Puerto Rico: what to see and do amid colonial influences and tropical landscapes

There are many people who among their dreams are travel to a Caribbean country to enjoy splendid beaches next to a large resort hotel, and where the prices for these vacations are also very affordable.

I admit that this has never been my case, although I have certainly always been drawn to discovering other aspects quite different from the special attraction that Caribbean countries inspire in so many people.

La travel experience to enjoy a hotel resort I've already had it in Riviera Maya, a stay that was greatly enriched by the added advantage of being able to visit the archaeological traces of the Mayan civilization.

It has always been precisely this cultural aspect, linked to their history, that attracts me to the aforementioned Caribbean countries.

Specifically, stroll through charming villages that maintain the traces of Spanish colonization, and on the other hand, enjoy the lush natural landscapes that characterize that geographical area of ​​our planet.

Facts and curiosities about the history of Puerto Rico

And I have had that opportunity during my recent trip to Puerto Rico.

This trip is, without a doubt, one of the unforgettable experiences that you have in life for the possibility of knowing that mixture of colonial culture, landscapes and Caribbean lifestyle, where music and gastronomy take center stage.

In the case of Puerto Rico, furthermore, in the context of a country with an advanced standard of living, logical due to its connection with United States.

In this regard, before revealing the Main attractions for traveling to Puerto RicoI have to tell you that this Caribbean island was, from the beginning, an important enclave of the Spanish colonial presence in America.

But human presence dates back many centuries before, around 600 BC, when the taino indigenous They migrated to the Caribbean island from Venezuela and the Orinoco River.

Centuries later, in 1493 Christopher Columbus arrived on the island during his second voyage to the The new World., although the most prominent figure at the time was Juan Ponce de León, explorer who arrived with Colón and in 1508 he was appointed first governor of Puerto Rico.

Already in 1530 the construction of the great Morro fortification, in the current area of Old San Juan.

And in 1521 it was on the island that the second cathedral in America, although it was destroyed a few years later by a fire and replaced by the current one cathedral of San Juan Bautista.

Centuries later, the Puerto Rico's first attempt at independence was in 1868, but the first historical event that changed the course of the island was the Spanish-American War of 1898, when Cuba and Puerto Rico come under control of the United States.

From the 30s to the 50s, there was a secessionist movement in Puerto Rico that attempted to promote independence, but was expelled by the Federal Government.

What is Puerto Rico's current relationship with the United States?

But that led to the creation of a new colonial formula.

In 1952, Puerto Ricans began electing their governor, as previously the appointment was by designation of the President of the United States.

Nowadays Puerto Rico is a free associated state, although its residents do not have all the rights of an American. In fact, they cannot vote for the aforementioned president.

What is the best time to travel to Puerto Rico?

When planning your trip, you should first keep in mind that Puerto Rico is a Caribbean country with warm temperatures year-round.

Specifically, the best weather period is from December to April, and the best time to visit is from April to June, with fewer tourists and lower prices.

To avoid rain and hurricanes, you should know that the worst season is from August to September.

In this regard, throughout history Puerto Rico has suffered a major hurricane more or less every 15 years, the last one being Hurricane MariaIn 2017.

Is Puerto Rico a safe country?

An important fact is that Puerto Rico You have the security and standard of living characteristics of a Western country, given its association as a free associated state with the United States.

Therefore, for travel to Puerto Rico You must meet requirements similar to those for traveling to that country, such as requesting the ESTA form o take out good travel insurance with the appropriate coverage, for which this information will be useful to you How to choose the best travel insurance.

This is the experience of visiting Puerto Rico, the best things to see and do

Next, and from the experience of our trip to Puerto Rico, I'm going to propose you the places that are a must-see, starting from a stay of more or less a week in a Old San Juan hotel, as was our case.

Old San Juan, the historic center of the capital

It will be precisely the historic center of the capital, known as Old San Juan, the main axis of your visit because that is where you will find the most outstanding traces of the colonial history of the island.

Declared World Heritage awarded by the Unesco, this historic neighborhood brings together the main monuments of the capital, such as the Castle San Felipe del Morro, the aforementioned cathedral, or the Santa Catalina Palace, home of the Governor of Puerto Rico's residence.

During your walks you will be able to see the characteristic colonial architecture, and you will be able to enjoy a great cultural atmosphere, with art galleries and craft shops, as well as leisure, and streets very lively with bars and music.

• In this article you have detailed information with The best things to see in Old San Juan.

Ponce, the city of Caribbean modernism

To visit a less touristy and more authentic city, with hardly any tourism as opposed to the capital San Juan, we suggest take a trip to Ponce.

It is a coastal city located in the south of the island, on the opposite side of the capital, just under two hours away by car, and is the second most populous city in the country, with 110.000 inhabitants.

It is named after the conqueror Juan Ponce de León, who in Puerto Rico is more important than Christopher Columbus, and is buried in St. John's Cathedral.

Ponce is a city famous for music and the musical genre of The Full.

As a curiosity, you should know that there are six typical musical genres of Puerto Rico, the bomb being the first to emerge, although it took a while to be recognized.

In fact, the first musical genre that was recognized was the Puerto Rican dance in 1860, created by Jean Morel Campos, of whom you can see a statue in the Plaza de las Delicias in Ponce.ç

This is the historic heart of the city, although in reality, the real name is Luis Muñoz Rivera Square, a prominent figure in the process of the transition from Spain to the United States.

Founded in 1692, on your visit to Ponce you will be able to see houses with eclectic and modernist architecture as a trace of the emigration of many Catalans to the city.

In fact, it is considered Ponce as the city of modernism in the Caribbean.

The cathedral was built in the year the city was founded, a building that had to be rebuilt after the 1918 earthquake, although it subsequently withstood the 2020 earthquake.

A building in the plaza that will catch your attention for its colonial architecture is the town hall.

At the entrance, you'll notice a plaque honoring the U.S. Army that landed in southern Puerto Rico and conquered Ponce, then fought in Coamo until the Spanish surrendered on August 28, 1898, without ever needing to reach San Juan.

On a walk around the square, you have the Alley of Love which opens next to bank buildings, where you can see a large mural dedicated to the Heroes of the Powder Magazine, firefighters who saved the city from a fire on January 25, 1899.

There is also a mural dedicated to the Plena adjacent to La Perla Theater, recently restored building.

In turn, the Ponce Cultural Center It is located in an old mansion from 1878, with a very interesting and curious exhibition of carnival masks, a festival that is celebrated for two weeks.

On our visit we also saw a exhibition dedicated to La Bomba, a drum-type instrument of African origin, which arrived on the island with the slavery of the black population during the 16th century.

Returning to the Plaza de las Delicias, located in a prominent corner of it is the Bombas Park, a very colorful building that was built in 1882 for a fair and designed by a Spanish architect.

It then became the fire brigade headquarters and is now a museum dedicated to the history of Ponce firefighters; that is, it was only supposed to last two weeks...and the reality is that it's been going on for more than 140 years.

Finally, in your visit of Ponce You also have the possibility to visit a stately mansion from 1930, the Serralles Castle, which is located surrounded by large gardens on a hill next to the city, from where you have very good views. best panoramic views of Ponce.

El Yunke National Forest, tropical rainforest

If you want to see tropical rainforest, the place is the El Yunk National Foreste, which is located about 50 kilometers from the capital, just under an hour by car.

The anvil It is one of the oldest forest reserves in the Western Hemisphere and the only tropical rainforest within the United States National Forest System, a true treasure of Puerto Rican flora and fauna.

When you visit, you'll see that it's a vast jungle with impressive plants and trees, waterfalls, and natural pool areas.

There you will see the national tree of Puerto Rico, the ceiba pentandra.

And on the visit, you will have to go up to the Yokahu Tower, from where you have spectacular views of the national park to the coast.

Also noteworthy is the La Coca waterfall, wave of Palo Colorado.

Beaches in Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, of course, there are also white sand beach areas with resort hotels, although it is not the main characteristic of this destination compared to other Caribbean destinations, such as Riviera Maya o Punta Cana.

Specifically there are large resort hotels in places like Dorado, Rio Grande, Carolina or Guánica, whose beaches are usually private.

But if you are looking for an authentic beach where the local people go, we suggest you go to Empty Talega Beach, which is free to access.

These types of beaches that depend on the municipalities are called spas and offer various services for visitors.

We were also in The Posita, just 15 minutes from San Juan, a leisure area, with a beach and kiosks where you can taste the most popular food

Luminescent Bays, a natural paradise in Puerto Rico

I admit that when I traveled to Puerto Rico I didn't know that the island is famous in the world for its luminescent bays.

But what are they? What are their characteristics?

They are areas of water where millions of microorganisms called dinoflagellates They produce light when shaken, creating a natural spectacle of blue-green glow in the dark whenever the water is moved by oars, hands or fish.

There are three main luminescent bays in the country, but the most visited due to its proximity to San Juan is the Laguna Grande, located in Fajardo, in the east of the island, which is visited with night boat tours.

I didn't have the chance to visit it on my trip, but it's definitely worth it, so I'll keep it in mind for a next trip to Puerto Rico.

Chinchorro along the Lechón route in Cayey

The "chinchorreo"It is a very typical activity in Puerto Rico, which combines the local gastronomy and music.

It is an excursion that is made in a school bus of striking yellow color and bright interior decoration by various "chinchorros", which is how the typical rural kiosks where you can enjoy are known fried foods and drinks with a musical atmosphere.

The most popular version, which you can also do from San Juan, is the Lechón Route through Cayey, where a large number of “pig pens"kiosks where you eat the typical roasted suckling pig.

On your excursion you can also visit this small town of Cayey, in whose main square you will find the Creole house Founded in 1828, it is run by a local community dedicated to studying the history of music in the area.

Specialized in Puerto Rican instruments, such as the four, the most popular, every weekend throughout the day at this venue there are performances that you can attend.

Santurce Square, live music in the street

As you have already seen from what has been said so far, Music is one of the main points of a trip to Puerto Rico.

And the best way to experience music in San Juan is to go to the Santurce Square, which was founded over 100 years ago as a market square where people could buy fruits, vegetables, meat etc.

Now it works as a gastronomic market with several local restaurants and kiosks selling fried foods such as empanadillas, alcapurrias and bacalaítos.

In the evening, the Santurce Square It comes alive with a lively atmosphere thanks to the locals who come to drink and dance salsa.

In that place with an incredible atmosphere, you can listen to Puerto Rican musical genres, such as those mentioned above. Bomb y full, to Reggaeton.

This way you will be aware of the great importance that music has on this island, with world-renowned singers today, such as Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony,  Bad Bunny y Luis Fonsi with his “Despacito”, and from times past, like JJosé Feliciano, with boleros and ballads in the 80s-90s.

Gastronomy, what to eat in Puerto Rico

As I mentioned at the beginning, the gastronomy has a great role in a trip to Puerto Rico, with a very peculiar Caribbean style from the European point of view.

Below I will specify which ones are the most typical dishes and specialties, with its features, which you should try on your trip.

Roast pork: a whole pig marinated in a garlic, oregano and vinegar marinade, slowly roasted over embers, leaving the skin crispy and the meat juicy, typical of festivities and large gatherings, and the star of the aforementioned “chinchorreo” activity.

alcapurrias: Fried foods made with plantain or cassava dough, stuffed with meat and fried until crispy, typical of street stalls; other fried foods include bacalaítos, fried cod fritters in seasoned batter, and empanadillas, pastries filled with meat, seafood, or cheese.

Stuffed tostones: : crispy, salty, double-fried green plantain slices used as a side dish or appetizer.

Masonry rice: a mixture of rice with stewed beans, sofrito, peppers, ham and garlic, a typical dish of everyday cuisine.

Traditional Mocongo: Made with fried green plantain, crushed in a mortar with garlic and chicharrón (crispy pork skin), it can be served alone or stuffed with meat, seafood or vegetables, and is usually accompanied by broths or light sauces.

little spiders: Popular as an appetizer or side dish at parties and family gatherings, they are prepared with grated green plantain, which is then compacted into small portions or discs and fried until golden and crispy.