El Yunque
El Yunque National Forest is one of Puerto Rico’s crown jewels with nearly 29,000 acres of lush, mountainous terrain scattered with waterfalls, rushing…
Must-see attractions in Puerto Rico
Culebra
Stretching for a mile around a sheltered, horseshoe-shaped bay, Playa Flamenco (Flamenco Beach) is not only one of Culebra’s best beaches, it also makes a…
Culebra
If you need a reason to hire a water taxi, Isla Culebrita (Culebrita Island) is it. This small island, just east of Playa Zoni, is part of the national…
Vieques
Locals claim that the magnificent Bahía Mosquito (Mosquito Bay), a designated wildlife preserve located on the island of Vieques, about 2 miles east of…
Cabezas de San Juan Reserva Natural
El Yunque & East Coast
A nodule of land on Puerto Rico’s northeast tip, this Para La Naturaleza–run reserve protects the Laguna Grande bioluminescent bay, rare flora and fauna,…
San Juan
A star of Old San Juan, brooding El Morro sits atop a headland, deterring would-be attackers. The 140ft walls (some up to 15ft thick) date to 1539 and it…
San Juan
The city's second major fort is one of the largest Spanish-built military installations in the Americas. In its prime, it covered 27 acres with a maze of…
San Juan
This museum presents an impressive overview of cultural development in the Americas, including indigenous, African and European influences. Four permanent…
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Culebra
This remote thin, white-sand beach has one of the best snorkeling areas in Puerto Rico thanks to a barrier reef that almost encloses the beach's waters;…
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San Juan
This sheltered arc's raked sand, decent surf breaks, local action and a 17th-century Spanish fort shimmering in the distance are the hallmarks of what's…
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Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
Culebra
More than 20% of Culebra is part of a spectacular national wildlife refuge, which was signed into law more than 100 years ago. Most of it lies along the…
North Coast
Puerto Ricans reverently refer to it as ‘El Radar’; to everyone else it is simply the largest radio telescope in the world. Resembling a spaceship…
San Juan
San Juan boasts one of the largest and most celebrated art museums in the Caribbean. Housed in a splendid neoclassical building that was once the city’s…
Culebra
Head to the eastern end of the island and you’ll eventually run out of road at Playa Zoni. Many locals think this is a better beach than Flamenco and it's…
San Juan
With countless tanned bodies lounging or flexing their biceps around the volleyball net, this urban beach basks in its reputation as the Copacabana of…
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Ponce
Brush Strokes in Flight, a bold primary-colored totem by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, announces the smartly remodeled MAP, where an expertly…
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North Coast
Undeniably Puerto Rico's biggest, most bizarre attraction, the 362ft likeness of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) navigating toward the Americas is…
San Juan
Protected by offshore reefs and caressed by cooling seasonal trade winds, this wide sweep of diamond-dust sand is a favorite of locals. But this…
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Vieques
Part of Puerto Rico's national park system, this half-moon-shaped bay, less than a half-mile east of Esperanza, is the island’s balneario (public beach),…
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Reserva Natural Humedal Punta Tuna
El Yunque & East Coast
This lush wetland reserve spans 1.4 miles of coastline, just north of the Faro Punta Tuna. Interpretive trails through the mangroves and along the beach…
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Vieques
Calm and clear, this beach is reached on a paved road and has gazebos with picnic tables to shade bathers from the sun; there's excellent snorkeling –…
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Vieques
This secluded beach is as far east as you can go at present, spread across a mushroom-shaped bay with icing-sugar sand and a calm sea that shimmers with a…
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Vieques
A favorite with locals, this gorgeous playa at the eastern end of the main road is long and open with occasionally rough surf. It's easy to find your own…
El Yunque & East Coast
Along with its must-visit kioskos, Luquillo is synonymous with its fabulous – and hugely popular – beach. Set on a calm, northwest-facing bay and…
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San Juan
The ‘Cathedral of Rum’ sits in vast grounds near the mouth of San Juan Bay. Three signature tours (45 minutes to 1½ hours) are offered throughout the week…
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North Coast
An anomaly among Puerto Rican beaches, Playa Mar Chiquita isn’t alongside a main thoroughfare, has no long strand and isn’t good for swimming or surfing…
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Puerto Rico
This small, squat building might not look like much from the outside, but it is actually one of the oldest surviving ecclesial buildings in the Americas…
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Refugio de Vida Silvestre Iris L. Alameda Martínez de Boquerón
Puerto Rico
Drive south from Boquerón along Hwy 301 and you will arrive at the main entrance to this reserve at Km 1.1, an area encompassing beguiling mangrove forest…
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Puerto Rico
From the same parking space as that of Los Morrillos Lighthouse, or from another further on down the track bending left from the lighthouse-approach track…
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Reserva Natural Humacao Efraín Archilla Díez
El Yunque & East Coast
Almost 3200 acres of former sugarcane plantation has been given back to nature at this gem of a nature reserve. Mangroves and palm trees provide shade for…
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Puerto Rico
This brilliant, bold art space is the best museum west of Ponce. Opened in 2016, it focuses on work by Puerto Rican and Latin American artists from the…
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North Coast
Even the surfers rarely make it to remote Playa Survival, best reached by a 45-minute walk west from Playa Shacks. The narrow strip of sand found…
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San Juan
Close to the Museo de Arte Francisco Oller, this modern museum features thought-provoking work from emerging artists in Puerto Rico and beyond, including,…
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge
Vieques
Lying within these protected confines are the best reasons to visit Vieques. This 18,000-acre refuge occupies the land formerly used by the US military…
Ponce
Within this elegant square you’ll discover Ponce's heart as well as two of the city’s landmark buildings, Parque de Bombas and Catedral Nuestra Señora…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
