Tourist information

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic. This Caribe-an Island is proudly independent in spirit but technically a territory of the USA, but not a single Puerto Rican will say he carries the American Nationality. They are proud of their country and are very willing to show it to you. Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the is-land was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. A popularly elected governor (Juan Ponce de León) has served since 1948. In plebiscites held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status.

Puerto Rico is where four centuries of Spanish Caribbean culture comes face to face with the American convenience store. This leads to some strange contradictions- parking lots and plazas, freeways and fountains, skyscrapers and shanties - but they're not hard to reconcile in the context of the Caribbean's hybrid history. Puerto Rico is a true holiday-paradise and the islands has a lot more to offer than just its beaches, like a piece of unspoilt rainforest and an unexplored desert island. Add to this a perplexing culture that is proud of its past yet unable to seize its independence and you have the ingredients for an intriguing adventure.

Where to go

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Money & Costs

History

Culture

You really should visit San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico which is a modern metropolis and has something that the most Caribbean cities don't have: a million inhabitants. "La Ciudad Amurallada" (city surrounded by walls) with its beautiful beaches and it relatively new looks doesn't seem to have much history, but appearances may hide the fact that there is an Old San Juan (a 465-year-old neighbourhood) and it's the second oldest city in the Americas. You couldn't leave the city without seeing places Plaza San José, Plaza del Quinto Centenario (commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World). Visit the grand fort El Morro and of course the Pigeon Park ("Parque de las Palomas"). The park is the perfect spot from which to enjoy a magnificent view of the harbour, city and mountains. Despite a veneer of American influence evident in cars, styles and products, San Juan is thoroughly enmeshed in a culture wholly unlike that of the United States. The Taínos Indians believed the god of happiness hung out on El Yunque, which is no doubt why you will want to hike through the rainforest to this 1065m (3500ft) peak.

Loaded with exotic tropical flora, this is the only rain forest in the U.S. national forest system. You could spend months exploring this place and not get bored. You'll hear the sing-song of the coquí frog (Puerto Rico's national emblem) and maybe even glimpse the rare Puerto Rican parrot. In front of the rain forest is Luquillo Beach which is considered as one of the best in the American Hemisphere. Tourists and Puerto Ricans alike flock to the beach because of its beautiful blue-green water and magnificent resorts.Walk below the shadow of thousands of coconut palms trees and enjoy the whispers of the ocean waves in our Atlantic coast, certainly a paradise for beach lovers.