Central Mountains
Rising to 4389ft, the summit of Cerro de Punta, Puerto Rico's highest mountain, lies in the western portion of the Reserva Forestal Toro Negro just off to…
Must-see attractions in Puerto Rico
Ponce & South Coast
Crumbling monuments to the sugar industry are evident everywhere in Puerto Rico's southeast, but there’s no more heartbreaking reminder of departed ‘King…
Central Mountains
This forest, 10km southwest of Adjuntas, consists of a number of land parcels totaling about 5000 acres. Most is rainforest dominated by sierra palms…
Parque Ceremonial Indígena Caguana
North Coast
Like the archaeological site at Tibes near Ponce, this Taíno ceremonial site, sometimes dubbed the 'Puerto Rican Stonehenge,' has no monumental ruins; the…
Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda
Puerto Rico
The heart of Playa de Joyuda's 300-acre Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda is a sizeable saltwater lagoon with a depth that rarely exceeds 4ft. The…
Central Mountains
In a small park in the barrio (neighborhood) of Coabey, this reconstructed 19th-century coffee finca (rural smallholding) nestles in the shadow of the…
Culebra
Snorkeling is the thing here; the beach shares the fish-filled waters of the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve, making it a popular spot for independent…
Plaza del Mercado de Río Piedras
San Juan
If you enjoy the bustle of a traditional market where locals barter for everything from bananas to bacalao, this is for you. As much a scene as a place to…
Puerto Rico
From this smartly remodeled lighthouse at the bone-rattling end of Hwy 301, there's not much further you can go: you're as south as it gets in Puerto Rico…
Ponce & South Coast
This mysterious, mist-shrouded forest strewn across hills north of Yauco is just 3300 acres and practically deserted year-round. Ambitious hikers and…
Central Mountains
Lago Guajataca is a serene artificial lake with some of Puerto Rico’s best fishing – evidenced by two private clubs for anglers hoping to hook some of the…
Central Mountains
This nest of boulders crests a hilltop alongside the Ruta Panorámica (Hwy 7718 here), just south of Aibonito. Once the ‘thinking place’ of Ponce-born…
Estación Experimental Agrícola Federal
Puerto Rico
Wandering through this, the tropical agricultural research station of the US Department of Agriculture, is a bit like wandering through a geeky botanical…
Centro Educativo Amigos de las Tortugas Marinas
El Yunque & East Coast
A project of the nonprofit ATMAR, this one-room nature center is jam-packed with exhibits on Puerto Rico's various sea turtles. Skulls, shells and even…
El Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan
El Yunque & East Coast
Built in 1882, El Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan is Puerto Rico’s oldest lighthouse. Adorned with rich neoclassical detail and topped by a distinctive…
El Yunque & East Coast
Standing behind a breakwater 2 miles south of Fajardo and around 5.5 miles north of the ferry dock, this is one of the largest marinas (more than 1000 wet…
Centro de Visitantes de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Cabo Rojo
Puerto Rico
The turnoff to this refuge is about half a mile north of the Hwy 301 turnoff to El Combate. Its visitors center contains displays on local wildlife and…
North Coast
This lagoon is one of only two natural lakes in Puerto Rico, making its protection extra precious. It is also one of the most ecologically diverse areas…
Vieques
If it's isolation you’re after, head east on the sandy road that runs along Sun Bay and you’ll enter a low forest. Go left at the fork in the road. In a…
Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña
Ponce
This spacious pink villa designed by Juan Bertoli Calderoni, father of Puerto Rico’s neoclassical style, offers one of Ponce’s best museum experiences. A…
Ponce
Commonly known as ‘La Guancha,’ this rebuilt public boardwalk is around 3 miles south of the city center near the relatively lonely Ponce Hilton and the…
Puerto Rico
This elegant edifice, originally dating from 1909 and rebuilt following a fire in the 1920s, was the brainchild of Francisco Maymón Palmer, who had…
Isla de Magueyes & Isla de Monos
Ponce & South Coast
About 20yd south of La Parguera's Town Dock is Magueyes Island, which is used as a marine science station. The island was formerly a zoo and is now…
Vieques
This uninhabited pinprick of land lies a few hundred feet across the bay from Playa Esperanza. Part of the Mosquito Bay Reserve, many intrepid locals swim…
Parques Luis Muñoz Rivera & Parque del Tercer Milenio
San Juan
Spanning the broad swath between the Atlantic and Av Ponce de León, Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera injects a much-needed green space into the urban landscape…
Ponce
Ponce's history museum is extensive for a city of fewer than 200,0000 people – evidence of the city’s reverence for the past. Located in the Casa Salazar …
Central Mountains
In the same park as Casa Museo Canales, in Coabey, this is arguably Puerto Rico's oddest building. Designed by Río Piedras architect Efrén Badía Cabrera,…
Puerto Rico
Mayagüez can boast not just one but two of Puerto Rico's most alluring urban parks, and this serene green space, a few blocks northeast of Plaza Colón, is…
Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas
Central Mountains
On the west side of Calle Luis Padial, spreading along a grand walkway replete with fountains and sculptures, the former premises of the General Cigar…
Ponce & South Coast
On the northern side of the plaza, this museum was built as a criollo-style town house in 1887 to house the wealthy Cautiño family, who profited from cane…
Rincón
Nicknamed El Faro, the Punta Higüero Lighthouse dates from 1892 and rises almost 100ft. It was restored in 1922 after being severely damaged by a tsunami…
Ponce & South Coast
This fine-arts center stands west of town in the former home of the Puerto Rican High Court. The collection focuses on emerging and established Puerto…
San Juan
Once the residence of a political reformer and Puerto Rico’s first representative to the Spanish court, this 18th-century house is now the headquarters of…
San Juan
Located in the former city hall on the plaza of Bayamón’s historic district, this art museum pays tribute to native son Francisco Oller (1833–1917), one…
Ponce
Perhaps the most grand of Ponce’s historical homes, this mansion was designed by Paris-educated ponceño architect Alfredo Wiechers. The carefully…
Museo de Entomología y Biodiversidad Tropical
San Juan
This small but fascinating museum houses one of the largest collections of insects in the Caribbean. The three rooms contain case upon case of winged…
Central Mountains
This ochre-painted, tin-roofed house honors the so-called grandfather of Puerto Rico’s autonomy movement and the 20th-century architect of the Puerto…
Central Mountains
You can stop off at Area Recreativa Guavate at the northern end of the Bosque Estatal de Carite for a spot of sunbathing and birdwatching. It also has…
Ponce
On the same property as the mammoth El Vigía, Museo Castillo Serrallés was the home of Ponce’s rum dynasty, the Serrallés family. Guides lead bilingual…
North Coast
A stroll through coastal scrub brings you to cliffs where impressive formations have been chiseled and hollowed out by the elements. You can descend…
