Introduction
Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, which means it’s surrounded by water and has beaches. But that doesn’t mean you can’t visit from land! There are many things to do in Puerto Rico, whether it’s hiking or touring historic sites or eating tacos until your stomach explodes (just kidding). With this guide, we hope we can help you find some ideas for what makes the island so special!
El Yunque National Forest
El Yunque National Forest is a tropical rainforest found on the island of Puerto Rico. It’s the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, which means it contains some really unique plants and wildlife! You can visit El Yunque to hike through its lush vegetation, bike its trails, or even horseback ride on them.
El Yunque has several hiking trails that you can take advantage of while exploring this lush national forest:
- La Coca Falls Trail (1 mile) – This easy trail takes you through beautiful scenery as it winds around a nearby stream and brings you up close to a waterfall before ending at an overlook point where there are great views of Luquillo Bay and surrounding mountains
- The Johnny Bravo Trail (3 miles) – A moderate level trail that offers beautiful views all around as well as access to several other El Yunque trails. This is one of my favorite places to hike because it’s really peaceful here with minimal human activity except for other hikers who are also enjoying this beautiful spot in nature!
Canopy Tour of the Rainforest
A canopy tour is a great way to experience the rainforest of Puerto Rico. You’ll be traveling on a zip line that might start at the ground and end up at over 100 feet in the air! The best part is that you get to see all of El Yunque’s lush vegetation up close, as well as some amazing wildlife like iguanas and birds.
The Canopy Tour of El Yunque National Forest can be accessed from anywhere in Puerto Rico by car or bus; it’s located near Rio Grande in eastern Puerto Rico. The tours are open year-round and run every day except Christmas Day (December 25).
You’re probably wondering why you should visit this forest instead of some other one…or even another country entirely! Well, first off: no matter where you go on vacation, there are bound to be amazing things happening around each corner. But if we had to answer honestly? Our favorite thing about visiting El Yunque would have to be its pristine natural beauty—the kind that inspires awe rather than wonderment. What do we mean by “pristine”? We mean no littering allowed inside or outside these facilities; everything here is kept clean for everyone’s enjoyment!’
Go diving in La Parguera
La Parguera is a small town on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, near the city of Barranquitas. The town is known for its history and its diving opportunities with excellent coral reefs, sponges and marine life. The Bajo del Cocodrilo dive site is one of the most popular sites in La Parguera. It’s also home to a natural pool that you can swim in!
If you want to take some time off from playing on the beach or exploring San Juan, La Parguera is definitely worth visiting if you’re looking for something different from what other tourists do in Puerto Rico .
Take a dip at El Escambron Beach
El Escambron Beach is a hidden gem on the north side of Puerto Rico. It has a small, calm beach with no waves and clear blue waters where you can swim among fish and corals. This beach is also free to visit, so it’s perfect if you’re on a budget! Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen because there are no umbrellas or trees to protect you from the sun.
You’ll see locals taking advantage of El Escambron Beach’s shallow waters by surfing with their boogie boards or kayaking through them; however, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself then just relax on the shoreline instead! El Escambron Beach is great for families with young children because they can play in shallow water while parents watch over them from land or sit back in their chairs at one of two nearby restuarants that have tables overlooking this gorgeous spot (there isn’t much shade though).
Eat your weight in Churrasco at El Meson Sandwiches in Santurce
- El Meson Sandwiches
- Located in Santurce, this Puerto Rican restaurant is best known for its churrasco sandwich. Churrasco is a Puerto Rican dish of grilled skirt steak served with rice and beans, so you know it’s gonna be good. It’s basically the same thing as a fajita or carne asada, but made with skirt steak instead of flank steak or sirloin. You can get yours at El Meson Sandwiches with onions and tomatoes or on a bed of lettuce if you’re trying to keep it healthy—just make sure you save room for dessert!
Go on a Bioluminescent Kayak Tour in Fajardo
If you’re in the mood for something different, take a bioluminescent kayak tour in Fajardo. Bioluminescence is a phenomenon that occurs when plankton are disturbed by something like your boat or kayak, and they glow as a response to stress. This is something that only happens one hour after sunset, so don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Most tours will last about 3 hours and cost around $60 per person (with discounts possible if you go with friends). You should dress warmly because it gets very windy out on the water at night—plus it helps protect against bugs! Bring snacks or drinks with you from home so that you don’t have to pay outrageous prices for them while out on your tour.
Visit the Bacardi Factory
Bacardi is the largest privately owned spirits company in the world, and it has been around since 1862. They are known for their rum as well as a line of flavored vodkas and gins. They also have a museum on site that you can visit for free. This makes for a great way to learn about how rum is made, how it’s aged, and why Bacardi is so popularly known for its products.
Visit the Arecibo Observatory
You can’t visit Puerto Rico without checking out the Arecibo Observatory. The largest single-dish radio telescope in the world, it’s used for scientific research and is open to visitors.
There are several tours available depending on your interest level, from self-guided to guided tours (which include a tour guide) that take you into the control room and radio observatory observation room. It’s located just outside of Arecibo, which is also home to another fascinating attraction: El Yunque National Forest (more on that later).
Go party like locals at La Placita de Santurce, known as La Placita.
If you want to go party with the locals, make your way over to La Placita de Santurce. Known as La Placita, this plaza is located at the intersection of Ashford Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It’s considered one of the most popular meeting points in the city and has been an important part of Puerto Rican culture since 1867 when it was built by Spanish Colonial Governor Miguel López de Llergo y Baralt as part of a project to create public spaces for recreation and rest during his term as governor (1866-1868). Its name comes from its layout: square-shaped with four entrances on each side leading into a central garden area surrounded by shops, restaurants and cafés that line both sides of two streets crossing each other perpendicularly at opposite ends forming an “X” shape which gives it its unique appearance compared with other plazas throughout Latin America where they generally have no curves or any type whatsoever except straight lines—this makes them ideal places for relaxing while shopping or having lunch/dinner nearby after work hours or just enjoying being outdoors; many people come here daily just because they enjoy doing so without even needing any special occasion!
Meander through Old San Juan and see The Castillo de San Felipe del Morro aka El Morro.
El Morro is a Spanish fort built in the 16th century and located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a popular tourist attraction because of its great view of the city, as well as its historical significance to Puerto Rico.
El Morro was built by Spain to protect against pirates and invaders who came from the sea. In fact, this fortification was one of many forts built around Puerto Rico during that time period because there were so many attacks coming from different places such as Colombia and Cuba (the French even attacked!). The name El Morro comes from the person who led that particular attack: Giovanni Bautista Cambiaso.”
Explore the Camuy Caves and the Rio Camuy Cave Park.
The Camuy Caves are a series of caves located in the town of Camuy in Puerto Rico. They were formed after a limestone river flowed through the area and carved out several caves. The largest cave, La Cueva del Indio, is about 535 feet long and has stalactites and stalagmites that are thousands of years old.
The Rio Camuy Cave Park is an underground park containing many natural wonders like waterfalls and underground lakes. To get there, you need to take a boat ride across the river before hiking up into the mountains where all these natural wonders are located!
Puerto Rico is an amazing place to visit with an astounding number of things to do and places to see.
Puerto Rico is an amazing place to visit with an astounding number of things to do and places to see.
El Yunque National Forest: A beautiful forest with a rich history, El Yunque National Forest is a great place for hiking and taking in the natural beauty of Puerto Rico. There are plenty of trails for all levels and ages!
Canopy Tour of the Rainforest: Enjoy this thrilling experience where you will be harnessed into a zip line and made to fly through the rainforest canopy like a bird. The views from above are absolutely stunning as you look down at all kinds of wildlife including monkeys, sloths, butterflies, birds and more!
Go diving in La Parguera: La Parguera is one of most famous spots for scuba diving because it has some amazing coral reefs that stretch out over 30 miles long! It’s also great thanks largely due because it’s protected under federal law so there aren’t any restrictions on what kind activities can be done here (such as fishing). This means anyone can enjoy themselves without worrying about disturbing anything living underneath them which makes this one quick favorite among travelers visiting Puerto Rico each year.”
Conclusion
We hope this article has inspired you to get up and go explore Puerto Rico with all its amazing sights. We know that if we had this information before our trip, it would have made planning so much easier and helped us explore more of what the island has to offer. So if you’re looking for some ideas on where to go next or need some tips on how best utilize your time here then keep reading!