Travel Guides: All Countries / Caribbean / Puerto Rico
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| | | Laid back Latin life |  | Why go on holiday to Puerto Rico?
To live the laid-back Latin life, to soak up the atmosphere of vibrant San Juan with its old walled city and buzzing nightlife, to laze on white sand beaches, dive the clear seas, explore the rainforest, hike the mountains or see the spectacular cave system of Cavernas del Rio Camuy.
How much does it cost?
Prices do vary but at the top end of the market, seven nights in a sea-view room expect to pay from around £1,200. Flights are from £400. Hotels from £40 outside the capital, from around £60 in San Juan. A two-bedroom villa on the ocean at Rincon is from £100 a night and a sea-view studio apartment in the same area is from £60.
When should I go?
Puerto Rico has year-round good weather with coastal temperatures ranging from around 73F/23C in January and February to 80F/27C in July, August and September. Perhaps the best time to visit is between mid-December and mid-March. Humidity is mostly high, but on the coast, breezes help freshen the air. In the mountains, night temperatures can drop to 50F/10C. Hurricane season is July to October when the island is hottest and wettest, though rainfall is usually in short heavy bursts swiftly followed by hot sunshine again. Most rainfall is in the rain forest of El Yunque. The driest area of the island is the southern coastal lowland, especially west of Ponce.
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| | | Rainforest trails | | What should I do when I'm there?
Hit the beach. Puerto Rico has miles of white sandy beaches backed with coconut palms and clear seas in which to swim, snorkel, dive or enjoy other water sports. Among the best, and popular with families is Luquillo on the north east coast. Other good spots are Boqueron on the western side of the main island with its palms, mangroves and the many species of bird which drop in from the nearby nature reserve. Other good beaches include Fajardo on the north east coast - catch a ferry from here to the island of Culebra with its famous Flamenco beach - voted one of America's best. Off shore, more secluded sands include the island of Caja de Muerto, a few kilometres from the southern coastal town of Ponce.
What about the island's interior?
There are good hiking trails inland with some spectacular mountain scenery, rainforest, waterfalls and wildlife. El Yunque is a national rain forest with a 3,496 ft mountain at its heart. The most rugged countryside with similar-sized mountain terrain can be found in Reserva Forestal Toro Negro. If you don't fancy hiking, you can drive across the Ruta Panoramica - a 165-mile network of scenic roads with mountain towns and villages and spectacular canyons. Back down towards the coast, check out the Bosque Estatal de Guanica - an unusual subtropical dry forest. In the north west interior, explore the Cavernas del Rio Camuy, the world's third largest cave system.
What's to see in the towns?
In the capital, San Juan, explore the old town with its two impressive fortresses and Spanish colonial architecture. Relax in the gardens of Casa Blanca after you've visited the house itself, the ancestral home of the descendants of explorer Ponce de Leon.
In Ponce, on the south coast, the historic district has more than 1,000 19th-century buildings, including an attractive theatre and a good art museum.
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| | | Party hearty | | Where's good for nightlife?
San Juan is a real party town, with a hopping bar and club scene - check out the San Sebastian area. Apart from the usual disco fare, there are plenty of places to try out your salsa skills. Live Latin jazz attracts a cool crowd. If you fancy a flutter, San Juan's hotels offer plenty of casinos. The performing arts centre known as Bellas Artes has an 1,800-seater concert hall and stages opera, ballet and classical concerts. Between November and March, catch a baseball game at Hato Rey.
In Ponce, walk the half-mile boardwalk overlooking the harbour with its bars, restaurants, salsa music and great people-watching most nights. On Sundays, an orchestra gives free outdoor concerts. In February, the town holds a lively Carnaval when masked partygoers dance in the streets.
In Condado and Isla Verde's resort hotels, Las Vegas-style shows are put on for the tourists.
What's the food like?
The American influence is everywhere with breakfast chains like Dennys and the ubiquitous burger bar, but there's still plenty of local fare. For breakfast, try a mallorca - a sweet pastry drenched in powdered sugar. A popular snack is an empanadilla, a pocket of plantain (one of the island's staple foods) or yucca dough filled with meat.
On the beach, vendors will sell you piononos, deep-fried plantain cones stuffed with meat or cheese. Asopao de pollo is a spicy chicken stew. Rice and beans accompany many meat dishes, seasoned with adobo, a paste made from herbs and spices. Generally, more meat than fish is eaten.
Vegetarians can do well but beware veggie dishes commonly fried in animal fat. The island's top drink is cafe con leche - coffee with milk - and on the alcoholic front, rum is the national snifter - Puerto Rico is said to be the world's biggest producer of the stuff.
What should I buy?
Island lace (mundillo), decorative masks like those worn in island fiestas, ceramics, woven hammocks, mountain-grown coffee - all brands are good. Rum is extremely good value and there's a bewildering choice. Local village markets take place almost every day as an alternative to tourist shops.
What is there for children to do?
Visit the Luis A Ferre Parque de Ciencias, San Juan's 42-acre science park which includes a planetarium and aerospace museum. For the real thing, visit the world's largest radio telescope near Arecibo (featured in the extra-terrestrial film Contact). The observatory opens at weekends from 9am to 4pm and Weds-Fri noon to 4pm. Take them whale watching off the west coast from mid-January to mid-April. Trips go daily during this period from Puerto Real. Take them to one of the many nature reserves such as Las Cabezas, which has guided tours and two miles of trails and boardwalks. The beach is always a good option.
Tourist office
Puerto Rico Tourism Company, 67A High Street, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 1DJ. Tel. 01932 253302.
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| | Available rental properties in Puerto Rico |
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