Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
welcome toPuerto Rico
Welcome to Puerto Rico: endless sand, swashbuckling history lessons and wildly diverse
tropical terrain. The sun-washed backyard of the USA is a place locals fittingly call the 'Is-
land of enchantment'
Tropical Playground
Puerto Rico is the fodder of many a Caribbean daydream for good reason: this natural jewel
box can satisfy the lethargic beach bum, the sunrise rainforest explorer and the budding big-
wave surfer - all in a long weekend. Its coral reefs host a riot of tropical fish, its limestone
caves in the misty central mountains resound with the chirp of coquí frogs, and its unique
collection of forests - some of the wettest and driest in the Caribbean - harbor some of the
rarest birds in the world. It's hardly undiscovered - you'll have plenty of company navigat-
ing the dripping trails of El Yunque, the perfect waves in Rincón and sunning yourself on
some of the best beaches in the world - but with creativity and plucky DIY spirit, you'll find
a little piece of this tropical heaven all for yourself.
Cultural Vibrancy
Those curious enough to look beyond the borders of San Juan's condo developments and
congested highways reap big rewards from the vibrant culture of this island. You'll get a
whiff of it in the tempting smoke from a roasting pig that rises from a roadside
lechonera
(eatery specializing in suckling pig). You'll hear it in the distorted thump of a rowdy, beer-
soaked weekend in Boquerón or the polyrhythmic patter of a salsa beat. You'll see it down
the quiet hallways of museums celebrating everything from failed revolution to classical
European painting. Don't be put off by the fast-food chains or unsightly trappings of mod-
ern mainland America - Puerto Rican traditions have been shaped by generations of cultural
synthesis, celebration and setback, and it emerges today as distinct, spirited and indomit-
able…if you're willing to look for it.
History
Puerto Rico's history lessons - told through cannon fire and colonization, repression and re-
volt - offer a palpable sense of the island's dynamic past. There's a bit of legend in every
