly visible on moonless nights.
Set on a coconut plantation between two of Puerto Rico’s stunning natural attractions, El Yunque National Forest and Espíritu Santo River State Preserve, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is the perfect base for some hiking adventures, but equally as inviting if you’re here to relax and recharge. With two miles (3km) of sandy beach overlooking the Atlantic, guests can enjoy water sports, a round of golf on the 18-hole course and pampering in the sanctuary of the Iridium Spa.
When night falls in Puerto Rico, the territory's mountains and forests ring with the mating calls of thousands of coquí tree frogs. Named after their distinctive, uplifting song, which sounds like “Co-Kee! Co-Kee!”, the amphibians inhabited the archipelago long before the indigenous Taíno people immortalised their image in petroglyphs thousands of years ago. The coquí remains a much-loved cultural symbol for Puerto Ricans today, with the little frogs’ image found on everything from pottery to postcards.
Caribbean islands bring out the pirate in us all, so what better way is there to spend an afternoon than sampling some of Puerto Rico’s finest rum? Ron del Barrilito is the territory’s oldest distillery, just 15 minutes from San Juan. Visitors can take a Heritage Tour of Hacienda Santa Ana to learn about the rum-making process, which has remained unchanged since 1880; and sample small-batch rums, from the classic Three Stars to the limited-edition Five Stars.
A laidback town in northwestern Puerto Rico, with over a dozen beaches and some of the best waves in the Caribbean, Rincón has been a surfing mecca since the late 1960s. Experienced surfers can catch a variety of big breaks around the coast, but there are also plenty of surf schools if it’s your first time on a board and you need some tips. At night, the restaurants and bars around the plaza offer plenty of fun for visitors too.
Drawing on the territory’s Spanish, African and Taíno history, the favourite Puerto Rican dish of mofongo features a tight mound of mashed green plantains, traditionally served with meat, seafood or vegetables. Join an adrenaline-fuelled jet ski tour of the coast, then head to Vittata Gastropub at Rompeolas Beach to replenish with a Cachita Daiquiri, made from rum blended with passion fruit, lime and coconut foam; alongside their excellent El Mofongo Vittata (fried mashed plantain), served with an earthy porcini broth.
A biodiversity hotspot, El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system and is home to sparkling waterfalls and pools, more than 830 native plant species, wildlife including bats, geckos and anole lizards, and 97 species of bird including hummingbirds and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. You’ll also find 13 of the 17 species of coqui frogs here, and plenty of hiking trails through the soaring tabonuco trees, bromeliads and ferns.
Get a different view of Puerto Rico’s legendary beaches on a jet ski tour along the coastline with Aguadilla Water Sports. The family-run business has a ‘Top Gun’ fleet of yellow Sea Doo jet skis, and fun guides leading the exploration of the northwest coast’s coves and bays. Ride solo or with a buddy on the back, and don’t forget to pair your phone with the on-board bluetooth speakers, so you can listen to tunes along the way.
With a restaurant, café and resident peacocks nonchalantly strutting their stuff, Hacienda Muñoz is a serene place to spend a couple of hours learning about Puerto Rico’s coffee-producing past. Surrounded by slopes covered with palms and coffee plants, the family-run hacienda is just 30 minutes from San Juan, and a tour takes visitors through the cultivation process to harvesting, sorting and roasting, ending with a tasting of some of their award-winning speciality blends in the coffee shop.
It’s estimated around one million Puerto Rican parrots inhabited the archipelago at the beginning of the sixteenth century, but the arrival of Spanish colonists took its toll and by 1975, just 13 remained. The Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Plan has helped bring them back from the brink, and despite the devastation caused by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, there are now an estimated 250 of these endangered endemic parrots in the forests of Maricao, El Yunque and Río Abajo.
Take a break from sightseeing in San Juan to raise a glass in the capital’s best-known dive bar, El Batey, where legends including Brit rockers The Rolling Stones and Beat poet Allen Ginsburg have hung out. The graffiti-covered walls have plenty of stories to tell, and rumour has it EL Batey provided American Gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson with inspiration for his novel, The Rum Diary, during his time working in Puerto Rico as a journalist in 1960.
The warm waters around the islands of Puerto Rico are a haven for marine life, including dolphins, manatees and whales, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to swim with turtles on the surrounding reefs. On the island of Culebra, guides lead snorkelling tours of the Luis Peña Nature Reserve, where green turtles graze on the seagrass, while Scuba Dogs at Escambrón Marine Park offers snorkelling and diving a stone’s throw from San Juan, with a good chance of seeing turtles.
Beneath Puerto Rico’s lush mountain peaks and forests lies an equally impressive limestone labyrinth. The Río Camuy Cave Park is the third-largest underground river cavern system in the world. Over 10 miles of caverns and 220 caves have been explored and mapped, but experts believe there could be at least 800 caves waiting to be discovered. There are 18 known entrances and visitors can join tours to see stalagmites and stalactites in the 170-feet-high (52m) main cave, Clara.
Enter a real-life Barbie Land with a visit to the candy-pink salt lakes of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Puerto Rico. The rosy hue of the pools comes from a combination of algae, salt, bacteria and water, offering an other-worldly location for an Instagram shoot, before exploring the hiking and biking trails of the 1,800-acre refuge. Nearby, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse sits high on rugged limestone cliffs, offering epic views of the Caribbean Sea.
Close to the airport, San Juan’s upscale oceanfront district has all you’ll need for a luxe stay, with elegant hotels, beachside restaurants and big-brand boutiques, plus a long stretch of sand. VIP Adventures offers water sports rentals, so travellers can explore the lagoon by paddleboard or kayak. Stay at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel for the best views of the coastline, a buzzy cocktail bar and infinity pool, plus a spa offering the only hammam experience in Puerto Rico.
With the longest zipline in America, ToroVerde Adventure Park is not for the fainthearted. The Monster is over 1.5 miles (2.4km) long and hits speeds of up to 95mph (152 km/h), as you fly horizontally above the forested mountain peaks, 1,247 feet (380m) up. Meanwhile, The Beast has you soaring like a bird along one of the world’s longest single-run ziplines at 4,745 feet (1,446m), while the Toro Bikes cycle along a cable high in the sky, against a breathtaking backdrop of coastal views.
Home to a wildlife refuge, the laidback, beautiful isle of Vieques is easily reached by tour boat or ferry from Puerto Rico’s main island. With the world’s brightest body of bioluminescent water at Mosquito Bay, a herd of Spanish Paso Fino horses roaming free, secluded sandy beaches and some of the best snorkelling spots in the territory, Vieques can also be accessed by plane from San Juan and offers a range of accommodation options, from luxury villas to guesthouses.
If you like piña coladas, you’ve come to the right place. The cocktail was first invented here in 1954 by Ramon Monchito Marrero, a bartender at the Caribe Hilton hotel. His plan – to capture the flavours of Puerto Rico in one delicious drink – definitely worked, with the coconut cream, pineapple juice and light rum blending perfectly into a totally tropical tipple, which manages to taste like a holiday in a glass, whether you’re sipping one in San Juan or back at home.
The dream of horse riding along a windswept beach is a reality in Puerto Rico. Join a two-hour tour with Tropical Trail Rides and you’ll weave through a shady almond-tree forest, before riding along the sweeping sands of Survival Beach on the northwest coast, near Isabela. Owners Craig and Michelle Barker hail from California, came to Puerto Rico for a visit and never went home. As the sun sinks over the ocean, you’ll be tempted to stay too.
When Christopher Columbus sailed into Puerto Rico in 1493 on his second voyage to the Indies, the islands were home to the indigenous Taíno people, and some of their ancient petroglyphs (rock carvings) can still be seen around the island today. One of the most famous spots to view them is the dramatic Cueva del Indio in Arecibo on the Atlantic coast, an hour west of San Juan, which has one of the highest numbers of these culturally significant artworks.
The deepest canyon in the Antilles, San Cristóbal Canyon is Puerto Rico’s adventure playground, offering excellent hiking, rappelling and swimming amidst its waterfalls, caves and pools in the central mountains. Go Hiking Puerto Rico keeps thrill-seekers safe and pumped on rock climbing and canyoning day tours, while hikers can enjoy spectacular views of the forests, cliffs and Usabón River rumbling through the six-mile-long (10km) ravine: a protected habitat for a variety of native flora and fauna.
The coral reefs around Puerto Rico’s islands and cays offer some magical snorkelling and diving experiences, and the chance to swim with a huge diversity of tropical fish and larger marine life, including manta rays. Join a catamaran tour or take a water taxi from Fajardo to the deserted island of Cayo Icacos – the largest in a remote collection of sandy cays in La Cordillera Nature Reserve – and you’ll soon be snorkelling in some of the east coast’s clearest waters.
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