San Juan
Built in 1854 as a military barracks, the cuartel is an impressive three-story edifice with large gates on two ends, a series of arches and a large…
Must-see attractions in Puerto Rico
Ponce & South Coast
The once-glittering waters of Bahía de Fosforescente remain by far La Parguera’s biggest draw, but the environmental impact of boat tours and developments…
Culebra
It's beauty lies in its isolation; with no road you have to hike about 30 minutes along a little-used trail that is often overgrown with sea grape and low…
Catedral de San Germán de Auxerre
Puerto Rico
San Germán’s cathedral, at the top (west) end of town is named for the town’s patron saint and is noticeably grander than the diminutive Iglesia de Porta…
Parque de las Ciencias Luis A Ferré
San Juan
A veritable smorgasbord of family-friendly museums and exhibits plus a minizoo are housed in the expansive Parque de las Ciencias. Kids learn about…
Culebra
On the southwestern tip of the island, Punta Soldado has a rocky beach perfect for exploring. The water is calm and clear and filled with healthy coral,…
Ponce & South Coast
Follow Hwy 333 to its conclusion at Bahía de la Ballena and you'll find that the charming little access route to Playa Tamarindo is blocked off from…
San Juan
Next to the gorgeous Balneario El Escambrón, this namesake marine park is a popular destination for snorkelers and divers. See schools of blue tangs,…
Medio Mundo y Daguao Reserva Natural
El Yunque & East Coast
Pioneering nonprofit Para la Naturaleza acquired 3408 acres of land in the Roosevelt Roads US Navy base for conservation purposes. Currently, it offers…
San Juan
Wedged in between the high-rise hotel strip of Isla Verde and the rustic delights of Piñones, Balneario de Carolina is a fine, clean beach that's…
Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Ponce
The twin bell towers of this striking cathedral and local landmark cast an impression of noble piety over Ponce's Plaza Las Delicias. The cathedral…
Central Mountains
Forget Bacardi and even Don Q – in these lofty parts they have their very own artisan rum, which comes in delicious flavors such as passion fruit and…
Puerto Rico
The old city hall, which acts as a dividing line between the city’s two central squares, is a classic example of a 19th-century colonial municipal…
San Juan
This new addition to the city's thriving art scene is set in a restored Miramar landmark, a striking pink building dating to 1913. Engaging, interactive…
Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte de Río Piedras
San Juan
Puerto Rico's first national museum was founded in 1951, home to some of its most important cultural pieces, including Francisco Oller's El Velorio,…
Central Mountains
Some of the island’s best-preserved native petroglyphs are carved on a large rock in the middle of the Río Saliente just off Hwy 144, 3km east of Jayuya…
Puerto Rico
This is the long golden strip of sand heading south from Annie's Place at the point where Hwy 3301 hits the sea. Walk a short distance along and you'll…
Central Mountains
Adjuntas jousts with Jayuya for the accolade of being Puerto Rico's premier coffee region and this coffee hacienda is surely the most beautifully situated…
Vieques
This deliciously deserted stretch of sand has absolutely no facilities – just jaw-dropping beauty. It faces Bahía Ensenada Honda, which is good for…
Vieques
This gorgeous cove has a slender stretch of sand and protected waters that are excellent for snorkeling. A steep gravel path leads to the beach.
Ponce & South Coast
The immense 10,000-acre expanse of the Guánica Biosphere Reserve is one of the island's great natural treasures. Located in two wonderfully untrammeled…
Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes
Ponce
The ancient ceremonial center of Tibes is one of the Caribbean's most important archaeological sites, due largely to evidence found here of pre-Taíno…
Central Mountains
Despite its diminutive size (2430 acres), the Bosque Estatal de Guajataca contains more trails (27 miles) than any other forest in Puerto Rico – including…
Puerto Rico
Fanning out immediately south of Boquerón town, the Balneario Boquerón arguably ranks among the best public beach facilities in Puerto Rico. The mile-long…
North Coast
These two lakes – each more than 2 miles long – fill a deeply cleft valley at a point where karst country gives way to the jagged spine of the central…
North Coast
This 5000-acre forest just off Hwy 621, halfway between Arecibo and Utuado, sits amid some of the island's most rugged terrain. In the bosom of karst…
Vieques
Punta Arenas is excellent for a quiet picnic, some family-friendly snorkeling, and views of the mainland (note the wind farm) and El Yunque across the…
El Yunque
At the time of research, La Mina Trail was closed for repair, due to reopen in 2021. Check the El Yunque National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque…
Ponce
Ponceños (people from Ponce) claim that the eye-popping Parque de Bombas is Puerto Rico’s most frequently photographed building, which is not too hard to…
San Juan
The capitol of the Commonwealth is in an impressive columned and domed neoclassical building in a commanding location overlooking Puerta de Tierra's wave…
Reserva Nacional de Investigación Estuarina de Bahía de Jobos
Ponce & South Coast
Bursting with wildlife, the National Estuarine Research Reserve at Bahía de Jobos is an enormous protected mangrove bay, one of Puerto Rico's largest and…
North Coast
Lying at the end of Hwy 690, this charming palm-dotted expanse of sand has had several million dollars pumped into the expansion of its tourist facilities…
San Juan
Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…
Central Mountains
This forest of more than 10,000 acres lies along the Ruta Panorámica south of Maricao: it's the largest of the island's state forests. The drive through…
Ponce
The overgrown coffee fields and quaint historical buildings of Hacienda Buena Vista make this one of Puerto Rico's best-preserved 19th-century coffee…
San Juan
What it lacks in grandiosity it makes up for in age: the Iglesia de San José is the second-oldest church in the Americas, after the cathedral in Santo…
Puerto Rico
The Refugio de Boquerón is the western outpost of the Bosque Estatal de Boquerón, a 400-acre patch of mangrove wetlands that mostly spreads south of…
Puerto Rico
Vast salt flats surround the rocky, dramatic narrow peninsula that heralds the approach to the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. These are truly…
Culebra
A resaca is an undertow and a metaphor for a hangover, an allusion to the state of the water perhaps, or the way you'll feel after climbing up and down…
Ponce & South Coast
Gilligan’s Island and nearby Isla Ballena (Whale Island) are all part of the same set of small mangrove islands off the tip of the Caña Gorda peninsula…
