Puerto Rico
By Brandon Warner, President and Co-Founder of Traveler's Joy
Puerto Rico is romance. A moonlight walk along the beach. A swim in a phosphorescent bay. A stroll along a rain forest trail. A slow dance as the sun sets. A drink under a lavish crystal chandelier. A horseback ride through a coffee plantation. A carriage ride through the Pearl of the South.
From opulent hotels to delightful restaurants and sizzling clubs, from wind surfing to lazing in the sun, from gallery hopping to serious shopping, Puerto Rico has the perfect settings for weddings and honeymoons.
The variety of exotic travel experiences the island offers is what makes it so appropriate. Mix with the crowds in the city, see and be seen; for the most variety, stay in cosmopolitan San Juan, where you can explore the Old City in the morning, head for the rain forest in the afternoon, catch some sun and the sunset on the beach, and spend an electrifying night on the town. If you want to share your time with only one other person, for the utmost in privacy and tranquility spend a few days and nights on Puerto Rico's own Virgin Islands, Vieques and Culebra.
Whether you tie the knot in Puerto Rico or spend the first days of your marriage here, you will cherish the experience forever. You and Puerto Rico: the perfect match.
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Puerto Rico Overview
The symbol of the Institute of Puerto Rico Culture depicts three influences: Indian, African and Spanish. In broad terms, that is an accurate ethnic amalgam, but culture and history are never easy to explain. Into the crucible have to go Chinese workers, who built the railroads and remained; Spanish Loyalists fleeing revolution in South America; Corsicans who populated the coffee country out on the island; French immigrants from Haiti and Louisiana; a smattering of Scots and Irish; and droves of North Americans following the Spanish American War.
Puerto Rico is 100 long by 35 miles wide—but don't let these measurements fool you. Close to 4 million people live on the "Island of Enchantment," with more than a million in the greater San Juan metropolitan area alone. It is a vibrant, modern, bilingual, multicultural society, one that has been molded by Spanish, African, Indian and U.S. influences. Residents of Puerto Rico have much in common with their fellow Americans in the continental United States, yet they retain a decidedly Hispanic heritage.
Both Spanish and English are the official languages, the local currency is the U.S. dollar, and no visas or passports are required to enter Puerto Rico from the United States. Mail is sent through the US Postal Service at the same rates as on the mainland.
The climate is as close to perfect as it can get, averaging 83°F (22.7°C) in the winter and 85°F (29.4°C) in the summer. In other words, it's always summer. The trade winds cool the coastal towns and the temperature decreases as you go up into the higher mountains.
Puerto Rico is in the Atlantic Time Zone, but does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The island uses standard U.S. electric current. European appliances require an adapter.
There are no customs duties on articles bought in Puerto Rico and taken to the U.S. mainland. Major credit cards are accepted at most businesses, and ATMs connected to major US and international networks are easy to find.
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Activities and Attractions
Puerto Rico is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and its hundreds of miles of coastline harbor an almost endless selection for the beach connoisseur. Beaches come in every size, color, and form, from the pure white dunes of Isabela to the black volcanic sands near Punta Santiago. You can find a beach for any level of seaside activity, from a stroll in the shimmering shallow waters at Luquillo to a thrilling ride in the boisterous surf of Rincón.
Whether you're dreaming about spectacular surfing waves, a challenging golf course, or the perfect sunbathing beach, Puerto Rico offers the active traveler a tremendous array of opportunities. Surfing and golf compete with tennis, fishing, kayaking, SCUBA diving, and horseback riding, not to mention windsurfing and parasailing, for your active time. The perpetual summer weather begs you to enjoy the sport of your choice.
There is no place quite like a tropical volcanic island, and no island in the Caribbean quite like Puerto Rico. The geography of the island is very unusual, as it encompasses distinctly different kinds of topography and microclimates in a relatively small area.
A rugged mountain range runs across the center from east to west, which often prevents rain clouds from passing to the south. The north side of the island is covered by dense vegetation, karst formations, and rushing streams, while, the south side is sun-toasted terrain, home to tropical dry forests and many species of exotic birds. Puerto Rico is only about 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, so its most distant points are only a three-hour drive apart. It also means that just about every tropical landscape in existence is a short trip from wherever you happen to be.
San Juan is the Caribbean capital of nightlife and entertainment, where you can indulge in bar hopping, fine dining, Vegas-style gaming or anything in between.
Throughout the San Juan area, bars, discos and popular restaurants are found on nearly every corner of the city, but be sure not to miss the vibrant nightlife out on the island, including the special charms of resorts in Dorado, Rio Grande, Ponce and Mayagüez.
Puerto Rico has some of the most appealing and famed casinos in the Caribbean. Beat the house at blackjack or roulette, feel the almost palpable suspense and anticipation, or sit back and enjoy an exotic drink while you watch the high rollers at work. Excitement reigns at the many casinos in Isla Verde, Condado, Old San Juan, and out on the island.
Dining in Puerto Rico can be a full-time adventure. From boutique restaurants serving the latest fusion cuisine to traditional Puerto Rican Mesones, from snack shacks on the beach to classic steak houses, Puerto Rico offers as many choices of dining atmosphere and cuisine as any major city on the mainland.
Excitement isn't limited to the evening hours. The inland towns along the scenic highway hold annual festivals with live music, arts and crafts, and roadside gambling at motorized miniature horse races, called picas.
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Cost
Getting to Puerto Rico almost always means flying to Luis Muñoz Marín (LMM) International Airport. The gleaming white terminal located just outside of San Juan is ranked 34th among passenger airports in the United States. Recently, flights have been arriving from the east coast of the Unites States to the town of Aguadilla in northwest corner of Puerto Rico and Ponce in the south central region.
Most U.S. and many international airlines offer direct flights to Puerto Rico, and making connecting flights is easy. LMM is one of the largest airports in the Caribbean and is a popular place for hopping over to the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean destinations. Because of the high flight activity, flight costs are relatively low compared to other Caribbean islands ($200 - $400 r/t).
Just as Puerto Rico has activities and attractions to appeal to just about everyone, it also offers a range of lodging to fit every taste and budget, from the very modest to the most luxurious.
At the top of the list are the grand resorts sprinkled throughout the island, with gorgeous golf courses, elegant casinos, fabulous restaurants, and exciting nightlife. They are all situated on beautiful beaches, wonderful places to luxuriate in the sun. Most of the best-known hotel names are represented in Puerto Rico, including Best Western, Embassy Suites, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Radisson, Ritz-Carlton, and Wyndham. Puerto Rico also has a great variety of moderately priced hotels, usually located a few blocks from the beach and often catering to business travelers.
Many travelers enjoy the personal touch and unique charm of the scores of small hotels and guesthouses that dot the island, and return year after year to their favorites. One of the most attractive options is the parador. A parador is a small, privately owned hotel participating in a special government program that assures a certain level of quality. They are moderately priced, often located on historic plantations or in especially scenic settings, and feature authentic local food. At the other end of the scale are the intimate boutique hotels, both in San Juan and more secluded areas of Puerto Rico, that offer the utmost in luxury and personal service.
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