Puerto Rico can be divided into five tourist regions – northern, central, southern, eastern and western.
San Juan
You will surely visit the northern region, because its main city is the capital San Juan. You can arrive here by liner, as it is one of the largest cruise ports in the world. Or fly into the international port of Luis Muñoz Marin. Other airports provide civilian air service between the islands. It was the capital that became the first tourist center of the country and holds the palm to this day. In San Juan, tourists admire the ancient architecture (Old San Juan), you can visit the ancient castles and forts: Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, San Cristobal, El Morro, Santa Catalina Palace, Convento de los Dominicos Monastery. Like any capital city, San Juan is a cultural center, with many museums and art galleries. You can also stroll through the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park, which has the 18th century Armory and the Pavilón de La Paz, with various exhibitions. Take a cable car ride in the Luis Muñoz Maritime Park for spectacular views and a tour of the Bacardi rum factory. If you want something out of the ordinary, go to a cockfighting club and appreciate this traditional local pastime. Keep in mind, however, that it’s a pretty brutal spectacle that’s done for the sake of the stakes.
Carolina
The northeastern region is home to the municipality of Carolina. Here you can either relax in luxury hotels or go to the private ranch Hacienda Campo Rico. Here you can feed exotic animals, ride horses, shoot archery, and go on a trip through the jungle on special ATVs.
El Yunque
The eastern region is known primarily for El Yunque (the Caribbean National Forest), which is located 40 kilometers southeast of San Juan. Locals often call it the main attraction. Here you can enjoy a walk through the tropical jungle, climb the Yokahú Tower, swim in a waterfall, taste water from a mountain stream or drink coconut milk.
Fajardo
To the east is also the large port city of Fajardo. It has beautiful beaches where you can watch wonderful sunsets in the evenings and the local cuisine is famous for fresh and deliciously prepared seafood. Visit the mangrove forests of the Las Cabezas Reserve and the historic San Juan Lighthouse on a special streetcar tour. Besides the architecture of the old town, Fajardo is famous for its proximity to one of Puerto Rico’s three luminescent bays. To see the “neon,” glowing plankton bay, you can take a kayak tour and admire this incredible spectacle in the Grande Lagoon. Another such place is near the island of Vieques, where the plankton is considered the brightest. This island also has very good beaches, which are not as well known because of its remoteness. Moreover, there are beaches both for swimming and for snorkeling and surfing. By the way, it is from Fajardo you can find a boat to get to the islands of Vieques and Culebra. It is also possible to fly to the latter, as there is a small airport there. The main town of Culebra is Devei. The island itself is small and attractive, mainly for lovers of lounging on white beaches (Flamenco Beach and others), admiring the reefs and scuba diving.
Ponce
In the south of Puerto Rico is the key city to visit, Ponce. It was the capital city until 1898. It is no exaggeration to call it the center of historical and cultural monuments and in this it can quite compete with the capital. Walking through the streets of Ponce, you will literally breathe the spirit of the era, because ancient churches (most Puerto Ricans are Catholic) neighbor colonial-style buildings and fountains. The Tibes Ceremonial Center recreates the village of the Arawak Indians, the city’s first settlers, and the various museums offer an introduction to Puerto Rican history, culture and music. Highlighted is the thematic museum Park Bombay, which is dedicated to the history of firefighting on the island decades ago. From Ponce you can go to the small island of Gilligan, in whose waters, diving enthusiasts will appreciate the coral reefs and exotic fish.
Not far from Ponce is one of the world’s largest karst cave complexes, Rio Kamui. Once a hiding place for Native American tribes, tourists now admire the stalactites, stalagmites, and limestone patterns in them. Here you can rappel down to the famous Catedral Cave, where Taino petroglyphs have been discovered, and the local underground Kamai River is one of the largest in the world.
Mayaguez
Although every beach in Puerto Rico is beautiful, on the west coast they are especially wonderful. Near Mayaguez are the best beaches for water sports and diving. The city has Puerto Rico’s only zoo with animals from South America and the Caribbean. The main attractions are the oldest Catholic Church of Porta Coeli, built in 1609, the lighthouses of Punta Igera and Cabo Rojo. By the way, you can take great photos of the views at them, especially at sunset. Mayaguez is one of Puerto Rico’s largest seaports, so you can get out of here by boat or sail to another town if you like to travel by water.
Arecibo
An attraction that has made Puerto Rico famous in terms of research is the Arecibo Observatory with one of the largest radio telescopes in the world (304 meters in diameter). It is located at an altitude of almost 500 meters in the mountains, 15 kilometers from the town of Arecibo in the northwest of the island. Here you can admire the views and learn more about how mankind is trying to explore the cosmos with a huge aluminum “saucer”.