| |
Caribbean » Puerto Rico
 City Guide
 
|
Caribbean travel destination is one of the most popular in the world. Beaches, boats, banks and bikinis are Caribbean menu essentials. But the No 1 playground for the Americas also comprises movie-set beauty, coconut-tree-clad mountains, verdant valleys of sugar cane and bananas, and seashore galore.
Puerto Rico
When you are looking for exotic locations, miles upon miles of white sand beaches, plus an unbelievable rain forest and mountains, you come to Puerto Rico. You will find everything that the Caribbean has to offer in this all around family destination - and with it is a people whose warmth is equaled only by the sunshine that graces its shores. San Juan, the capital, is steeped in history. Restoration of Old San Juan has created one of the most enchanting places anywhere in the Caribbean.
Whether you re dreaming about spectacular surfing waves, a challenging golf course, or the perfect sunbathing beach, Puerto Rico offers the active traveler a tremendous array of opportunities. Surfing and golf compete with tennis, fishing, kayaking, SCUBA diving, and horseback riding, not to mention windsurfing and parasailing, for your active time. Our perpetual summer weather begs you to enjoy the sport of your choice!
|
| |
|
|
|
Top
|
|
San Juan:
San Juan is a spirited modern city with high-rise beach strips and a justly famous colonial core. Founded in the 16th century, it s the second-oldest city in the Americas; today it s the engine of the island s economic and political life and the cultural beachhead for US influence in the Caribbean.
El Yunque:
The mountain is part of the Luquillo range and gives its name to the surrounding forest reserve, otherwise ostentatiously named the Caribbean National Forest. Tourist authorities are fond of promoting the reserve as the only tropical forest in the US national park system.
There are more than 400 tree and fern species in the 11,200 ha (28,000 acre) reserve. There are 13 well-maintained hiking trails in the reserve, ranging from leisurely 15-minute prances along sealed paths to a trek to the peak of El Yunque. If you stretch your legs in the rainforest, you ll hear the sing-song of the coquí frog (Puerto Rico s national emblem), see miniature orchids, get to play in waterfalls and maybe even glimpse the rare Puerto Rican parrot. El Yunque is less than an hour drive from San Juan, and there s road access to the reserve.
Ponce:
The heart of Ponce dates from the late 17th century and has been declared a national treasure. It consists of plazas and churches and highly decorative colonial homes, some glorious fountains and what may well be the funkiest fire station in the world. The city s reputation as a centre of cultural excellence comes in the modern form of the Ponce Museum of Art, the best in the Caribbean, and is enhanced by the Museum of the History of Ponce and the Puerto Rican Music Museum. The excellent Tibes Indian Ceremonial Center, a reconstructed Arawak village on an Amerindian archaeological site is about 15 minutes north of the town centre. Access to the site is by guided tour only - it s a very interesting walk through a botanic garden, a reconstructed Arawak village, sporting grounds and the archaeological site where digging continues. The museum, though small, is well presented and informative.
Río Camuy Cave Park:
Over 200 caves have been discovered in the region, some capable of swallowing skyscrapers, and the Camuy River is one of the largest subterranean rivers in the world.
Experienced cavers can get dirty and wet by climbing, scrambling, abseiling and swimming through the underground river system, but you have to know the difference between grappling and rappelling to contemplate entering this dangerous terrain. From the safety of viewing platforms, you can glimpse the Camuy River as it flows past the 120m (400ft) deep Tres Pueblos Sinkhole.
San Germán:
This picturesque town set in the southwestern foothills of the Cordillera Central looks like it was lifted lock stock and barrel from Mediterranean Spain. It s Puerto Rico s oldest settlement outside San Juan, and it wears its flaky plaster heritage with charm and aplomb. There s nothing more taxing to do here than take a genteel stroll through the town s two plazas, admire the courtly townhouses graced with gingerbread trim and poke your nose in the Church of Porta Coeli ( Gate of Heaven ). Dominican monks built the latter in 1606, and its august career includes a stint in the 19th century as the town jail.
|
|
|
Top
|
|
| Can you resist temptation? You d better come prepared if you are going shopping here. There are so many great products that it s guaranteed: somewhere, sometime, you ll be tempted. It might be colourful beachwear, evening fashions, an exquisite piece of art, an ultra-smart purse, a tropical shirt, a gorgeous piece of jewellery or native crafts. The shops of Old San Juan are perfect for browsing along the historic coble-stone streets and alleys - or take the ferry across San Juan Bay to shop for Rum and Souvenirs at the Bacardi Rum Distillery. Plaza Las Americas in San Juan is one of the world s most successful enclosed shopping malls. Rio Piedras is famous for its traditional pedestrian shopping streets. Carolina is famous for every conceivable type of shopping starting at Plaza Carolina and extending along the 65th Infantry section of route #3. Factory outlets can be found in Old San Juan and Canovanas near Fajardo. |
|
|
Top
|
|
Taxis are available at the airport, hotels and major tourist points. In the tourism zones, rates are fixed and posted. Outside the zones, taxis are metered and can be hired by the hour.
Ferry service to Culebra and Vieques is available at the small port of Fajardo on the east end of the island. Private boats can also be chartered at many of the marinas on the east coast.
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
| Min (°C) |
62.1
|
62.5
|
63.8
|
66.2
|
69.8
|
73.3
|
74.7
|
74.4
|
71.9
|
68
|
68
|
63.8
|
| Max (°C) |
77.7
|
77.5
|
79.7
|
81.8
|
84.6
|
87.3
|
89.1
|
89.3
|
88.4
|
85.4
|
81.8
|
78.7
|
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
Taj Palace Indian Restaurant
Tantra Indio/Latino Cuisine
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
Old San Juan
Parrot Club
Bacardi Rum Plant
Lupi s
Dragonfly Too
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
 |
