Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Puerto Rico
R
eady for a fiesta? Then set your sights on Puerto Rico. In
the capital city of
San Juan,
you'll find a pulsating atmosphere
that can't be topped anywhere in the Caribbean. Casinos ring
with the clink of slots; showgirls kick up their heels in lavish re-
vues; couples jump out on the dance floor and shake to the
sounds of salsa and merengue.
Beyond the boundaries of San Juan, the sounds change to the
slap of waves on the honey-colored shore or the peep of the tiny
coqui
(co-kee), a frog that's a national symbol of Puerto Rico.
(It's said that the coqui can survive only on the island, so to be
as Puerto Rican as a coqui is a declaration of national pride.)
Puerto Rico is an easy destination to like. It's simple to reach -
just 2½ hours from Miami and under four hours from New York;
there's a wide variety of attractions no matter what your inter-
est; it's still in the United States, while at the same time offer-
ing all the intrigue of a foreign destination.
Geography
Your first introduction to Puerto Rico will probably be arrival in
San Juan. This high-rise city hugs the coastline like a Carib-
bean version of Miami Beach (but with casinos) and offers all
the amenities you'd expect in a metropolitan area this size. It's
so large that it's divided into several districts. Tourists typically
visit
Condado, Isla Verde,
and
Old San Juan,
the historical
heart of the city. Here you'll find buildings so old and quaint
they look more like a movie set than a modern downtown dis-
trict.
Mountains form a rugged ridge from east to west. These moun-
tains, the
Cordillera Central
and the
Sierra de Luquillo,
loom at about 3,000 feet above sea level and ease into rolling
hills before reaching the coastal plains. The rainiest area is in
the northeastern mountains in
El Yunque
rain forest, an area
rich with tropical flora ranging from breadfruit to mahogany
trees to orchids. On the opposite end of this large island, the
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