Puerto Rico is an island filled with beauty, both from the surroundings and the people who live on the island year round. Puerto Rico has everything for people who are looking for rest and relaxation, to extreme outdoor adventures.
As a cruise port, San Juan is either your start and end point for a Southern Caribbean cruise, or one of the ports of call on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Enjoy the old fort “El Moro” as well as the surrounding area. There’s plenty of shopping for tourists and quite a few good restaurants as well. They don’t all stand out but don’t be afraid to check out these understated establishments. One of the best Italian meals I’ve had anywhere in the world was at a little hole in the wall restaurant next to the fort.
Some Puerto Rico History
If you want to experience some of the older historical aspects of Puerto Rico, head over to the Caguana Indian Ceremonial Park. This amazing area was built about 800 years ago by the Taino Indians. Explore the Indian courts and petroglyph decorated stone monoliths while walking on some of the originally cobbled walkways.
If you are a book lover, head over to the Casa del Libro, a museum and library that is home to more than 5,000 rare works including illustrations, sketches, and ancient manuscripts. You will even get to see two royal mandates signed by Isabella and Ferdinand in 1493 that discuss provisions for Columbus’ fleet. The museum is housed in a beautiful 18th century home.
If you enjoy outdoorsy things on your vacation, then think about playing a round of golf at the Aguirre Golf Club, which is the oldest course on the Island. After that head over to the watersports center on Isla Verde Beach. There you can rent equipment for kneeboarding, water skiing, parasailing as well as taking a banana boat tour. If you want something fun to do at night, the Blue Dolphin Bar is the most popular spot on the Island. Located in the Isla Verde district, the bar has live local music, an ocean deck and lovely views of the coast.
