The island of Puerto Rico lies west of the U.S. Virgin Islands and east of the Dominican Republic. While technically part of the United States, U.S. citizens can visit this Caribbean island without a passport. This remarkable island has a lot of beautiful places to visit.
Old San Juan
San Juan was an important part of Puerto Rico’s history. It was protected by a number of forts with many of them still being intact today. It’s made up of many narrow, cobblestoned streets. It can be difficult to find parking on these streets so if you visit Old San Juan it’s best to walk or get a taxi or ride on the trolley. For the most part the city is walkable, but there are some hills you will have to deal with so make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. For those that want to see one of San Juan’s famous forts, head over to El Morro. From it, you can see La Perla. This Oceanside neighborhood is a relatively sleepy town, but it does have some issues with crime so it’s best to just view it from the fort rather than actually visiting it. San Juan Cathedral is a place you must visit if you are in Old San Juan. It’s one of the oldest buildings in the area and one of the most beautiful. It was built in 1521 and features breath-taking statues and stained glass windows. Located here is the tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon and the mummy of St. Pio. Fortaleza, one of Brazil’s biggest cities is a tourist hot spot. Located along the coast, visitors flock to the beaches by day and the come back at night to experience the night life.
Playa Flamenco
This public beach has white sand and shallow turquoise colored waters. It’s about a mile long and has been voted one of the best beaches in the world. There are numerous opportunities to take part in fishing and diving opportunities. If you do plan on visiting here, remember that it’s quite busy so come early so that you can get a good spot. Playa Flamenco is easily accessible from the town of Dewey.
El Yunque National Park
This is the national forest system’s only tropical rainforest. It consists of 29,000 acres. Despite it being relatively small in land area, it is large in biodiversity with hundreds of different plant and animal species. Visitors can spend the day hiking around and exploring the area. By far the guided hiking tour is the best way to see El Yunque National Park as you will be able to learn about all of the plants and animals along the way. Some of the most beautiful parts of the park are all the waterfalls scattered around it.
