tourism in puerto rico 2022

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One Big Reason Why Puerto Rico Might Be the Ultimate Travel Destination This Year

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If you're into nature, history or gastro tourism, Puerto Rico provides a number of appealing reasons to visit any year. However, 2022 is shaping up to be an especially good time to travel there — and there's one big reason why: It's the most vaccinated place in the U.S.

As of February 2022, 81.1% of Puerto Rico's population have received a full COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That vaccination rate is one of the highest among all U.S. states and territories, and ahead of the 64.8% vaccination rate for the U.S. as a whole.

Since there's still uncertainty about international border openings and COVID testing requirements , international travel has lost some of its appeal. However, travelers can avoid most of these hassles — and still enjoy a taste of international travel — by visiting Puerto Rico instead.

Here's a look at other reasons why Puerto Rico may be the ultimate travel destination in 2022.

Reasons to consider visiting Puerto Rico

Diverse activities for every type of traveler.

Despite its small size, Puerto Rico offers diverse activities. You can explore Old San Juan during the day, including visits to the Spanish fort, museums and the second-oldest church in America. As night falls, venture out on a kayak on the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world. Then, fall asleep to the sound of coquí — Puerto Rico's native frogs — in a rainforest.

Puerto Rico may be known for its beaches, but it also has mountains, which are higher than the peaks of 24 states. Here, you can visit coffee haciendas, zipline in the forest or tube through caves.

For those who enjoy a drink, Bacardi's "Cathedral of Rum" factory is the largest premium rum distillery in the world. The factory is located across the harbor from Old San Juan and is open for tours.

No COVID testing requirement to fly home

As of December 2021, all travelers returning to the U.S. from a foreign country must provide a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one calendar day before departure.

Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, travelers flying back don't need to provide a negative COVID test to board their flight.

No passport required

U.S. citizens and permanent residents don't need a passport to travel to Puerto Rico, as long as you don't connect in Mexico or another foreign airport. That makes Puerto Rico an option for travelers who don't have a passport — or whose passport may have expired during the pandemic.

U.S. passport processing times are currently:

Routine processing: Six to eight weeks.

Expedited processing: Two to three weeks.

And that's not including mailing times. So, if you don't have a valid passport or a long lead time until your next break from work, you'll want to stick to destinations that don't require a passport over the next few months.

There are plenty of ways to get there

Another reason to travel to Puerto Rico in 2022 is how easy it is to get there from the U.S. mainland.

According to the flight route tracking website FlightConnections, eight U.S. airlines fly nonstop to San Juan from 28 airports. It takes less than three hours to fly from Florida to San Juan, or around four hours from other parts of the East Coast.

For East Coast residents, it’s a shorter flying time to get to Puerto Rico than to the West Coast.

How to travel to Puerto Rico on a budget

Use points and miles.

Depending on when you visit, cash airfares to Puerto Rico can be quite affordable. However, the best way to fly to San Juan is for almost free using airline miles or credit card points.

You can book an award flight to San Juan on American Airlines using as few as 9,000 points from Chase, American Express or Capital One. Points transfer from each of these programs to British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio.

Or fly nonstop to San Juan on Delta for as few as 7,500 SkyMiles each way. You can top off your Delta SkyMiles account by transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1 rate.

Fly in lie-flat business class seats

If you want to fly in style, look for routes where American, Delta and United fly wide-body aircraft to San Juan. On these large airplanes, like the Boeing 777 or 737, the business class seats recline into lie-flat beds. That means you can snag a comfortable nap on the flight to Puerto Rico.

Best of all, booking these premium seats doesn't have to make you points-broke. You can use as few as 20,000 AAdvantage miles to fly from Miami to San Juan in the airline's lie-flat business class. Or pay as few as 25,000 Aeroplan points to fly from Newark or Houston to San Juan in United lie-flat business class.

If you need Aeroplan points, you can transfer points to Aeroplan from Chase, American Express or Capital One.

If you're considering visiting Puerto Rico in 2022

Puerto Rico's high vaccination rates and relative ease of travel is shaping it up to be a hot travel destination this year — and that's not just a reference to the lovely tropical weather.

The island offers many diverse activities and an international flair without the need to have a passport or get tested for COVID before returning to the U.S. mainland. You can save yourself from the other hassles of COVID-era international travel by visiting Puerto Rico instead.

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Puerto Rico Travel Guide

You’ve heard it for years: Puerto Rico delivers on classic Caribbean charm—swaying palms, colorful colonial architecture, ever-present rum drinks—and you don’t even need your passport to visit. But this isn’t your grandparents’ Puerto Rico. The island is changing, and fast. The devastation and resulting challenges wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria kick-started a widespread, homegrown effort at recovery and rejuvenation that has only enhanced Puerto Rico's identity, lending it a new, self-assured energy. Ambitious young chefs, contemporary artists, and reggaeton’s biggest names right now (many of whom hail from PR) are injecting fresh dynamism into the island, and demanding the rest of the world pay attention. If you think this is just another island, think again. 

Plan Your Puerto Rico Trip

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A beginner's guide to visiting Puerto Rico: Everything you need to eat, see and do

Puerto Rico is beloved by travelers around the world, and for good reason.

From bioluminescent bays, pristine Caribbean beaches and lush forests to historic streetscapes, a vibrant local food scene and fascinating cultural attractions, each region of Puerto Rico offers visitors a distinct experience.

And there's simply never a bad time to visit. Better yet, you can often find cheap nonstop flights to both San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) and Aguadilla's Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) on the stunning northwest coast. If you're traveling from the U.S., you don't even need a passport or have to change your money.

It's a perfect tropical weekend getaway from the Eastern Seaboard; you can board an early morning flight and enjoy lunch and a pina colada with your toes in the sand.

In short: Paradise awaits.

Where to eat and drink in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a wonderful destination for foodies. Along the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, you'll find gourmet cuisine served in elegant, historic townhomes rubbing shoulders with atmospheric hole-in-the-walls that serve traditional fare.

Following Hurricane Maria, restaurants became ever keener to support local agriculture and celebrate food that is grown entirely on the island. The result is farm-fresh, hyper-seasonal cuisine infused with Creole, Taino and Spanish influences.

The much-loved national dish is mofongo — deep-fried mashed plantains served with a side of seafood or meat and chicken broth soup. Among the best places to try it are Santaella in San Juan and Mi Casita in Pinones.

Lechon — a whole pig roasted over a fire for at least four hours — is another hearty mainstay of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. Around an hour's drive south of San Juan, dozens of lechoneras dot the famed Ruta de Lechon, or "Pork Highway," where trays of succulent, tender pork are served at communal tables, usually accompanied by copious cold beer and live music.

If you want to graze on authentic local delicacies beachside, head for Luquillo (near El Yunque National Forest), where more than 60 kiosks ranging from rustic beach bars to full-service restaurants serve authentic Creole cooking as well as Latin American signature cuisine.

A colorful pit spot while exploring San Juan's trendy Santurce district, Alcapurria Quema is a no-frills Santurce locale that's one of the best places to try Puerto Rico's ubiquitous local snack, alcapurrias: deep-fried fritters made from plantains (or grated yucca) stuffed with flavorful beef, pork or fish.

Fine dining in Puerto Rico

If you want to splurge, San Juan has plenty of upscale dining venues.

Located inside the elegant Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, 1919 is widely hailed as the best fine dining restaurant in Puerto Rico. Helmed by Juan José Cuevas, who worked at the Michelin-starred Blue Hill in New York, menu highlights include scallops with organic mushrooms, kale and sunchoke, as well as robalo (snook) with pistachio, local white beans and dill. For an unforgettable dining experience, opt for the chef's menu ($199) accompanied by sommelier-selected wine pairings. Make a reservation, dress the part and enjoy every moment. It's one of the island's most expensive restaurants, but worth it.

Vianda 's stylish midcentury modern-style bar and sleek, moody dining room draw well-dressed locals with its innovative mixology and farm-to-table cuisine. Vianda means "root vegetable," and the small, seasonal menu riffs on Puerto Rico's rich culinary heritage while showcasing the island's incredible bounty of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs. Start the evening with a Corazon de Melon ($15) cocktail, made with tequila, watermelon, cucumber, mint and rosemary, followed by a signature entree such as the Mar y Tierra, a rich medley of cod loin, crispy pork belly, mussels, sofrito butter and white beans ($44).

Most epicureans will have heard of Marmalade , the internationally renowned restaurant credited with putting Puerto Rico on the foodie map. It remains one of the best gourmet dining experiences on the island. Iowa native chef Peter Schintler deftly blends indigenous and international ingredients to produce a truly memorable five-course prix fixe menu ($135 per person). It changes frequently, but menu classics include local organic rabbit with black olive garganelli and grilled ahi tuna with peanut-miso broth.

Chef José Santaella 's namesake restaurant is a lively, fun place to dine on nouvelle Puerto Rican cuisine with family and friends. The edgy industrial decor (it used to be a hardware store) contrasts with the menu's vibrant "tropical creole" gastronomy. Arrive early for cocktail hour and try a Lady Bullet (Woodford Reserve bourbon, fig marmalade, lavender syrup, orange bitters and lime juice; $16) and stay for the duration, grazing on delectable small plates, including wagyu sliders ($26), grilled Spanish octopus ($32) and escargot ($18).

What to see and do in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has a ton of sightseeing you'll want to add to your itinerary, too.

El Yunque National Forest is just 45 minutes from San Juan and is the only tropical rainforest on U.S. soil. It's famous for its incredible hiking, an abundance of waterfalls and endemic wildlife.

There are just five bioluminescent bays in the world, and Puerto Rico is home to three: Bahia Mosquito, Laguna Grande and La Parguera. To access Puerto Rico's bio bays via kayak or paddleboard, you'll need to paddle through dark mangrove channels — signing up with a tour operator is definitely the way to go. Most companies operate two tours each night, at sunset and 9 p.m.

The protected wildlife reserve of Bahia Mosquito is located on Vieques, an island municipality a short flight from San Juan. Famed for its picture-perfect crescents of sand, boutique hotels and crystalline waters, Vieques is the quintessential Caribbean idyll. Boasting the highest concentration of phosphorescent dinoflagellates (plankton that make the water sparkle with just the touch of a hand), Mosquito Bay is the brightest of the world's five bio bays.

For travelers with limited time, Laguna Grande is the most accessible bio bay in Puerto Rico, less than an hour's drive from San Juan on the northeast coast. What sets Laguna Grande apart is that the bay is actually a lagoon nestled within an area of spectacular natural beauty.

Puerto Rico is replete with gorgeous, sandy beaches. Near Luquillo, La Pared is an often deserted stretch of almost golden sand. The beach town of Naguabo, in the southeast corner of the island, is also incredibly quiet, and palm trees frame the soft, sandy beach and turquoise water.

Ponce is Puerto Rico's second-largest city. Located on the island's southern coast, it's chock-full of history. Be sure to check out Plaza Las Delicias, which has a cathedral as well as an old firehouse (Parque de Bombas) that's now a museum.

Museo de la Musica Puertoriquena has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. Here, you'll find traces of Taino, Spanish and African influences. You'll also learn about Puerto Rico's musical history, which you can now hear throughout other parts of the Caribbean, the mainland and around the world.

Where to stay in Puerto Rico

Hyatt regency grand reserve puerto rico.

Fresh from a multimillion-dollar face-lift, this 579-key beach resort reopened in 2019 as the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve.

Rooms (starting at 520 square feet), suites and villas are contemporary and inviting, with simple wooden furnishings, marble floors, a white-on-white color palette and furnished terraces and patios. Bathrooms feature rainfall showers with separate tubs and Pharmacopia toiletries.

Beyond the hotel's natural assets — a beautiful white-sand beach and 72 acres of flamboyant tropical vegetation — amenities include a lagoon-style pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a luxurious spa, two Tom Kite-designed 18-hole championship golf courses and several upscale restaurants serving everything from Pacific Rim cuisine and sushi at Nori Asian to prime cuts of beef and seafood at Prime 787, a contemporary American steakhouse.

The hotel can arrange a number of activities nearby, including horseback riding, an all-terrain-vehicle excursion at nearby Carabali Rainforest Adventure Park and hikes through El Yunque National Forest.

Rates at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve start at $300 or 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort

The rambling 255-key Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort is the only Hilton hotel outside of the San Juan area.

While rooms are rather spartan and generic, they have an inviting beachy vibe with a green-and-white color palette, light wood furnishings, tiled floors and balconies with ocean views (in most rooms). Comfort-enhancing modern touches include coffee makers, minifridges and flat-screen televisions.

At this amenity-rich, family-friendly resort, there's plenty to keep adults and children entertained, including two expansive pools, a 27-hole championship golf course, a miniature golf course, tennis courts, a playground and a splash park. It's also home to one of the largest casinos in Puerto Rico and four restaurants: El Bohio, La Cava, La Terraza and Sancho's Sushi Bar.

While it isn't the splashiest Hilton property in Puerto Rico, it's a great base for exploring Puerto Rico's southwest coast.

Rates at the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort start at $230 or 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

Located between El Yunque National Forest and Espiritu Santo River State Preserve, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort places guests within striking distance of two of Puerto Rico's top attractions.

Designed by Puerto Rican fashion designer Nono Maldonado, the spacious (and completely refurbished) accommodations channel a breezy Caribbean aesthetic with a serene white-and-cream color palette, abstract artworks and sleek, modern furnishings.

However, it's the luxe details and exquisite service that really set this property apart. There's the cozy pillow-top bed dressed with a cashmere throw, the marble spa-style bathroom with a centerpiece deep soaking tub that's stocked with luxe Frette bathrobes, and, of course, the St. Regis' private butler service.

A surfeit of amenities include a beautifully landscaped swimming pool, a lavish spa, a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course and three acclaimed restaurants.

Rates at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort start at $695 or 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Puerto Rico's most exclusive resort, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve , combines unbridled luxury and impeccable attention to detail with a sustainable ethos. Built by the Rockefeller family in the 1950s, it remains a magnet for tycoons, celebrities and, these days, cryptocurrency investors.

Nestled on a glorious 2-mile beach amid a riot of mature tropical vegetation, beautifully appointed rooms and suites are equipped with every creature comfort imaginable and assigned their own private butler. Standard rooms are huge (they start at 1,000 square feet), while deluxe suites also feature private plunge pools.

The resort's amenities are, as you'd expect, exceptional. There are two gorgeous pools fronted by swaying palms, three Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed golf courses and one of Puerto Rico's finest restaurants: Coa, a culinary homage to the region's Taino roots. A roster of family-friendly activities includes the signature Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program.

Rates at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve start at $1,995 or 170,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related: Puerto Rican renaissance: A review of Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The details

Getting there.

If you're interested in visiting Puerto Rico, flights are plentiful. There are more than 120 nonstop flights between the island and major mainland U.S. cities, according to Discover Puerto Rico . That means you can fly nonstop between the island and cities like New York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Chicago. Most of the nonstop routes are to San Juan.

While the cheapest available flights to Puerto Rico typically range from $300 to $600, you can pick up deals with both legacy carriers as well as low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines .

Of course, a cheap deal isn't the only way to get to the island.

You can easily use points and miles to get you from major cities to Puerto Rico. American Airlines , for example, offers off-peak MileSAAver awards from 17,000 miles one-way in economy or 59,000 in business class.

With United Airlines , expect to spend between 20,000 and 65,000 miles for a one-way ticket from cities like Newark and Chicago.

But perhaps the best way to use points to visit Puerto Rico is through JetBlue .

On JetBlue, you have several destinations beyond San Juan to consider. For instance, you could fly round-trip from New York to Aguadilla for just $274 or 23,000 TrueBlue points in August this year, or to Ponce for $386 or 31,000 TrueBlue points round-trip.

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to JetBlue at a 1:1 ratio, but this might not be the best use of your Chase points .

JetBlue is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards as well, but TPG doesn't recommend transferring Amex points to JetBlue because of the limited value you'll get. Additionally, points transfer at a weak 250:200 transfer ratio.

You can also transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards to JetBlue, though the transfer ratio isn't great — either 1:0.8 or 1:0.5, depending on which Citi card you have.

Do you need a passport to go to Puerto Rico?

Nope! Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory, so you don't need a passport or a visa to visit if you're a U.S. citizen. Just bring your state ID and you'll be good to go.

Getting around

Ride-hailing Uber is the only ride-hailing app that made its way to Puerto Rico and survived the pandemic. The mobile app is equally as effective as it is on the mainland and is very popular with locals for its competitive rates (compared to local taxis), efficiency and reliability.

Taxis Within San Juan, taxis are frequent, reliable and comfortable; look for white cabs labeled Taxi Turistico. Designated taxi stands are located at key tourist points in San Juan (including cruise ship piers, major hotels, Plaza de Armas and Plaza Colon). Taxis operate a fixed-rate system according to specified zones, but they can be pricey. Once you leave the metro area, it becomes increasingly expensive to travel between towns.

If you plan to stay in neighborhoods like Old San Juan, you probably won't need a car, Uber or taxi since the area is pretty walkable.

If you're a public transportation geek like me, make sure the Tren Urbano is on your radar. It's an 11-mile rapid transit system that serves San Juan, Guaynabo and Bayamon. The trip between Bayamon and San Juan is just 30 minutes, and the one-line train system has 16 stops; it passes through the University of Puerto Rico as well as the Santa Rosa shopping mall. It's very affordable, too: A regular fare is just $1.50 and if you're between the ages of 60 and 74, just 75 cents. Better yet, if you're 6 years of age or younger, or 75 or older, it's free.

Renting a car in Puerto Rico is pretty straightforward with all the major rental companies to consider, including Avis, Enterprise and Hertz, each of which is located at the airport.

The best times to visit Puerto Rico

The majority of hurricanes in Puerto Rico typically occur between August and October, while hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, according to the U.S. National Weather Service . Notably, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017.

Many people I spoke with on the island said, "Summertime is all the time" in Puerto Rico, with temperatures hovering in the 80s daily. If you're trying to avoid the infamous daily Caribbean rains, you'll want to plan to visit between January and March, as precipitation is low .

If you want to avoid the hordes of people traveling during spring break but still want to visit before hurricane season kicks in, the spring is the best time to score flight and hotel deals. As an added bonus, you'll have the beach all to yourself.

Bottom line

Puerto Rico has come a long way since Hurricane Maria in 2017 and Fiona in 2022. Let it be known that the island is open for travelers — and eager for the business. From beach resorts to landmarks, excellent food and great hospitality, there's something for everyone who makes the short flight down to visit.

Related reading:

• The best hotels in Puerto Rico
• 8 reasons to visit Puerto Rico in 2023
• Best points hotels in the Caribbean
• Start booking your summer trips now — here's why
• The 26 best Marriott hotels in the world

Puerto Rico   Travel Guide

Courtesy of John and Tina Reid | Getty Images

26 Epic Things to Do in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's must-visit attractions range from the adventurous (like daytrips to the jungles of El Yunque , zip line tours , camping in the mountains of Jayuya, and exploring the Cueva Ventana, a mostly undeveloped cave with guided tours) to the

• All Things To Do

Bioluminescent Mosquito Bay (Vieques) Bioluminescent Mosquito Bay (Vieques)

This south Vieques beach might not sound like much, but it's one of travelers' favorite experiences in Puerto Rico. During the day, Mosquito Bay is nothing special as Caribbean beaches go. At night, the waters emit a blue glow from organisms called dinoflagellates that live in the waters and light up when disturbed by boats, paddles or hands dipped in the water. Hundreds of thousands of bioluminescent dinoflagellates live in each gallon of bay water, and the light show put on by these tiny creatures provide is truly a (natural) wonder to behold.

Avoid visiting the bay during a full moon, since the moonlight somewhat spoils the display. Recent travelers recommended going out in a kayak to get the full effect of the glow. Some note that the bay isn't as bright as they hoped.

Old San Juan Old San Juan free

U.S. News Insider Tip: Many visitors flock to Old San Juan for nightlife, but you'll find more locals in La Placita de Santurce, a farmer's market by day that hums with music, dancing, dining, and drinking at night. – Robert Curley

Viejo San Juan is home to a variety of top attractions, including the Castillo San Felipe del Morro (a.k.a. El Morro ) and the Castillo San Cristóbal , the two centuries-old forts guarding the walled city of San Juan. Within the walls you'll find Calle del Cristo, one of Old San Juan's most popular shopping and entertainment districts, and Calle de la Fortaleza, which regularly has art dangling from above. While most visitors take advantage of seeing the historic and iconic sights, wandering the narrow streets and plazas of Old San Juan is an experience in itself. Many of the best tours in Puerto Rico include strolls through the old town's cobblestone streets to view the historic, colorful architecture and experience Puerto Rico's vibrant culture. No need to leave for lunch: Old San Juan is bursting with street vendors and restaurants ready to satiate your appetite. At night, the city comes alive and is filled with a bustling nightlife known for its drinks and Latin dancing.

El Morro (El Castillo San Felipe del Morro) El Morro (El Castillo San Felipe del Morro)

El Morro, which sits within the San Juan National Historic Site, juts out of San Juan harbor and beckons to cruise ships. Construction of the hulking, six-story fortress started in 1539. It was originally built to deter sea attacks, and went on to withstand two world wars and several other battles under the control of the Spanish and, later, the United States. Now, El Castillo San Felipe del Morro (known simply as El Morro) is Puerto Rico's go-to tourist attraction, both for its extensive history and its outstanding vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. You can also walk through the fortress' depths, which include a maze of tunnels, barracks and prison cells. Exhibitions and a park film offer a more in-depth look at the fort's history, and park rangers are stationed around the site to answer questions and lead interpretative programs. A photo in one of the fort's iconic watchtowers is the ultimate Puerto Rico selfie stop.

You'll enjoy exploring more if you wear comfortable walking shoes, as the fort is quite large: it can take up to three hours to explore the whole place on foot. Travelers tend to agree the El Morro is worth visiting whether you're a history buff or not but for a little guidance on the fort's history, consider signing up for one of the best tours in Puerto Rico .

Popular Tours

Icacos Island All-Inclusive Snorkel and Boat Tour

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from $ 125.00

El Yunque Rainforest, Waterslides, and Beach Tour with Transport

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from $ 69.99

LED Kayak Night Glow Tour in Condado Lagoon

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from $ 65.00

Culebrita Culebrita free

If you really want to get away from it all, and a trip to Vieques or Culebra doesn't quite scratch that itch, consider a visit to Culebrita. This mile-long coral island, the easternmost point of Puerto Rico, sits offshore of Culebra. Part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge, the island is largely uninhabited other than by pelicans, green sea turtles and other wildlife. Daytrippers who come over from Culebra to bask on the Culebrita's half-dozen or so beaches, including the aptly named Playa Tortuga, home to nesting sea turtles. The beaches typically have clear waters and soft white sand. The island also has a number of tidal pools that are popular swimming holes for visitors who disembark from tour boats at a dock on West Beach; Turtle Beach is about a 15-minute walk from the boat dock.

Culebrita Lighthouse is one of the few manmade objects on the island; raised by the Spanish in 1886, the now decommissioned beacon guided ships through the Virgin Passage and Vieques Sound.

Flamenco Beach Flamenco Beach

On the island of Culebra, which sits about 20 miles east of Puerto Rico, visitors will find a beach perfect for families, snorkelers and those looking for a remote spot that boasts a delightful aesthetic from nearly every angle. Flamenco Beach's 1-1/2-mile strip of sand is the most popular on Culebra and is often recognized by travelers and experts as the most beautiful in all of Puerto Rico.

Facilities like bathrooms and showers can be found on-site, and the beach's white sand is peppered with kiosks selling refreshments or offering chairs and umbrellas for rent (about $10 each). Amenities and tranquility are part of the allure of Flamenco Beach, but above all else, travelers simply can't stop raving about the beach's beauty. Some travelers do complain that Flamenco Beach's popularity means it can get a bit crowded on the weekends (despite a lack of upscale resorts or restaurants).  One unusual highlight of the beach is several rusting battle tank hulks in the surf — a reminder that Culebra was once a bombing range for the U.S. military.

Casa Bacardi and other rum tours Casa Bacardi and other rum tours

U.S. News Insider Tip:  The piña colada cocktail was born in 1954 at San Juan's Caribe Hilton . Visitors to the hotel's Caribar can order the original recipe drink as well as more modern takes on this classic poolside refresher. – Robert Curley

A visit to Puerto Rico wouldn't be complete without tasting one of its best-known beverages: rum. The spirit, derived from sugar cane, is one of Puerto Rico's top exports and the island is often referred to as the "rum capital of the world." There are many kinds of rum from traditional white rum to dark rum as well as several producers, including Bacardí , Don Q , Ron de Barrelito , and PitoRico , a smaller brand.

Cabo Rojo Cabo Rojo free

Nicknamed for a notorious Puerto Rican pirate, this town on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico is known for the unspoiled and protected beaches of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge and the 5,000-acre Boquerón State Forest, both of which have hiking trails as well as beautiful shorelines. Combate Beach in Boquerón is a particular favorite for sunsets and jumping off the pier.

The picturesque Los Morrilos Lighthouse (located in the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge) was built by the Spanish in 1882, is still operational. The lighthouse can be seen from the crescent of La Playuela beach, one of the best on the island, and visitors say the short hike to the lighthouse is more than compensated by the great clifftop views.

Sun Bay (Vieques) Sun Bay (Vieques) free

Mosquito Bay is popular in the evenings, but the island of Vieques' daytime beachcombers like the chalky sands and serene vantage point of southwestern Sun Bay. It's also the only beach on Vieques with public facilities: The approximately 2-mile beach has lifeguards, showers, bathrooms and a small area to purchase food. Plus, the town of Esperanza (and its restaurants and bars) is just a short walk away.

While San Juan's beaches have a distinctly urban vibe, travelers appreciate Sun Bay's comparative seclusion. Reviewers said there's plenty of room to spread out along the beach and it is relatively uncrowded, save for a herd of wild horses. The on-site amenities were also a bonus. In addition, beachgoers say Sun Bay a great family beach; the waves are calm, too. If you're an avid snorkeler, however, you may want to skip these waters as there's not much marine life to see here.

Elevated Dinner Experience (4 Courses) City Lights & Ocean Breeze

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Cueva del Indio Cueva del Indio free

Aricebo is best known for its incredible observatory , but the north coast town has an interesting attraction below the earth, too. The Cueva del Indio is a natural cavern used by indigenous Taino people who left behind a series of paintings on the cave walls. The artwork is estimated to have been made sometime between 1200 and 1500.

Located on the Caribbean coast, the cave entrance is surrounded by dramatic cliffs and arches (the Siete Arcos), one of which is said to resemble the face of an ancient Taino man. In addition to walking through the cave, visitors can explore the cliffs and beach. The caves have appeared as a location for several movies and TV shows, such as the miniseries "Treasure Island" (2012).

El Yunque National Forest El Yunque National Forest free

The El Yunque National Forest, or simply El Yunque, is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. It's also a particular favorite for vacationers who like to hike, but even if nature really isn't your thing, travelers urge you to make the trip about 30 miles east of San Juan.

Remember to wear layers that can get wet (the highest elevations can receive up to 200 inches of rainfall annually) and pack a water-resistant camera to capture some of the area's splendor. In the evenings, Puerto Rico's tiny coquí tree frogs begin their unmistakable serenade.

Castillo San Cristóbal Castillo San Cristóbal

Spanning 27 acres, Castillo San Cristóbal was built to protect Old San Juan from land attacks. It doesn't receive as many visitors or as much adoration as its sister fortification, El Morro , but visitors are typically just as amazed by the majesty and significant history of the site. Allow several hours to visit both sites.

The forts' stellar shoreline views (not to mention the occasional iguana) draw travelers to the sprawling site. Though the fort tends to draw crowds (especially cruise ship passengers), recent visitors said that due to the sheer size of the complex touring San Cristóbal never feels cramped.

Calle del Cristo Calle del Cristo free

Shoppers should come to Old San Juan prepared to let go of a few dollars. The city's Calle del Cristo is a haven of restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. In addition to popular stores, those walking the street can discover local crafts and artisan shops.

If you're looking to skip shopping altogether, Calle del Cristo is still a worthwhile spot to get a feel for the beauty of Old San Juan. Past travelers routinely praised the churches and centuries-old colonial residences and commercial buildings that line the cobblestone streets.

Camuy River Cave Park Camuy River Cave Park

The Camuy River flows through the third largest cave system in the world — so extensive, in fact, that it underlies parts of three towns: Camuy, Hatillo, and Lares. Accessible via the main entrance in Camuy, the small fraction of the caves open to the public can be explored on guided walking tours offered by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, which manages the nearly 300-acre Camuy River Cave Park. Highlights of the tour include the largest stalagmite in Puerto Rico, glimpses of the underground river (and maybe some bats), and a 450-foot deep sinkhole that allows light from the surface to penetrate the cave.

Daily visitors are limited at the cave, so make reservations in advance; day-of tickets are limited. A number of visitors complained about being turned away from the cave because tours were at full capacity. Also, while many praised the beauty of the caves, others noted that the experience requires a great deal of walking, including up some steep hills. Finally, note that the Camuy River Cave Park may be a bit more rugged than some other "show caves" you may have visited. That said, make sure you wear closed-toed shoes.

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Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

Located in the bustling Santurce neighborhood of San Juan, the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico houses more than 1,000 works of art created by Puerto Ricans. The collection showcases pieces that date back to the 1600s and includes sculptures, photographs, paintings, drawings and more. The 24 exhibition galleries are housed across two wings. The west wing is a neoclassical building designed in the 1920s, while the east wing is a modern structure designed by Puerto Rican architects. The east wing also features a stained-glass piece by Eric Tabales called Taíno Sun Rising.

Visitors rave about the museum and say that its exhibits helped them better understand the island's history and culture, with an impressive collection despite its relatively compact size.

Condado Beach Condado Beach free

If you're staying in San Juan and want to stretch on the sands, you won't need to venture farther than Condado Beach. For many sun-lovers, that's just fine. Condado is framed by a string of high-rise hotels and resort complexes, plus it's ground zero for water sports and beach bars. Families, however, sometimes forego these sands for one of the government-run beaches, or balnearios — notably Playita del Condado — because Condado beach's tide is often too strong for young swimmers.

According to past travelers, you won't be disappointed with Condado, as long as you recognize it's not a remote strip of sand, but rather a beach that sits alongside a bustling city. But its proximity to so many hotels and resorts makes it all the more tourist-friendly.

Carolina Beach (Balneario de Carolina) Carolina Beach (Balneario de Carolina) free

Located near the Isla Verde resort district in the metro area, lengthy Carolina Beach is a popular public beach among both visitors and locals. Families especially love its white sand, warm water, the on-duty lifeguard and on-site paramedics. What they're not so thrilled with are the crowds. The beach tends to get busy during the weekends, but you can avoid crowds to some extent by visiting during the week.                                                         

There are plenty of vendors nearby selling food and renting water sports equipment. The beach has a volleyball court and a playground for children. It also has a team dedicated to helping wheelchair users, though this service is available Monday through Friday only and must be requested in advance . Another minor drawback is that Carolina Beach's proximity to the airport means you may hear a bit of loud noise from airplanes overhead.

Cayo Icacos Cayo Icacos free

The Reserva Natural Cayos de la Cordillera is a national park that protects the Cordillera Cays, a series of small, uninhabited islands off the east coast of Puerto Rico. Cayo Icacos, aka Icacos Island, is one of the most popular islands thanks to its location just a mile and a half off the mainland coast and its exceptional beaches.

Most visitors come to swim or snorkel for the day — overnight visits are prohibited — and the island's location close to Fajardo makes access easy. For a fee of about $60, water taxis take visitors from Fajardo's Las Croabas neighborhood on the short trip over to Cayo Icacos, making multiple round trips daily from early morning to late afternoon. The island is also a popular stop for charter catamarans doing snorkeling trips. The latter typically supply all you'll need for a fun day on Cayo Icacos, but if you go the water taxi route be sure to bring cash for payment as well as beach necessities (blankets, sunscreen, water and more) since there are no facilities on the island – and that includes restrooms.

Crash Boat Beach Crash Boat Beach free

Despite its name, you won't need to worry about sinking ships at this beach in Aguadilla. Snorkelers regularly trek to Crash Boat Beach for its clear waters and multitude of fish. The beach and its pier are also beloved by sunbathers, fishermen, volleyball players, scuba divers and daredevils who love to jump into the water from the pier. After a day in the sun, stop by one of the area's many food kiosks to refuel or take a short drive to one of Aguadilla's restaurants.

It's no wonder this western beach is one of Aguadilla's most popular spots for travelers of all ages. Repeat visitors said the beach is smaller after Hurricane Maria, but tourists loved the beach's turquoise waters and ample activities. The near-constant crowds don't seem to bother many travelers, but if you're looking for a quiet environment this may not be the beach for you.

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Luquillo Beach (Balneario la Monserrate) Luquillo Beach (Balneario la Monserrate) free

The resort beaches in Condado and Isla Verde are beautiful, but if you tire of the same old scenery, take a 30-mile drive east from San Juan along Route 3 to Luquillo Beach. Families flock to this beach for its reef-protected calm waves, and you'll also see a lot of day-trippers fresh from a jaunt in the nearby  El Yunque National Rainforest .

Luquillo Beach isn't usually crowded, but some visitors say cleanliness can be an issue, both on the beach and in the changing rooms and bathrooms. The natural beauty, however, cannot be denied.

San Germán San Germán free

Puerto Rico's second oldest city is a miniature Old San Juan in the sense that it has street after colorful street of historic colonial-era buildings dating back to the 16th century. Highlights of the historic district include the Porta Coeli, a convent and church dating to 1609 that's now a museum of religious art — one of many art and history museums in the city — and the Iglesia San Germán de Auxerre, consecrated in 1688. The Museo de Arte Religioso Porta Coeli is open Wednesday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Because it's located in the mountains and not on the coast, San Germán sometimes gets overlooked by visitors seeking fun in Puerto Rico's Caribbean sun. But the city once rivaled San Juan in importance as the seat of government for the western half of the island. Visitors can experience local culture at the Fiestas Patronales de San German Auxerre, a July festival celebrating the city's patron saint.

Observatorio de Arecibo Observatorio de Arecibo

The Arecibo Observatory has a rich history. Scientists used the site's massive telescope to collect data about Earth's atmosphere, the solar system's planets, comets and more since its debut in the 1960s. Though Puerto Rico may seem like an odd place for this important device, it was the perfect location. Situated near the equator, the telescope was in the ideal spot not only to study the Earth's ionosphere (its original purpose) but also to study planets. In addition, Puerto Rico could accommodate the space needed for the telescope's reflecting mirror: The dish is 1,000 feet in diameter and 167 feet deep.

In 2020, cables holding the central platform broke and the platform collapsed into the dish, damaging the dish. In 2022, the National Science Foundation announced it plans to open a STEM research facility on-site but funding would not include rebuilding the telescope.

Museo Castado Serrallés Museo Castado Serrallés

Set on a hill overlooking Ponce's historic district, the former home of rum baron Don Juan Eugenio Serrallés houses a museum focusing on the sugar industry and rum production. Additionally, because the city of Ponce purchased the mansion with most of its furnishings, visitors get a glimpse of life in a Puerto Rican estate home in the 1930s.

Built in Spanish Moroccan style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Serrallés mansion presides over a 2.5-acre property with formal gardens and an oblong pool. The museum complex also includes a Japanese garden and the Cruceta del Vigía, a 100-foot-tall hilltop crucifix with a horizontal sky bridge served by elevators offering scenic vistas of Ponce.

Piñones Piñones free

Afro-Caribbean culture and cuisine draw visitors to Piñones, a small community within the town of Loiza. Settled by formerly enslaved people from the African Yoruba tribe in the 16th century, Loiza is famous for its Festival of St. James, with parades featuring dancers wearing traditional vejigantes masks made from coconuts. But even if you can't make it in July, Piñones makes a great lunch stop on the way to El Yunque , Loquillo or Fajardo. Visitors come to sample frituras like green banana and taro root fritters, seafood pancakes called b acalaí tos and other local food at hundreds of food stands in the seaside community.

Piñones isn't just about food: it's a center for a cherished part of Puerto Rican culture called chinchorreo , gathering where friends and family meet for food, drink and dancing. Loiza lacks the big resorts that are typical elsewhere in this part of Puerto Rico, and it's no accident: locals are fiercely protective of their culture and low-key community life.

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Guavate Guavate free

U.S. News Insider Tip:  If you can't make it to Guavate but want Puerto Rico's famous roast pork, head to Naranjito or Trujillo Alto, respectively located southwest and southeast of San Juan. Both are less than 25 miles from San Juan. – Robert Curley

For a deep dive into Puerto Rican culture and cuisine, follow la Ruta de Lechón (the "Pork Highway") into the mountains to the barrio of Guavate (in Cayey), home to a string of l echoneras serving roast pork right off the spit with crispy skin and juicy meat. The communal feast is accompanied by live music; cold beer; sides of mofongo, rice and pigeon peas; and other traditional food.

Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park

An admission fee of just $5 gains you entry to what has been described as the most important archeological site focusing on the Taíno people in the Caribbean. The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park is located in the mountain town of Utuado and has a small museum, with visitors also welcome to walk around the excavated remains of stone monoliths, plazas, and ceremonial ball courts, and to view petroglyphs dating to as early as the 13th century. The park also features recreated bohios , thatched-roof homes typical of those built by the Taínos.

The Caguana ball courts, where the traditional game of batey was played, have been designated a National Historic Landmark. The game, played with a rubber ball, was similar to soccer in that all parts of the body other than the hands could be used. Games were also culturally significant in that the games helped Taínos resolve disputes and make important decisions.

Toroverde Adventure Park Toroverde Adventure Park

The town of Orocovis in Puerto Rico's central mountains is home to this high-energy adventure park, located about 40 miles inland from San Juan. Attractions include multiple zip lines, the roughly mile-long Beast (a zip line that attaches you to a harness so you can fly like Superman) and the Monster, a 1.5-mile zip line. High-altitude tours feature multiple zip lines plus crossing suspension bridges.

The park's ToroBikes operate on the longest cable bike system on earth, more than 1,000 feet long. It's just like it sounds: you pedal a bike across a cable suspended in the air. Other attractions include climbing walls and the ToroRoller, a cross between a zip line and a rollercoaster where visitors are suspended from an overhead track.

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Traveling to Puerto Rico in 2022

There is no doubt that Puerto Rico is a tropical paradise, and a very convenient one to travel to from the continental U.S.A. especially for those flying from the east coast states. To start, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory therefore U.S. citizens do not need a passport to travel to the Caribbean archipelago. The currency is the U.S. dollar and, although Spanish it’s the official language, English is widely spoken especially in the city. All of this makes Puerto Rico the ideal destination for either a weekend getaway, an extended vacation, or even a hub for remote work. Given the continued COVID-19 surges and the ever changing travel restrictions that comes with it, Puerto Rico might be a great option since it is considered a domestic destination. 

Requirements to Enter Puerto Rico

Due to the latest Omicron variant surge Puerto Rico is now requiring all domestic travelers older than two years to provide a negative result of a molecular or antigen test for COVID-19 performed within the period of 48 hours before arriving. This is required even for those with a proof of vaccination. On the other hand, international travelers are required to provide a negative result of a molecular or antigen test for COVID-19 performed in a period no longer than one (1) day before boarding a flight to Puerto Rico. Besides this, all travelers must fill out an Online Travel Declaration Form . 

However, if for some reason you’re unable to fill out the form in advance there will be health workers ready to assist you at the airport once you arrive. In this case, they will ask for your boarding pass, ID, proof of vaccination, and your negative test result  in order to create an online account for you and fill out the travel declaration form. If you have not receive your test result at the moment of arrival they will explain how to upload the results into your account once you receive them. You’ll have 48 hours to provide this. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $300. 

There is no doubt that Puerto Rico is a tropical paradise, and a very convenient one to travel to from the continental U.S.A. especially for those flying from the east coast states. To start, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory therefore U.S. citizens do not need a passport to travel to the Caribbean archipelago. The currency is the U.S. dollar and, although Spanish it’s the official language, English is widely spoken especially in the city. All of this makes Puerto Rico the ideal destination for either a weekend getaway, an extended vacation, or even a hub for remote work. Given the continued COVID-19 surges and the ever changing travel restrictions that comes with it, Puerto Rico might be a great option since it is considered a domestic destination.

Safety Protocols During Your Stay

The government of Puerto Rico has put in place local measures to ensure the safety of everyone and avoid the spread of the virus as much as possible. While in Puerto Rico masks are required indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Those unvaccinated or between the ages of 2 and 11 must also wear masks in public areas when unable to social distance. Additionally, the following measures are in place :

• Everyone attending mass events, both indoors and outdoors, are required to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken in the 48 hours prior to the event.
• All establishments serving food or drinks must require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19  test (either antigen or PCR) taken 48 hours prior to arrival. 
• Until February 2nd, 2022, all restaurants, bars, theaters, stadiums, coliseums, convention centers, casinos, and any establishment that serves prepared food or drinks will limit capacity to 50% for indoor events/operations, and 75% for outdoor events. 
• Until February 2nd 2022, all business will close between midnight and 5 AM. This restriction does not affect health services, including testing sites, laboratories, and pharmacies. 
• Until February 2nd 2022, alcohol sale is also prohibited between midnight and 5 AM.

Things to Do in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has a lot to offer to people of all ages. If you don’t have many days to spare, staying in the capital city of San Juan will allow you to get a taste of everything, from cultural events, beaches, delicious food, fun nightlife, and more. 

Old San Juan is the historic part of the city where you’ll find most museums and cultural events. The colonial architecture and cobblestone streets are sure to transport you back in time. From here you can walk to the beach and spend all day relaxing and sunbathing. Once you feel the need to take a break from the sun (and you will!) you can visit museums , go on a   walking tour , taste some delicious Puerto Rican food , go for a shopping spree at the many small shops as well as shopping centers , take a tour to discover the influence of the African heritage at the picturesque little town of Loíza, Capital of our African Tradition , or enjoy a tour of the Bacardi Rum Distillery . 

In the evening, grab the best coconut mojito you’ve had at Ostra Cosa and walk to   El Morr o fortress, bring a blanket, pick a spot and watch the sunset. At night head back to Old San Juan and enjoy the many bars, restaurants, night clubs and jazz clubs along Calle San Sebastian and it’s alleyways.

Beyond San Juan

If you have more than five days to spend in Puerto Rico, you can rent a car and head to the west coast where you’ll find gorgeous, less populated beaches, and delicious seafood.  You can also head to the east coast where you can visit El Yunque rainforest , try the seafood and local eats in Luquillo , and even hop on a ferry and visit the islands of Vieques or Culebra , home of Flamenco Beach, one of the top 10 beaches in the world. 

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Our Readers' Favorite Resorts in Puerto Rico in 2022

The best resorts in Puerto Rico, according to Travel + Leisure readers, range from adults-only resorts to nature-inspired havens.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite resorts in Puerto Rico.

Travelers love the "island of enchantment" for many reasons – including the ease of getting there from the U.S. mainland, a vibrant local culture, and gorgeous beaches and naturescapes. The best resorts in Puerto Rico stole the hearts of Travel + Leisure readers with their varied activities, including golfing, sailing and, of course, all-day poolside lounging.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L invites its readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.

In the town of Rio Grande, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico earned the No. 2 spot for its relaxing atmosphere and stunning views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Readers appreciated the hotel's efforts to extend a warm welcome, despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Staffing issues were being felt across the industry during our visit, but the service and food was great, and the grounds were impeccable," noted one voter. "I will definitely return." In the No. 5 spot, the neighboring Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, near El Yunque National rainforest, offers local adventures, from ziplining to touring the 18th-century Castillo San Cristóbal fortress.

Two Condado resorts made this best-of list as well. "The Condado Vanderbilt is the best hotel in San Juan," raved one voter. "It's in the center of the action, so it's easy to get between different neighborhoods." Guests loved the swimming pools and the warm service. The No. 3 Condado Ocean Club, meanwhile, offers an adults-only atmosphere, modern interior design, and a buzzy nighttime scene at Social restaurant.

One of the island's most luxurious hotels, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, claimed the No. 1 spot on this year's list of the best resorts in Puerto Rico. Read on for details about what makes it so special in readers' minds.

1. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado

Set on 50 acres on the northern coast of Puerto Rico (about a half-hour drive west from San Juan), this luxury property pampers guests with friendly service and plant-inspired treatments at Spa Botánico, where travelers can soak in an outdoor bath located in the middle of tropical gardens. "The sunsets are glorious, and the spa is second to none," wrote one voter. On-site dining, which includes the Culinary Center for classes and wine pairing meals, the Posi+Ivo Sand Bar, and the seasonally focused Coa, also received praise.

Score: 91.63

Book on Tripadvisor

2. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande

Score: 91.13

3. Condado Ocean Club, San Juan

Score: 90.44

4. Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, San Juan

Score: 88.60

5. Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, Rio Grande

Score: 88.00

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The 8 best places to visit in Puerto Rico

Jan 14, 2024 • 6 min read

El Yunque is the only rainforest in the US National Parks system, with trails that can range from difficult to challenging © Boogich / Getty Images

Puerto Rico is one of those destinations that just keeps on giving.

On your first vacation in Puerto Rico, you'll visit the more popular spots and well-known historical monuments. Then you'll be back. You'll go off the beaten track. Beyond the bioluminescent bays. Beyond the Puerto Rico beaches everyone raves about.

Visiting this Puerto Rico requires a little bit of research. Probably a rental car and a little insider knowledge from the residents. With more than 300 miles of coastline, the best places to go in Puerto Rico spill out from one end of the island to the other.

If you’re into exploring cities, San Juan has a vibrant museum and arts scene. Indeed, the capital can take you from the beach to the speakeasies in the blink of an eye. Here's where to go in Puerto Rico .

Best for live music

There are plenty of amazing places to visit in Loíza to watch live bomba music . Start in Piñones to cruise the kiosk strip and buy delectable fritters, like the famous empanadillas de jueyes (crab empanadas) and the plantain-and-ground-beef delicacy pionono .  El Boricua is a favorite with locals. Arrive early as lines can snake around the establishment.

After that, head over to El Imán Bar to listen to live bomba music and watch the bailaores (flamenco dancer) execute increasingly difficult moves to satisfy the drummers and the crowd.

Local tip: Bomba gatherings are informal and sometimes impromptu. To get a sense of the times and days for activities available in the area, it’s best to check out Corporación Piñones Se Integra , a nonprofit community-based organization in Loíza tasked with preserving the town’s traditional history. 

2. Isla Verde

Best for craft beer

The ubiquity of Medalla advertisements in Puerto Rico makes you think it’s the only beer on the island. It may be the best local light lager – and at US$2 to $5, one of the cheapest – but in the last 15 years, the likes of Ocean Lab Brewing Co.  in Isla Verde have made Puerto Rico a haven for Caribbean craft beer lovers.

Local breweries across the island use old European and new American techniques to create beers with flavors unique to the island, like passion fruit, quenépa (Spanish lime), and mango. At Ocean Lab Brewing Co., try the crisp Mayawest lager and the Mambo passion-fruit wheat beer

Local tip: Elsewhere,  Boquerón Brewing Co , in the beach town of Cabo Rojo, has some excellent fruity experimental beers and ales. For a super-unique sip, take a trip South to Señorial Brewing Co  in Ponce for their elusive quenépa fruit beer. 

3. Santurce, San Juan

Best for street art and museums

Thanks to its central location – and its historical ties to music and culture – the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan has long been a meeting place for artists. Each year, top muralists and graffiti artists add to the district's creative reputation at the Santurce es Ley festival, a street party that invites artists from Puerto Rico and around the world to spruce up buildings with their art. 

To see the best work, head to the Tras Talleres and El Gandul areas of Santurce. There are similar projects in Yauco, like Yaucromatic, and art installations in Ponce that offer an excellent account of the creative scene on the island.

Similarly, this San Juan neighborhood is home to some of the  most interesting museums on the island. Head to the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico , an architectural wonder in the middle of the district, or try the more experimental Museo de Arte Contemporáneo , housed in the city's only brick building.

Local tip: There are tons of small museums around the island dedicated to preserving hyper-local history and events. Another favorite of ours is the Museo de Artes Populares de Caguas , which focuses on traditional Puerto Rican folk art and woodwork. 

4. Old San Juan

Best for rooftop bars

Most of Old San Juan is worthy of a photograph or four, but hidden on the city's rooftops are some of the trendiest bars and terraces – and many have premium views of the island's fabled sunsets.

Some of the best include La Catedral at the Decanter Hotel, the perfect spot to admire the architecture of the Catedrál de San Juan over afternoon cocktails, and  Scryer Rum & Barrelhouse , a tasting house complete with rooftop lounge that offers rum-based cocktails and a look at the distilling process. If you’re up for a party, La Vergüenza , overlooking the La Perla neighborhood, is your spot for salsa and live music.

5. Arecibo 

Best for history

Often overlooked by tourists, Arecibo is one of Puerto Rico’s oldest towns. Officially established in 1616, it has reinvented itself numerous times throughout history – from pirate cove to the site of important astronomical discoveries at the now-defunct Arecibo Observatory . While the town center has seen better days, young business owners are slowly turning its storied buildings into high-concept restaurants and bars.

During the weekend, head to La Buena Vida  on Calle Gonzalo Marín for craft beers and creative, made-to-order pasta. Follow that with drinks at W Bar on Avenida de Diego, a hidden whiskey bar with a trendy tropical decor. If you’re still hungry, Ocean View Food Park  offers fusion cuisines, including Mr Don’s famous ramen, and fried chicken at Tori House.  

6. El Yunque

Best for wild swimming

As the only rainforest in the US National Parks system, El Yunque has myriad species of plants and a series of life-giving rivers, many of which are swimmable.

Hiking trails in Puerto Rico can range from difficult to challenging, but if you want to do some wild swimming, take the Angelito Trail – a 20-minute walk down a muddy pathway that leads to the Río Mameyes.

Other wild swimming spots include the Las Paylas River, which has a fun natural slide that drops you into a tranquil fish-filled pool and Las Tinaja. Book a visit to either with a tour guide as access is via unstable terrain and some moderate climbing.

Local tip: Check the weather before heading to a river. If it’s raining, don’t go – flash floods claim many lives each year. A telltale sign of a flash flood is debris, such as mud and sticks, starting to appear in otherwise clear waters.   

7. Cordillera Central

Best for hiking

Full of lush green landscapes, creeping fog and fresh air, the Cordillera Central mountain range offers some prize hiking. It also gets peppered by afternoon rains, so pack a rain jacket.

To explore the most panoramic walk, start in Cayey, right off the Luis A Ferré Expressway. When you reach Guavate, stop to eat at one of the many restaurants serving one of Puerto Rico's most iconic dishes : lechón (whole-hog roast). 

Continue up the mountain on Road #1 to take in the rolling hills and rocky mountain peaks. There are also plenty of chinchorros  (food stalls) along the way to Aibonito, where you can stop for mojitos, tacos and artisanal drinks.

Local tip: Head out early in the morning to give yourself ample time to stop along the route. The town centers of Aibonito, Coamo and Orocovis are picturesque and offer great eats and local history. 

8. El Poblado de Boquerón

Best for partying 

A sleepy seaside town during the week, El Poblado (which means town square) in the Boquerón sector of Cabo Rojo turns into a massive street party at the weekend. Expect live music, karaoke and delicious street food. 

Fill yourself up at Pelican’s Boquerón restaurant, where you can find a variety of local dishes like fried fish and mofongo  (fried plantain mash with garlic and olive oil). Then barhop your way through the square and dance the night away. Keep up your energy with a giant bacalaíto (codfish fritter) from the cart on the square. You won’t be sorry. 

This article was first published Sep 20, 2021 and updated Jan 14, 2024.

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A Blissful 5-Day Puerto Rico Itinerary (Prices Included)

Sep 18, 2024

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Palm-fringed, powdery white sand beaches, tropical landscapes, unique food, and friendly people.

These are all factors that make Puerto Rico such an alluring island destination. 

Five days is enough to see the highlights of Puerto Rico — beaches, restaurants, parks, and other attractions.

This guide will also cover hotel recommendations, how much you’ll roughly spend, how to get around, and more.    

So, give this 5-day Puerto Rico itinerary a go to experience the best this country has to offer! 

Disclaimer: Hey explorer! This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small percentage of each purchase made through my links. I only ever recommend products I believe in and appreciate your support if you decide to use my links—thank you!

Table of Contents

5 Day Itinerary for Puerto Rico At a Glance

• Day 1: Arrival in Puerto Rico and Explore Old San Juan
• Day 2: Morning Coffee, Hiking in El Yunque, and Luquillo Beach
• Day 3: Las Salinas Salt Flats, Lunch, Bioluminescent Bay Tour in Fajardo, and Cocktails
• Day 4: Explore Ponce, Brunch, and Beach Hopping
• Day 5: Explore San Germán and Dinner

Read Next: Need help convincing someone to go with? Here are some great reasons to go to Puerto Rico . 

How to Spend 5 Days in Puerto Rico

Enough rambling — let’s get into the fun stuff. Here’s how to enjoy Puerto Rico in 5 days. 

Arrival + Exploring Old San Juan + Dinner

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan is the main airport in Puerto Rico.

This is likely where you’ll land. San Juan is also the island’s capital city, where you’ll find many hotels and entertainment options. 

So, it makes sense to dedicate your first day to exploring San Juan .

But more specifically, Old San Juan — a historic area brimming with old-world charm. You’ll have plenty to admire and do here. 

Old San Juan is home to historic fortresses, colorful 16th-century buildings, cobbled streets, cocktail bars, and Caribbean fusion restaurants.

Start by visiting El Morro C astle , an iconic landmark.

Then, there’s San Juan Cathedral and San Juan Gate. These are included in this historical sites walking tour (from $54).  

Psst: While in Old San Juan, don’t forget to take a pic in front of the Puerta de la Bandera , a black Puerto Rican flag painted on the door of an abandoned building. 

After a long day of exploring, you’ll likely want a hearty dinner will surely soothe the soul and body after a long day of exploring.

And guess what? San Juan has some of the nicest Puerto Rican and Caribbean-inspired restaurants, so you can have a proper foodie experience. 

Santaella is a chic restaurant serving cocktails, tapas, and authentic dishes made with local ingredients. It’s a bit more pricey, but it’s perfect for fine dining or date night, nonetheless.

Jacinta Cuisine and Eter Rooftop Lounge are less expensive options, offering delectable Caribbean cuisine. 

Total Spending: The average cost for family-style restaurants is between  $10–$15 per person, and $15–$35 per meal for upscale restaurants. If you add the walking tour, expect to spend a minimum of $64 to a maximum of $89.  

Coffee + Hiking in El Yunque + Luquillo Beach

Day two starts with a good old cup of Joe at an adorable, Insta-worthy café.

And since you’re still in San Juan, looking for places in the area makes sense.

Some coffee and a hearty breakfast will set you up for all the activities and excitement ahead. 

Puerto Rican coffee is rich and sweet, with deep flavors.

You can taste just that and more at the quirky Café con Cé , a small coffee shop with a facade decorated with street art.

Another spot for freshly brewed Puerto Rican coffee is Lelas Eatery , a hangout for local artists needing their morning-after-gig remedy. 

After your dose of caffeine, it’s time to hit the road for a lovely day tour of El Yunque National Forest and Luquillo Beach (from $75).

The journey takes about 45 minutes, so wear hiking boots and pack your backpack with essentials like water and snacks.

The best part is that Luquillo Beach is just a 15-minute drive from El Yunque, which is why so many take on both in one day. 

El Yunque is a nature lover’s paradise and the only tropical rainforest in the U.S.

Sadly, as of August 2024, El Yungue will experience temporary closure until the roads are cleared of vegetation. 

But if you manage to be there when all this is done, definitely go waterfall hunting, go down the natural waterslides, and try cliff jumping if you dare.

Don’t miss the Yokahu Lookout Tower and Juan Diego Waterfalls (two of the most Instagrammable places in Puerto Rico ). 

Lastly, Luquillo Beach is a postcard-worthy beach with calm waters, forested mountains, and palm trees. It’s the perfect little escape for beach photography and much-needed relaxing. 

Total Spending: Breakfast at most casual coffee shops can cost you anywhere between $15-$20. A regular cappuccino is about $2-$6. So, including the tour, you’ll spend about $90 to $105 per person. 

Las Salinas Salt Flats + Lunch + Bioluminescent Bay Tour in Fajardo + Cocktails

Get your camera ready, as day three is all about capturing the stunning nature of Puerto Rico for your next Instagram posts.

Make your way to Las Salinas Salt Flats in Cabo Rojo during sunrise to capture the gorgeous pink color of the lagoons (free to visit). 

If you’re not familiar, Las Salinas is an area of two 18-inch-deep natural lagoons that have been altered to mine salt.

The lagoons are pink thanks to algae, bacteria, and salt, which results in stunning backdrops for Instagram shots.  

After spending your morning posing in front of the Las Salinas pink salt flats, it’s time to discover more colorful waters. Only this time, it’s glow in the dark.

Puerto Rico boasts three of only five bioluminescent beaches in the world — which means you absolutely must see it! 

But before you go on a Bio Bay Kayak Tour in Fajardo (from $66.90), grab some lunch to kill some time since it’s best to do this at night.

Cabo Rojo is a beach town with plenty of vibey, can’t-miss restaurants such as Buena Vibra Bar & Tapas and Bamboleio.    

You can also hang by the beach and visit Faro Los Morrillos — one of my faves!

Puerto Rico has an eclectic nightlife you’ll want to get a taste of. There’s always a party nearby, whether on the beach or in the streets.

If you’re craving a place for cocktails and good vibes, then Casa Bacardí is the answer.  

Casa Bacardí the world’s largest premium rum distillery and home to some of the most awarded rum.

So, what better way to wrap up day four than sipping on some of the best rum?

They offer rum-tasting tours, mixology classes, and a chance to enjoy cocktails at the waterfront pavilion. 

Total Spending: The rum tasting will set you back about $90. So, with the Bio Bay Kayak Tour and lunch, you’ll spend about $176.90-$186.90 per person. 

Explore Ponce + Brunch + Beach Hopping 

On day four, you’ll want to wake up early to make the two-hour drive to Ponce from San Juan.

Since it’s quite the drive, it’s best to overnight here and then you can travel to San Germán the next morning. 

Ponce is a charming city on Puerto Rico’s southern coast, with grand mansions built in a unique Creole architectural style.

It’s home to various museums, Museo de Arte de Ponce being the most popular one for its vast European and Puerto Rican art collections. 

See all the highlights of Ponce by doing a guided walking tour led by a local (from $32). This is a great way to learn about the city’s rich history, culture, and traditions.

Now it’s time for brunch. Brunch is a fairly new thing in Puerto Rico, and more hotels and restaurants are starting to embrace “ desalmuerzo ” — a mashed-together Spanish name for brunch. 

Combining island flavors with traditional brunch dishes takes this everyday experience to new heights.

Sabor y Rumba, Café Lucero , and Con Leche are all excellent options for brunch that won’t break the bank. 

After a full belly, it’s time to take it easy. The best way to do this is by visiting one of Ponce’s finest beaches for the ultimate relaxation.

Head to La Guancha, Caja De Muertos, or El Tuque for soft sand and calm waters.

Total Spending: Brunch at any one of the three restaurants mentioned above will cost between $10-$15. With the walking tour, you’ll easily spend $42-$47 per person. 

Explore San Germán + Dinner

Your last day in Puerto Rico will be spent in a cute historic town called San Germán.

After waking up early in Ponce and grabbing a quick breakfast, you’ll head on a 40-minute drive west, away from the coast. 

Did you know that San Germán is the oldest city in Puerto Rico?

Well, here you get to enjoy the old world charm as seen in its well-preserved architecture and cobblestone streets.

As a result, the place brims with historical attractions, including the Convento Porta Coeli, one of the oldest church structures in the Western Hemisphere (built in 1609). 

You can also see the Parroquia San Germán de Auxerre, another ancient church that was built in 1688 by Spanish settlers.

Beyond these historic cathedrals, visit the Casa Morales, a gorgeous Victorian-style residence, or Ceiba de la Libertad, a tree planted in 1897 to celebrate the establishment of the Autonomous Charter. 

Wrap up day five in Puerto Rico with a delectable meal at one of San Germán’s most renowned restaurants.

If you love Mexican food, Lupitos Comida Mexican is your choice.  Mike’s Steak House serves homemade burgers, steaks, and quesadillas, among other yummy meals.

Then, for a Caribbean affair, Porticos 1606 won’t let you down.  

Total Spending: Dinner at either one of the restaurants above can cost anywhere from $20-$30 per person.  

Planning A Puerto Rico Itinerary for 5 Days

So, now you know what to do in PR, but there are still some logistics to work out, such as where to stay and how to get around. 

Where to Stay in Puerto Rico

Firstly, Puerto Rico is divided into seven different regions: Metro, North, East, Culebra and Vieques, Central Mountains, South, and West.

Within these regions, you’ll find some great areas to stay in, including the following: 

• Old San Juan
• Vieques Island  

So, these are definitely the areas to consider when looking for accommodation. 

Speaking of accommodation, Puerto Rico is chock-full of beachfront luxury resorts and hotels galore. Here are a few hotels you can’t go wrong with: 

O:Live Boutique Hotel — Who doesn’t love an aesthetic boutique hotel? This is the type of place you’ll want to show off all over Instagram, as every nook and cranny drips in luxurious decor. Its Mediterranean-themed suites feature rain showers with hydromassage jets, and there’s a rooftop terrace with an infinity pool.

St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort — If you want to splurge a bit on your hotel, consider this lavish, five-star beach resort. This palm-fringed beachfront resort offers beautiful ocean views with a stunning lawn, outdoor patio, and pool area. Enjoy spa treatments, a cocktail bar, and restaurants serving Caribbean dishes.

Boutique Hotel Belgica — If budget-friendly is more your vibe, but you still want a wonderful experience, try this stunning boutique hotel. Truly a bang for your buck — its central location is also ideal on Villa Street, near the main square of Ponce. 

Average price for hotels in Puerto Rico: The overall average price for hotels in Puerto Rico is about $170 per night. You’ll spend roughly $120 on budget hotels and $280 on average for luxury hotels. 

Do You Need a Car in Puerto Rico?

Yes…and no. If you plan on exploring San Juan alone, you won’t need a rental car.

Besides, the parking situation is a headache here, especially in Old San Juan.

In that case, it’s best to just make use of public transport or ridesharing services like Uber.

Then again, any trip to Puerto Rico should go beyond San Juan if possible.

And for that, you’ll need a car. Without one, you won’t get to explore the many wonders and gems of the island. 

So, if you want to hike through lush forests, hunt down waterfalls, and see a bioluminescent bay, you’d better rent yourself a car . 

Average price for car rentals in Puerto Rico: The price of a car rental depends on which model you choose and how many days you need it for. On average, standard car hire costs about $45 per day in Puerto Rico, but this can easily jump to $70 or more during peak season.  

Wrapping Up Your Puerto Rico 5-Day Itinerary

That’s it for now, fellow adventurers.

Now, it’s up to you to make these five days in Puerto Rico a reality. You can always add or remove activities, restaurants, or attractions as you see fit.

That said, the above itinerary covers all the highlights of Puerto Rico. 

You’re able to get the best of the island’s vibrant culture and natural beauty, from exploring historic areas to tropical parks and bioluminescent beaches. 

Before You Go: Discover more things to do in Puerto Rico if you decide to extend your trip. 

© Dani Rodriguez LLC 2024. All rights reserved. | Legal

I'm a burrito loving explorer who got fired from corporate America and turned that into my dream career as a photographer and blogger. Now I'm here to help you explore life's magic. Thanks for stopping by!

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39 Hidden Gems In Puerto Rico You Need To See

Published: September 17, 2024

by Effie Staton

Looking for an unforgettable adventure? Puerto Rico offers more than just beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife. This Caribbean island hides many treasures waiting to be explored. From secret waterfalls to historic towns, Puerto Rico has something for everyone. Imagine wandering through lush forests, discovering ancient ruins, or swimming in crystal-clear waters. Each hidden gem tells a story, offering a unique glimpse into the island's rich culture and natural beauty. Whether you're a history buff, nature lover, or thrill-seeker, Puerto Rico's lesser-known spots will leave you in awe. Ready to uncover the hidden gems in Puerto Rico ? Let's dive in!

Hidden Beaches

Puerto Rico boasts some of the most stunning beaches in the Caribbean. While many tourists flock to the popular spots, there are hidden beaches that offer tranquility and beauty.

Playa Buyé : Located in Cabo Rojo, this beach is perfect for those seeking calm waters and fewer crowds. The clear blue water and soft sand make it a great spot for a relaxing day.

Playa Peña Blanca : Near Aguadilla, this small beach is known for its crystal-clear waters and excellent snorkeling opportunities. It's a bit tricky to find, but worth the effort.

Playa Escondida : True to its name, this "hidden beach" in Fajardo requires a hike through the forest. The secluded spot offers pristine waters and a peaceful atmosphere.

Playa La Jungla : Situated in Guánica, this beach is surrounded by lush greenery and offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle.

Historical Sites

Puerto Rico's rich history is reflected in its numerous historical sites. These lesser-known spots provide a glimpse into the island's past.

Cueva Ventana : This cave in Arecibo offers stunning views of the Río Grande de Arecibo valley. The cave itself is filled with petroglyphs and other historical artifacts.

Hacienda Buena Vista : Located in Ponce, this restored coffee plantation gives visitors a look into the island's agricultural history. The guided tours are both educational and enjoyable.

El Cañuelo : This small fort in San Juan is often overshadowed by the larger El Morro and San Cristóbal forts. However, it played a crucial role in the island's defense.

Museo de Arte de Ponce : This museum houses an impressive collection of European and Puerto Rican art. It's a cultural gem that art lovers shouldn't miss.

Natural Wonders

Puerto Rico's natural beauty extends beyond its beaches. The island is home to various natural wonders that are worth exploring.

Cueva del Indio : Located in Arecibo, this cave features stunning rock formations and ancient petroglyphs. The views of the Atlantic Ocean from the cave are breathtaking.

Gozalandia Falls : These waterfalls in San Sebastián are a popular spot for swimming and picnicking. The lush surroundings add to the charm of this hidden gem.

Las Cavernas del Río Camuy : This extensive cave system in Camuy is one of the largest in the world. Guided tours take visitors through impressive underground formations.

La Parguera Bioluminescent Bay : Located in Lajas, this bay glows at night due to the presence of bioluminescent microorganisms. It's a magical experience that shouldn't be missed.

Off-the-Beaten-Path Towns

While San Juan and Ponce are well-known, there are smaller towns in Puerto Rico that offer unique experiences and charm.

Cabo Rojo : This southwestern town is known for its beautiful beaches, salt flats, and the iconic Los Morrillos Lighthouse.

Guavate : Famous for its lechoneras (roast pork restaurants), this mountain town offers delicious food and a festive atmosphere.

San Germán : One of the oldest towns in Puerto Rico , San Germán is filled with colonial architecture and historical sites.

Patillas : Known as "La Esmeralda del Sur" (The Emerald of the South), this town offers lush landscapes and beautiful beaches.

Unique Experiences

Puerto Rico offers a variety of unique experiences that go beyond the typical tourist activities.

Toro Verde Adventure Park : Located in Orocovis, this park offers thrilling zipline adventures, including one of the longest ziplines in the world.

Coffin Island (Isla Caja de Muertos) : This small island off the coast of Ponce is perfect for a day trip . It offers hiking trails, a lighthouse, and pristine beaches.

Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve : This reserve in Fajardo offers guided tours that include visits to a lighthouse, mangroves, and a bioluminescent lagoon.

El Yunque Rainforest : The only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, El Yunque offers hiking trails, waterfalls, and diverse flora and fauna.

Culinary Delights

Puerto Rican cuisine is a delightful blend of flavors and influences. These hidden culinary spots offer a taste of the island's rich food culture.

La Casita Blanca : Located in Santurce, this restaurant offers traditional Puerto Rican dishes in a cozy, home-like setting.

El Jibarito : Situated in Old San Juan, El Jibarito is known for its authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and charming atmosphere.

Pannes : This Condado eatery offers delicious breakfast and brunch options, including local favorites like mallorcas and café con leche.

La Guardarraya : Located in Guayanilla, this restaurant is famous for its chuletas can-can (pork chops) and other Puerto Rican specialties.

Outdoor Adventures

For those who love outdoor activities, Puerto Rico offers numerous opportunities for adventure.

La Ruta del Lechón : This scenic drive through the mountains of Cayey is lined with lechoneras, offering delicious roast pork and stunning views.

Cerro de Punta : The highest peak in Puerto Rico, Cerro de Punta offers hiking trails and panoramic views of the island.

Gilligan's Island : This small island near Guánica is perfect for kayaking, snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach.

Cañón San Cristóbal : This canyon in Barranquitas offers hiking, rappelling, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Festivals and Events

Puerto Rico's vibrant culture is reflected in its numerous festivals and events. These lesser-known celebrations offer a unique cultural experience.

Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián : Held in Old San Juan, this festival features music, dancing, and traditional crafts. It's a lively celebration of Puerto Rican culture.

Festival de la Piña Paradisíaca : This festival in La Parguera celebrates the pineapple with food, music, and activities for all ages.

Festival Nacional del Café : Held in Yauco, this festival celebrates Puerto Rico's coffee culture with tastings, tours, and live music.

Festival de Santiago Apóstol : This festival in Loíza features traditional music, dance, and colorful costumes, celebrating the town's African heritage.

Wildlife Encounters

Puerto Rico is home to diverse wildlife. These spots offer opportunities to see the island's unique flora and fauna up close.

Culebra National Wildlife Refuge : This refuge on the island of Culebra is home to various bird species and offers excellent snorkeling opportunities.

La Marquesa Forest Park : Located in Guaynabo, this park features hiking trails, a butterfly house, and an aviary.

Humacao Nature Reserve : This reserve on the east coast offers kayaking, birdwatching, and hiking opportunities in a beautiful natural setting.

Vieques National Wildlife Refuge : This refuge on the island of Vieques is home to diverse wildlife and offers pristine beaches and hiking trails.

Hidden Waterfalls

Puerto Rico's lush landscapes are dotted with beautiful waterfalls. These hidden gems offer a refreshing escape.

Charco Azul : Located in Vega Baja, this waterfall is surrounded by lush vegetation and offers a peaceful swimming spot.

Salto Curet : This waterfall in Maricao requires a bit of a hike to reach, but the stunning scenery and refreshing water make it worth the effort.

Doña Juana Waterfall : Situated in Orocovis, this waterfall is easily accessible and offers a picturesque spot for swimming and picnicking.

Puerto Rico's Hidden Gems Await

Puerto Rico offers countless hidden gems waiting to be explored. From the lush El Yunque National Forest to the vibrant streets of Old San Juan, there's something for everyone. Don't miss the bioluminescent bays, where the water glows with magical light. Adventure seekers will love the caves of Rio Camuy and the stunning waterfalls of Gozalandia. For a taste of local culture, visit the coffee plantations in the central mountains or the art galleries in Ponce.

Each spot offers a unique experience, making Puerto Rico a must-visit destination. Whether you're into history, nature, or just relaxing on a secluded beach, this island has it all. Pack your bags, grab a map, and get ready to uncover the hidden treasures of Puerto Rico. Your next adventure is just a flight away.

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Puerto Rico’s Recovery Offers These Lessons for Global Tourism

Dennis Schaal , Skift

June 21st, 2022 at 2:30 AM EDT

Puerto Rico tourism, bolstered by Airbnb when hotels were shut, has had a noteworthy comeback. But if travel and living have blended, then the island's fiscal and political woes can't be overlooked.

Dennis Schaal

Puerto Rico tourism is as hot as a breezeless late-morning in June on the island, but it also faces long-term challenges that could chill the narrative.

With much of the work divided between the private sector-led  Discover Puerto Rico  and the decades-old, government-run  Puerto Rico Tourism Company , Puerto Rico tourism eclipsed pre-pandemic marks in 2021 on airport arrivals, non-resident visitor spending, lodging taxes generated, and hotel revenue per available room, which was 124 percent higher than the U.S. average that year. 

Figures from the first four months of 2022, including hotel average daily rates of $305, which amounted to a 35 percent year-over-year increase, showed nothing if not acceleration in the island’s tourism metrics.

“In 2021, once the restrictions were relaxed, it was off to the races,” Brad Dean, the CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, told Skift. 

All of that came despite a tumultuous last half-dozen years.

In 2016, the U.S. Congress appointed a financial oversight board for Puerto Rico that still dictates much of the island’s finances, and cut services, including teachers’ pensions several years later. A Zika outbreak took hold in 2016, as well. Hurricanes Maria and Irma devastated the island in 2017, and frequent blackouts are a nagging reminder to this day that Puerto Rico still hasn’t fully recovered. Street protests led to the ouster of the governor in 2019, and three weeks of earthquakes starting in early January 2020 rattled the island’s already fragile infrastructure.

And, then came the pandemic.

Dean said Discover Puerto Rico retooled during the first months of the pandemic because he knew travel would be back — eventually.  “We did get to a point where we just didn’t have enough work for everybody, but for the most part, we kept our team intact,” he said. “We wanted to keep the brand top of mind. So 2020 really ended up just being a year where we pushed the pause button on the progress that was already under way.”

The progress and setbacks in Puerto Rico are a useful guide for other destinations struggling to make their way back from the depths of the pandemic, shining a light on how to traverse a travel industry now forced to stay nimble while meeting travelers’ new expectations.

Meanwhile, while not a Puerto Rico-specific issue, there are early signs that U.S. consumers — and perhaps others — are cutting back on travel and dining as inflation rages.

You Can’t Separate Tourism From Puerto Rico’s Colonial Status

With digital nomads wandering the earth and if barriers have indeed broken down between travel and living, as articulated by  Airbnb’s Brian Chesky  and  Skift’s Rafat Ali,  among others, then it is fair to say the island’s tourism must coexist with the  tax breaks  that American mainlanders can wrangle in Puerto Rico that are unavailable to Puerto Ricans, the sentiment that Airbnb is dominating what otherwise might be reasonably priced rental housing for locals, unchecked development in environmentally sensitive locations, and the fact that the island’s 78 municipalities might be divided between tourism haves and have-nots.

Then throw into the mix the fact that the island is officially a U.S. territory, but actually is a colony of the U.S. where Puerto Rican residents, who are U.S. citizens and have served in the U.S. armed forces in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, can’t vote for U.S. president. The U.S. grabbed Puerto Rico after invading the island in 1898 at the tail end of the Spanish-American war.

Because of the Jones Act , the island can’t import food and goods from U.S. ports unless it comes in a ship built in the U.S. and is mainly staffed by Americans. Since most of Puerto Rico’s imports are from U.S. ports, this Jones Act requirement drives up prices.

Crystal Díaz, who hosted the Skift team last Wednesday night at the Jajome Terrace farm-to-table restaurant in Cayey during a company retreat, told us: More than 80 percent of Puerto Rico’s food is imported despite hundreds of thousands of acres of potential farmland laying fallow.

Our farm-to-table host tonight in Cayey, PR, Crystal Diaz, telling us that economics, & lack of a food policy means 85 percent of island 🇵🇷food imported w/ 600,000 abundant acres of rich farmland. % in 1940s? 60 % ⁦ @skift ⁩ Retreat pic.twitter.com/nB0SRL5YpK — Tom Lowry (@lowrytom) June 14, 2022

Puerto Rico’s tourism bodies don’t have the mandate or power to fix all of the island’s structural and decades-old issues, but some of them fall within their portfolios. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, for example, shares some of the destination management responsibility with government agencies.

The Good and the Bad of Puerto Rico Tourism

Hector Pesquera is a retired family physician who splits his time between San Juan and Puerto Rico’s Culebra island, where his son runs a guest house, Hostal Casa Culebra . He said the majority of tourism is good, and it’s especially important in Culebra for the water taxis, restaurants, and bed-and-breakfasts. 

In a separate interview, his son Sergio Pesquera, said the biggest problem with Culebra tourism is it is very difficult to make a ferry reservation to get there. The ferry websites often shows tickets are sold out, “and if you call no will answer,” he said, adding that tourists aren’t allowed to bring their cars like they were before the pandemic.

Hector Pesquera said Airbnb has had a positive impact on Culebra.

However, tourism has a negative impact when travelers don’t safeguard the island’s natural resources, Hector Pesquera said. A minority “comes just to mess things around,” he added.

Hector Pesquera said when people from U.S. states move to Puerto Rico to extract certain tax exemptions and “buy everything they can,” that’s not good for the island.

 A Centro de Periodismo Investigativo investigation — it’s the same group that uncovered the homophobic chats that led to the 2019 ouster of Governor Ricardo Rosselló   — found last year that Act 22 tax incentives for non-Puerto Rican investors that were geared to generate job growth and other benefits for the local economy “never materialized.”

“From being an instrument to attract millionaires, and foreign investment, Act 22 went on to become a haven for cryptocurrency fans, YouTube personalities and consultants,” the story said.

Puerto Rico Tourism Gets a New Structure

How did Puerto Rico tourism get to this juncture?

In 2017, six months before Hurricane Maria, the Puerto Rican government revamped its tourism board structure. It created privately led Discover Puerto Rico to assume and supplement some of the work of the decades-old, government-run Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The latter body now handles tourism marketing within Puerto Rico, is in charge of destination management, and oversees much of the island’s relationships with, and financial incentives for, airlines and cruise lines.

Discover Puerto Rico took over marketing Puerto Rico tourism outside the island and is in charge of meetings and conferences.

One of the ideas behind the change was to avoid the lack of strategy consistency and the constant revolving door among Puerto Rico’s tourism leadership because when tourism was solely government-run that meant there was executive turnover with each new occupant in La Fortaleza, the governor’s official residence. 

Puerto Rico hasn’t reelected a governor since the 1990s so every few years the leadership of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which previously headed all of the island’s tourism marketing, got overturned, just as it did in 2021 when Carlos Mercado Santiago replaced Carla Campos in the top spot with the election of a Governor Pedro Pierluisi.

The inconsistency over the years led to a Puerto Rico tourism identity crisis. Just what was Puerto Rico’s tourism identity and what was the strategy if the branding was ever-changing?

Consider the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s marketing slogans over the years. They ranged from  Escape The Cold  to  Summer Is Easy  and  The Continent of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico USA . Wait, is Puerto Rico a continent or part of the USA? Add to the mix Fall in Love ,  The Island of Enchantment ,  Live Your 5 Star Vacation , and  Explore Beyond the   Shore.   

Unlike those mixed messages, Dean of Discover Puerto Rico hopes its recently launched Live Boricua  marketing campaign will have staying power.

The campaign emphasizes not just Puerto Rico’s beaches and places to visit, but the faces of the Puerto Rican people in all of their diversity, he said. Puerto Ricans call themselves Boricuas; the name comes from the Tainos, Puerto Rico’s native inhabits, who called the island Borinquén. Puerto Ricans are a multicolored mash with Taino, Spanish, and African roots.

Dean said Discover Puerto Rico started planning the campaign under the premise that it had to distinguish Puerto Rico from its Caribbean and U.S. mainland competitors because most islands have plenty of beautiful beaches, and so do other destinations. He said the campaign emphasized experiences for active-minded travelers, as well as Puerto Rico’s rich history and culture, as well as destinations beyond the San Juan metro and eastern corridor.

Some of the marketing urges visits to Ponce in the south and the bioluminescent bay in Lajas a little further to the west. Both take at least two hours by car from San Juan. The Toro Verde adventure park in the central portion of the island is another point of interest.

The following  chart from Tourism Analytics  shows Puerto Rico ranking second behind the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean in terms of 2021 non-resident stopovers as a percentage of 2019’s numbers at 103.2 percent. The Puerto Rico figures tallied non-resident hotel registrations, but much of Puerto Rico’s tourism comeback involved non-hotel short-term rentals.

Arrivals into San Juan’s international airport from January to April 2022 exceeded 1.6 million, a 6.3 percent increase compared with the previous record, according to Aerostar Airport Holdings , which runs the airport.

While the long-term success of the  Live Boricua  campaign, which launched on digital channels earlier this month in the UK, Germany, Spain, Canada, and Colombia, remains to be seen, Dean thinks with it Puerto Rico tourism has found an identity to build on.

“If you think about it, I can’t say that we thought of  Live Boricua  four years ago, but it’s become a natural extension into that brand definition, where now we’re emphasizing not only the unique cultural heritage of the island and the unique experiences, but also the uniqueness of the people,” Dean said.

Tourism’s at Times Heavy Footprint

Amelia Barbosa works as a bartender in a beachside bar/restaurant in Rincón, Puerto Rico, on the island’s northern west coast about 90 miles from the San Juan metro area. Asked about the benefits of tourism, Barbosa said, “it’s complicated.”

Some tourists in the San Juan area behave badly, Barbosa said, and the ones who venture out of the metro area to the west coast to towns such as Rincon, Aguadilla and Cabo Rojo, don’t tend to stay very long. 

“The Puerto Ricans are literally selling everything,” Barbosa said, referring to real estate and the development of Airbnbs. She said it is very difficult for Puerto Ricans to afford to buy a house. 

“Americans are benefitting from everything,” Barbosa said, referring to residents of the 50 states as opposed to Puerto Ricans, who are likewise U.S. citizens. “It is very difficult to deal with that. It’s very bad.”

Felix Salas, who was born in Puerto Rico and lived here for more than 30 years, overheard the conversation and invited me to join him at the Rincon bar.

He agrees with Puerto Ricans who are angered by developers who sometimes get carte blanche to build in environmentally sensitive areas, without much government intervention.

“That is true to a certain extent,” said Salas, who works as a surveyor as it relates to land use management for a U.S. government agency in Massachusetts. “Not 100 percent, but it’s something that’s happened for a very long time. Many people either built illegally or the government agencies in charge turned a blind eye and that’s well-known.” 

Salas said a movement is under way among Puerto Ricans to push the government to safeguard the island’s natural resources.

For example, one Puerto Rican independence activist, @chimeraelf , recently pointed to the problem, tweeting a series of photos depicting Airbnb properties built on beaches, allegedly impeding legally guaranteed public access to the surf and sands, and some of the homes tread on environmentally sensitive beach turf. 

Villa Shacks in Isabela hosted by Mark — 🤔 sure looks like it’s encroaching on public beach zone… that’s just 2 listings out of 1000s! pic.twitter.com/PDM4cFeg2B — boricuabot 🇵🇷 to 🇵🇸 (@chimeraelf) June 7, 2022

Mark tries to play it cool, his theft of public beach “The beach is literally your backyard. Even though all of the beaches are public, this feels like a very private spot.” pic.twitter.com/qEjeRMr215 — boricuabot 🇵🇷 to 🇵🇸 (@chimeraelf) June 7, 2022

Airbnb played an outsized role in Puerto Rico’s tourism recovery. In the years after Hurricane Maria, when many of the island’s hotels were shuttered, Airbnb properties filled much of the gap and more. In the first four months of 2022, Puerto Rico’s hotel revenue jumped 78 percent year over year, and short-term rental revenue climbed 55 percent, according to STR and AirDNA, respectively. The average daily rate for hotels was $305, a 35 percent increase, and was much higher than the U.S. average.

There is some resentment on the island against Airbnb, especially when locals search for places to live among rising rents, and a chunk of housing is reserved for Airbnb use.

While some of that Airbnb use in Puerto Rico can be tied to non-Puerto Rico real estate speculators coming to the island for tax breaks and investment gains, Governor Pierluisi said recently that most Airbnb owners on the island are Puerto Ricans . His statement came as part of his proposal to raise the accommodation tax on short-term rentals 1 percentage point to 8 percent while a mayor’s group wants to raise it to 10 percent. Hotels without a casino pay 10 percent, and those with gambling facilities get charged 11 percent.

While the proliferation of Airbnbs is an issue, there is a movement on the island to beat back allegedly i llegal construction .

On the west coast In Rincon, a months-long protest on Playa Almendros that had demonstrators lay down in front of construction equipment on the move, beat back a condo’s attempt to construct a swimming pool perilously close to the shore line and in an area where turtles nest.

A cousin of Governor Pierluisi was a resident of the condo that was trying to build the swimming pool.

Elsewhere in Rincon, an assortment of community groups and local businesses built a hiking trail along the beach near the marina underneath some palm trees to stave off a threatened hotel development. Signs along the trail and through the town read, Salva Tres Palmas, No Destruyas Rincón (Save Tres Palmas, Don’t Destroy Rincón). 

Destination management, in terms of developers seeking financial incentives for large projects such as hotels, would be the responsibility of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Its CEO didn’t respond to an interview request.

Responsibility for destination management also falls to the Department of Natural Resources and local municipalities in terms of permits and enforcement.

Felix Salas, the Puerto Rico-born surveyor, is familiar with encroachment issues where people were trying to illegally acquire federal land on Culebra, one of the two bigger islands along with Vieques that are part of Puerto Rico.

“So they’re in the maritime terrestrial zone where you’re not supposed to do anything, really,” Salas said. “And that’s a public domain. It was a pretty straightforward case, but we realized that Puerto Rico needs a lot more attention from our headquarters and from all federal agencies.”

Tomás Ramírez, Discover Puerto Rico board vice chairman who heads the Asociación de Paradores y Pequeñas Hospederías Puertorriqueñas (the Association of Paradores and Small Inns) in Cabo Rojo on the island’s southwest coast, acknowledged there has been a problem “with some people taking ownership of the beaches. We have had some large developers purchasing properties near the beach and closing access.”

Ramírez, who also owns the  Combate Beach Resort  in Cabo Rojo, said there are some Airbnbs in places they should not be. “However, it is not a large problem yet,” he claimed.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the natural resources agencies and local officials weren’t doing adequate jobs in safeguarding the island’s development. He contended things are improving, though.

“It was a matter of execution and enforcement,” Ramírez said. “It is happening.” 

Community Engagement and Dispersing the Island’s Visits

Skift Editor-at-Large Lebawit Lily Girma has written several articles about how  Panama tourism , and tourism officials in Hawaii, are in the forefront of those seeking to connect local communities to tourism strategy.

Ramírez said engagement with local communities is happening “little by little” in Puerto Rico. Discover Puerto Rico has a local advisory committee that includes the presidents of the Chambers of Commerce of the south and west regions, as well as the director of the Universidad Ana G Méndez  Kingbird Innovation Center , and the owner of  LT Travel Agency , for example.

He said Discover Puerto Rico has met with legislators, mayors and community groups in municipalities such as Cabo Rojo, Ponce, Aguadilla, and Lajas, for instance.

Some raised concerns about the quantity of tourism — they want more — and some of the mayors have favorite tourism projects, Ramírez said. Municipal officials are sometimes also angry about visitors behaving badly. 

Ramírez said Discover Puerto Rico is “using strategies to filter such behaviors.”

He pointed proudly to the fact that around 90 percent of Puerto Rico’s off-island marketing used to be directed toward visiting the San Juan metro area or beach vacations, and that now 30-40 percent of promotions go beyond the corridor from Dorado to Fajardo.

The challenge is to get tourists out of the San Juan area to visit places like Castillo Serralles in Ponce in the south or the Toro Verde adventure park in the central portion of the island. 

“So that dispersion, I think to me, is part of the story,” Dean said. “It’s not only more visitors, it’s spreading them out, which, of course, you can look at that in different ways. One, that’s hopefully helping prevent overtourism. The other side, to me, is it’s bringing everybody to the party. Whereas, historically, tourism had been concentrated in certain areas.”

Another side of the coin — yes, Puerto Rico uses U.S. currency — is that the island’s visitors come primarily from the U.S. east coast, namely from New York to Florida.

Discover Puerto Rico hopes to attract more guests from the U.S. Midwest, and eventually the U.S. west coast. International arrivals have been largely shut down until recently, but the destination management organization began marketing abroad a couple of weeks ago.

As part of that strategy to attract visitors from the U.S. mainland beyond the east coast, Dean said Discover Puerto Rico is using different versions of the  Live Boricua  campaign for varied audiences. 

“There are some markets that know us fairly well, like New York and Florida,” Dean said. “They immediately resonate with  Live Boricua . They’re familiar with us and they want that deep intrinsic connection, an emotional connection. They’re craving that. Then there’s other markets like my friends in Indianapolis or Peoria, Illinois. They want it too, but they don’t know us well enough yet. This is the first date. They want to get to know us a little better. They probably need to see some beaches and some of the traditional shots.” 

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs But What Kind?

As part of its tourism recovery, Puerto Rico is now attracting meetings and conventions at twice the pact of pre-pandemic levels. Some $400 million worth of meetings and conventions is already booked, according to Discover Puerto Rico, including annual gatherings this year or in 2023 for the U.S. Travel Association, American Society of Travel Advisors, the National Association of Travel Journalists, and the Caribbean Hotel Tourism Association. 

Although jobs in leisure and hospitality reached a record 86,000 through April 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there still is a labor shortage.

“And maybe the most important stat of all, to me this is probably the one that’s the most surprising, as of today, we have more people employed in leisure and hospitality than ever in the history of the island, which is pretty interesting, because if you talk to local businesses, they’ll tell you they don’t have enough people,” Dean said.

For Puerto Rico born and raised Felix Salas, it all depends on the types of jobs and the economy that the Puerto Rico government, flush with mismanagement and corruption, is creating.

“So I think tourism for an island, it should be one of the top economic methods of having a healthy economy, as long as it’s done right,” Salas said. “As long as the people in Puerto Rico are working for good paying jobs and get fair incentives for what they do, I think it’s absolutely fine.”

But Salas thinks there are downsides to Puerto Rico tilting too heavily toward a services economy. He’s like to see the government and private business help to develop the island’s agriculture potential, for example.

He doesn’t want Puerto Rico tourism to eventually resemble the Dominican Republic where all-inclusive resorts with low-paying jobs are common.

“Because you’re going to have people making little money just to serve people who come here who have the money,” Salas said. “So you do want to diversify the economy a little bit more. I think that is the way to the future. I think it should be something that we should work hard on. I feel like that would make it a bit more independent.”

Dean of Discover Puerto Rico probably wouldn’t disagree. 

“There are massive changes in the workplace and the workforce, and major infrastructure needs, which in many instances our country has not addressed, at least not to the level we need,” Dean said. “These are major challenges that the best marketing plan and sales team in the industry can’t overcome.”

In that regard, Dean argues that the old destination marketing organization model of placing ads and selling inventory is an anachronism. 

“I think it’s a challenge at the same time for us to step up and recognize that we have a role in the economic strength and prosperity of our communities,” he said. “But that means recognizing that we’ve got to be at the table, helping solve issues that, while they may not appear as the top priority for us, they’re important to the community. If you can’t be at the table helping solve your community’s problem, then A, you’re not a part of the team, and B, it’s going to impede your ability to drive progress in your community.”

Lessons From Puerto Rico Tourism

Among the lessons one can glean from Puerto Rico tourism:

• Discover Puerto Rico, mostly out of necessity because of the tourism industry’s weak financial position at the time, tossed out the usual membership funding model that sees many tourism boards dominated by the narrow interests of hotels, for example. Airbnb is a big part of Puerto Rico’s tourism comeback, and the destination management organization may have been hampered had the hotel industry been the only party calling the shots. Puerto Rico offers attractions and restaurants free directory listings, but their impact isn’t gargantuan. 
• Yes, it’s great to see when tourism board leaderships aren’t solely made up of political appointees here today and gone on Wednesday to bring a degree of consistency to strategy. But will private businesses adequately safeguard the public interest?
• If tourism boards don’t make engagement with local communities a big priority, they too can get swept away in a backlash as fast as a governor who reveals his true character with associates in a seemingly private chat.
• In this current era, tourism, living and social issues are one big splotch of paint, and each will color the other, and can’t be separated.
• Hire the best and the brightest, and employees who value diversity and inclusion, whether for content creation or supplier relations. Everyone will not always get along in any collection of human beings, but doling out the best jobs to an exec’s cousin or nephew won’t cut it when the public measures your every move.
• Let your decisions be research driven or at least research influenced as a core practice. If your research tells you your brand positioning isn’t much different than for any other Caribbean island or country in Southeast Asia, then it’s time to change your message and perceptions — based on your research. 
• Don’t crawl into a bunker during the next crisis — and there will inevitably, yes guaranteed, there will be one. Use the time to retool and stay in the consideration set, circumstances permitting. 
• Trust your instincts but consult with others about ever-changing consumer behavior or patterns. Otherwise you will be left behind as fast as a wind gust from a Cayey mountaintop overtakes you. 
• After all, complacency is death. 

Editor’s Note: The author, Skift founding editor Dennis Schaal, has lived in Puerto Rico since November 2020.

Disclosure:  Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali serves on board of advisors for Discover Puerto Rico.

Correction: The Jones Act only pertains to goods that Puerto Rico imports from U.S. ports, and we incorrectly reported that it covers all global imports.

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Tags: airbnb , discover puerto rico , DMO , jobs , marketing , puerto rico

Photo credit: A screenshot from Discover Puerto Rico's Live Boricua marketing campaign. Discover Puerto Rico Raquel Pedrosa / Adobe

Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Puerto Rico Tourism Company Selected Statistics

Click on the button to view the monthly percentage of occupancy. This occupancy is calculated using an average of 100 hotels throughout the island.

Source: PR Tourism Company

Occupancy by touristic region

Click on the button to view the monthly occupancy trend for the six touristic regions.

Average daily rate (ADR)

Click on the button to view the average daily rate (ADR) for high season (Dec-Apr) and low season (May-Nov). This rate is defined as the average price per night of all rooms rented during the month using an average of 100 inns throughout the Island.

Average daily rate by touristic region

Click the button to view the monthly trend of the average daily rate (ADR) for the six touristic regions.

Other Statistics

Gambling department.

• Casinos Gaming Offer
• Slot Machines
• Endorsed Rooms
• Endorsed Mesones

PR Planning Board

• Visitor Profile 2012
• Visitor Profile 2017
• Visitors & Expenditures
• Contribution of Tourism to GDP

Ports Authority

• Passenger Movement
• Cruise Ships & Visitors

PR Department of Labor

• Employment in Hotels & Other Lodging Places

Lucia A. Molina

787-721-2400 ext. 2065

[email protected]

[email protected]