San Juan
Next to the gorgeous Balneario El Escambrón, this namesake marine park is a popular destination for snorkelers and divers. See schools of blue tangs,…
Must-see attractions in Puerto Rico
Medio Mundo y Daguao Reserva Natural
El Yunque & East Coast
Pioneering nonprofit Para la Naturaleza acquired 3408 acres of land in the Roosevelt Roads US Navy base for conservation purposes. Currently, it offers…
San Juan
Wedged in between the high-rise hotel strip of Isla Verde and the rustic delights of Piñones, Balneario de Carolina is a fine, clean beach that's…
Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Ponce
The twin bell towers of this striking cathedral and local landmark cast an impression of noble piety over Ponce's Plaza Las Delicias. The cathedral…
Puerto Rico
The old city hall, which acts as a dividing line between the city’s two central squares, is a classic example of a 19th-century colonial municipal…
San Juan
This new addition to the city's thriving art scene is set in a restored Miramar landmark, a striking pink building dating to 1913. Engaging, interactive…
Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte de Río Piedras
San Juan
Puerto Rico's first national museum was founded in 1951, home to some of its most important cultural pieces, including Francisco Oller's El Velorio,…
Puerto Rico
This is the long golden strip of sand heading south from Annie's Place at the point where Hwy 3301 hits the sea. Walk a short distance along and you'll…
Vieques
This deliciously deserted stretch of sand has absolutely no facilities – just jaw-dropping beauty. It faces Bahía Ensenada Honda, which is good for…
Vieques
This gorgeous cove has a slender stretch of sand and protected waters that are excellent for snorkeling. A steep gravel path leads to the beach.
Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes
Ponce
The ancient ceremonial center of Tibes is one of the Caribbean's most important archaeological sites, due largely to evidence found here of pre-Taíno…
Puerto Rico
Fanning out immediately south of Boquerón town, the Balneario Boquerón arguably ranks among the best public beach facilities in Puerto Rico. The mile-long…
North Coast
These two lakes – each more than 2 miles long – fill a deeply cleft valley at a point where karst country gives way to the jagged spine of the central…
North Coast
This 5000-acre forest just off Hwy 621, halfway between Arecibo and Utuado, sits amid some of the island's most rugged terrain. In the bosom of karst…
Vieques
Punta Arenas is excellent for a quiet picnic, some family-friendly snorkeling, and views of the mainland (note the wind farm) and El Yunque across the…
El Yunque
At the time of research, La Mina Trail was closed for repair, due to reopen in 2021. Check the El Yunque National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque…
Ponce
Ponceños (people from Ponce) claim that the eye-popping Parque de Bombas is Puerto Rico’s most frequently photographed building, which is not too hard to…
San Juan
The capitol of the Commonwealth is in an impressive columned and domed neoclassical building in a commanding location overlooking Puerta de Tierra's wave…
North Coast
Lying at the end of Hwy 690, this charming palm-dotted expanse of sand has had several million dollars pumped into the expansion of its tourist facilities…
San Juan
Hemmed in by hotel towers and punctuated by rocky outcrops, Condado’s narrow beaches are busier than Ocean Park’s and less exclusive than Isla Verde’s…
Ponce
The overgrown coffee fields and quaint historical buildings of Hacienda Buena Vista make this one of Puerto Rico's best-preserved 19th-century coffee…
San Juan
What it lacks in grandiosity it makes up for in age: the Iglesia de San José is the second-oldest church in the Americas, after the cathedral in Santo…
Puerto Rico
The Refugio de Boquerón is the western outpost of the Bosque Estatal de Boquerón, a 400-acre patch of mangrove wetlands that mostly spreads south of…
Puerto Rico
Vast salt flats surround the rocky, dramatic narrow peninsula that heralds the approach to the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. These are truly…
Culebra
A resaca is an undertow and a metaphor for a hangover, an allusion to the state of the water perhaps, or the way you'll feel after climbing up and down…
Parque Ceremonial Indígena Caguana
North Coast
Like the archaeological site at Tibes near Ponce, this Taíno ceremonial site, sometimes dubbed the 'Puerto Rican Stonehenge,' has no monumental ruins; the…
Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda
Puerto Rico
The heart of Playa de Joyuda's 300-acre Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda is a sizeable saltwater lagoon with a depth that rarely exceeds 4ft. The…
Culebra
Snorkeling is the thing here; the beach shares the fish-filled waters of the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve, making it a popular spot for independent…
Plaza del Mercado de Río Piedras
San Juan
If you enjoy the bustle of a traditional market where locals barter for everything from bananas to bacalao, this is for you. As much a scene as a place to…
Puerto Rico
From this smartly remodeled lighthouse at the bone-rattling end of Hwy 301, there's not much further you can go: you're as south as it gets in Puerto Rico…
Estación Experimental Agrícola Federal
Puerto Rico
Wandering through this, the tropical agricultural research station of the US Department of Agriculture, is a bit like wandering through a geeky botanical…
Centro Educativo Amigos de las Tortugas Marinas
El Yunque & East Coast
A project of the nonprofit ATMAR, this one-room nature center is jam-packed with exhibits on Puerto Rico's various sea turtles. Skulls, shells and even…
El Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan
El Yunque & East Coast
Built in 1882, El Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan is Puerto Rico’s oldest lighthouse. Adorned with rich neoclassical detail and topped by a distinctive…
El Yunque & East Coast
Standing behind a breakwater 2 miles south of Fajardo and around 5.5 miles north of the ferry dock, this is one of the largest marinas (more than 1000 wet…
Centro de Visitantes de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Cabo Rojo
Puerto Rico
The turnoff to this refuge is about half a mile north of the Hwy 301 turnoff to El Combate. Its visitors center contains displays on local wildlife and…
North Coast
This lagoon is one of only two natural lakes in Puerto Rico, making its protection extra precious. It is also one of the most ecologically diverse areas…
Vieques
If it's isolation you’re after, head east on the sandy road that runs along Sun Bay and you’ll enter a low forest. Go left at the fork in the road. In a…
Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña
Ponce
This spacious pink villa designed by Juan Bertoli Calderoni, father of Puerto Rico’s neoclassical style, offers one of Ponce’s best museum experiences. A…
Ponce
Commonly known as ‘La Guancha,’ this rebuilt public boardwalk is around 3 miles south of the city center near the relatively lonely Ponce Hilton and the…
Puerto Rico
This elegant edifice, originally dating from 1909 and rebuilt following a fire in the 1920s, was the brainchild of Francisco Maymón Palmer, who had…
