Ponce & South Coast
The lovely Bahía de la Ballena represents the end of the road (Hwy 333) and a rare opportunity to park your car and rely on two legs rather than four…
Must-see attractions in Puerto Rico
Ponce & South Coast
The seaside promenade at Playa Salinas runs alongside the strip of seafood restaurants. Along its length, there are public gardens, restrooms and a stage…
Vieques
This long, narrow strip of golden sand has wave-tossed water that drops off very quickly, so it's not the best choice for kids or poor swimmers. If you…
North Coast
Within the Parque Histórico de Arecibo complex, this lighthouse dates from 1897 and is an excellent example of Spanish neoclassical architecture. There's…
Central Mountains
Just up from the ranger's station in the Bosque Estatal de Guajataca, this multi-tier timber tower yields some superb views of the surrounding forest. It…
Ponce & South Coast
On the plaza in central Coamo is one of Puerto Rico's more interesting provincial churches. This Catholic church contains paintings by island masters…
San Juan
This modern gallery in a bohemian corner of Santurce often has thought-provoking work from emerging artists and musicians. Expect contemporary, conceptual…
Puerto Rico
If you catch it open, this lookout tower gives some bracing views across the Corozo Salt Flats, from opposite the Centro Interpretativo Las Salinas de…
Ponce & South Coast
This artificial lake extends its tentacled inlets deep into the surrounding hills around 5.5 miles north of Yauco at the end of Rte 128. The lake is…
Central Mountains
A potential stopping place on Hwy 184 in the southern half of Bosque Estatal de Carite with the standard facilities of areas recreativas (recreational…
Rincón
The pleasant urban park upon which the Punta Higűero Lighthouse perches makes a breezy place for a sunset picnic, to spy migrating whales (during winter)…
Vieques
Popular with brown pelicans, this small beach with a great reef for snorkeling is just 10yd offshore. Note, though, that between December and March, seas…
Puerto Rico
Just offshore, the tiny Isla de Ratones has a white sandy beach and is great for snorkeling. All local operators, including Adventures Tourmarine, will…
El Yunque
The first spectacular natural feature you see as Hwy 191 climbs south toward the forest peaks is an 85ft cascade as the stream tumbles from a precipice to…
Puerto Rico
Playa Buyé is a small palm-fringed beach that’s about 3 miles north of Boquerón off Hwy 307. It's got a distinctly more wild, timeless and paradisaical…
Central Mountains
This museum, pleasant for a serendipitous stop, focuses on contemporary art. Most notable is the work by Carlos Osorio, an artist behind the establishment…
Vieques
On the northern side of Laguna Kiani is the best beach on Vieques for children and people learning to snorkel, with calm, shallow waters. Since Hurricane…
Centro de Arte Alejandro Franceschi
Ponce & South Coast
Yauco’s immaculate little art museum is housed in a 1907 building chock-full of Victorian oil paintings and gilded frescoes. It's on the eastern side of…
Puerto Rico
The most approachable of the island's beaches, Playa Sardinera has toilets, showers and the base of the island rangers and police detachment.
Puerto Rico
One of many secret sides to Mayagüez is this waterfront strip of rather lovely seafood restaurants, southwest of the center.
Central Mountains
Salto Curet is an impressive waterfall on one of the northern flanks of the Bosque Estatal de Maricao.
San Juan
Since 1780, tens of thousands of penitents have come to pray for miracles at the Capilla del Cristo, the tiny sanctuary at the end of a pedestrian street…
San Juan
First constructed in 1521 as a residence for Puerto Rico’s pioneering governor, Juan Ponce de León (who died before he could move in), Casa Blanca is the…
San Juan
While San Juan's cathedral is smaller and less flamboyant than many Spanish churches, it retains a simple elegance. The first church on this site was…
San Juan
Guarded iron gates mark the imposing La Fortaleza. Dating from 1533, it's the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the western hemisphere. The…
San Juan
This diminutive gem of a square with lovely views over the bay is home to an interesting, stylized bronze sculpture of a former bishop of San Juan and…
San Juan
Conjuring up a distinctly European feel, broad Paseo de la Princesa is a 19th-century esplanade just outside the city walls. Lined with antique…
San Juan
Tracing its roots back more than a century to the 400-year anniversary of Columbus' first expedition, Plaza de Colón is dominated by its towering statue…
San Juan
At the waterfront end of Paseo de la Princesa, this fountain was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Spain's 'discovery' of the New World. The…
San Juan
Built in 1910, the Mercado de Santurce has been the center of activity for over a century, vendors doing a roaring trade in fruits and vegetables from…
San Juan
This pretty little park faces the Catedral de San Juan Bautista. Its ironwork benches and shade trees make it a good place for people watching, especially…
San Juan
Towering over the Plaza de Armas, the Alcaldía, which dates from 1789, has twin turrets resembling those of its counterpart in Madrid. This building…
San Juan
This small cobblestone plaza is dominated by a statue of Juan Ponce de León, cast from English cannons captured in the raid of 1797. It's a popular spot…
North Coast
The state forest of Cambalache covers an area of just 1000 acres, making it smaller than a lot of Puerto Rican resort hotels. Almost halfway between…
El Yunque & East Coast
One of the set locations for The Rum Diary movie, Naguabo's waterfront is a long, pleasant malecón (promenade) overlooking the bay, with dramatic views of…
San Juan
This is the city’s de-facto central square, laid out in the 16th century with the classic look of plazas from Madrid to Mexico. A highlight is the…
San Juan
Isla de Cabras is a pleasant seaside park, popular with local families. It has grassy areas, lofty palm trees, picnic areas and a rocky shoreline. You can…
Rincón
A curious landmark, this green dome poking out from behind the palm trees north of Rincón town behind the Punta Higüero Lighthouse once housed the…
El Yunque
Outside the national park in El Yunque's foothills, several Taíno petroglyphs are carved onto two huge rocks along the Rio Blanco, just south of a…
El Yunque & East Coast
On the southwestern shore of Las Cabezas' peninsula, Playa Seven Seas is a sheltered, palm-shaded, horseshoe-shaped public beach. Quiet at times, it gets…
