Puerto Rico has been called the heart and soul of the Caribbean. It has everything that a traveling family could want — history, perfect palm fringed beaches, Latin flavor, water sports of every variety, unique attractions including a rain forest, caves, bioluminescent bays, and American familiarity.
Puerto Rico has been welcoming visitors for five centuries. There is a vitality and diversity of culture, climate, and geography to the island that is unmatched in the Caribbean.
Airlines have increased flights, and the island is considered the cruise capital of the Caribbean, offering a perfect combination of attractions and accommodations for pre (or post) cruise stays. Its location allows visits to five or six ports during a week-long cruise from San Juan.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and offers well-known American restaurants and accommodations, top roads, and friendly, welcoming residents happy to help make your vacation memorable. No passports are needed, and phones work just like at home. Locals are American citizens, and the currency is the U.S. dollar. The island has almost 300 miles of coastline and nearly the same number of beaches.
Christopher Columbus was sailing by on a voyage of discovery when he spotted the island and named it San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). It bore than name from 1493 until 1511 when the island’s first governor, Juan Ponce de Leon changed it to Puerto Rico (rich port). Best known as the searcher for the Fountain of Youth, de Leon moved the island’s capital to a narrow peninsula that today forms Old San Juan.
The remains of Ponce de Leon lie in the San Juan Cathedral, a majestic church begun in 1540.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, better known as El Morro, is one of Spain’s major military engineering marvels. This fort now greets cruise ships as they sail in and out of the bay. During most of its nearly 500-year history it was an important military outpost for Spain and later the United States. Construction began in 1539 and finished in 1790. Thanks to this fort and a smaller fort across the bay, the Spaniards were able to defend Puerto Rico from invasions by the British, Dutch, and pirates.
After the Spanish-American War in 1898 the island changed hands from Spain to the United States. The fort was actively used as a military installation during the First and Second World Wars. In 1961, the U.S. Army retired El Morro, transferring it to the National Park Service. In 1983, El Morro and the walled city of Old San Juan were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Old San Juan is one of the most iconic and treasured places in all of Puerto Rico. Wander through the cobblestone streets to enjoy the unique architecture and colorful buildings. There are fun local shops, restaurants, and bars scattered throughout the old city.
This is the birthplace of piña colada, and it can be ordered without the rum for children and non-alcohol drinkers. The drinking age here is 18 years.
Puerto Rico is well known for its rum distilleries. We visited the oldest on the island — Ron del Barrilito — that has been producing rum since 1880. The Heritage Tour is free to children under 18 and includes a rum drink for ages 18 and over. The rum has always been made in small batches and aged in vintage, Spanish white oak sherry barrels.
I spotted the word Buffalo on the label of our rum bottle and quickly discovered the Buffalo connection. At Buffalo’s 1901 Pan American Exposition, this rum from Puerto Rico won a top award.
Puerto Rico boasts a wide array of unique attractions.
The island is trying to produce more of its own food and Efren Robles and his company Frutos Del Guacabo is one of the leaders of the movement. But for visitors, the fun part is the chance to greet and even milk the goats who seemed quite eager to climb up on their milking stand.
Then, before our eyes, we witnessed the milk turned into cheese. We sampled the cheese and enjoyed our lunch made with ingredients grown on the property. Robles sells his products to restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets on the island and sells honey and other products for visitors to take home.
Time Magazine named the island’s El Yunque Rainforest, part of the U.S. National Forest Service, as one of the world’s great places for 2023. It is the only tropical rainforest in the U. S. and is about 45 minutes from San Juan.
El Yunque recently unveiled a renovated $18 million visitors center with installations by local artists, a new video, and ranger demonstrations to help visitors learn about the more than 240 plant species and 18 bird species that make their home on this island.
Children are invited to become Junior Rangers and can return home with a special souvenir: an official Junior Ranger El Yunque certificate. Guided ranger tours are also available here. There are hiking trails, scenic views, waterfalls, and petroglyphs made by Tainos (the island’s indigenous people) carved in stone.
As a lover of everything to do with water, one of my bucket list dreams has long been experiencing the very special bioluminescent phenomenon that exists in only three places on earth — Jamaica, Vietnam, and Puerto Rico.
But Puerto Rico is even more special with three bays offering this other worldly experience. One of the bays allows swimmers — the other two can only be experienced from a kayak or other boat.
Our Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling boat had about 25 passengers — a mix of locals and visitors and included children — one a three-year-old dressed in his shark life jacket. His nine-year-old sister was a regular fish, leaping into the inky black waters with her mask and snorkel. We stopped for a swim before dark so everyone could get comfortable in the water before darkness took over. Be sure to pick a night that is as dark as possible with no full moon.
We were in La Parguera in the southwestern town of Lajas, about two hours from San Juan. It is quiet, non-touristy area and this bay and the other natural wonders are largely undisturbed.
When darkness descended, we moored at another site. Masks and snorkels were available for everyone. The water was warm and inviting despite blackness all around. After jumping in I moved my arms quickly in the water and magic happened with hundreds and then thousands of twinkling silver stars. It was truly quite fairylike. It was as if the jet-black waters were alive.
This is what it is like to be part of a rare ecosystem that occurs when microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates are awakened. The agitation by moving hands, arms, or legs causes them to glow in the dark. Immediately, our dip into the sea on a tropical night turned into something out of science fiction.
The dinoflagellate count is quite fragile, and it dipped dramatically after Hurricane Maria in 2017 but La Parguera has fully recovered. It is even brighter than before the hurricane, according to locals.
In a world where everyone is a photographer all the time, this is a time to relax because the experience is very much unphotographable. Enjoy and take lots of mental photos. It will always be one of my most memorable water adventures.
Another day was spent aboard the Barefoot IV, a catamaran sailboat. We were all barefoot as staff directed us to the cubbies for our shoes before climbing onboard.
It was a perfect sailing day but what made it memorable was our stop for swimming and snorkeling off a deserted island. There were many fish and a lovely sand beach. Then a trio of dolphins joined us. They seemed to enjoy the human interaction since they stayed near our boat long enough for many to swim out to them and join the fun. Returning to the boat, we spotted a pair of green turtles checking out the scene.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on Puerto Rico visit discoverpuertorico.com. There is a wide variety of accommodations throughout the island. Courtyard Isla Verde Beach Resort has it all for families with its pool with a swim up bar, a kiddie pool, and whirlpool and a perfect sandy beach as well as six restaurants. There are 260 rooms and 22 suites, all with private balconies and ocean views. For information visit sjcourtyard.com or call 787-253-2304. It is close to the airport and Old San Juan.
A good choice for visitors to the area near the bioluminescent bay in the southwestern corner of the island is the 47-room Combate Beach Resort with children’s and adult pools, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and a long stretch of beach. Visit combatebeachresort.com or call 787-565-2945.
Deborah Williams lives in Holland, NY and is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.