Puerto Rico has fully recovered from 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria and is open for business. Multiple airlines offer quick 2.5-hour direct flights from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and the island requires no American passport. Here are five top reasons we love Puerto Rico and why you should visit now.
1. Kayak through a bioluminescent bay
There are only five bioluminescent bays worldwide, and Puerto Rico is home to three. For an experience on par with, say, viewing a total solar eclipse, kayak through one on a moonless night when the water sparkles as if lit by millions of neon greenish-blue diamonds. The effect comes from microscopic organisms known as dinoflagellates that grow in the bay in large enough quantities to create the glow-in-the-dark sparkles when a boat paddle slices through the water.
Mosquito Bay on the island of Vieques is the brightest of the bio bays and the most impressive if you time it with a cloudless, new-moon night, but it takes more effort to reach; you’ll need to fly to this island off the mainland. Laguna Grande in Fajardo is more accessible as it’s just an hour’s drive from San Juan, home to many of Puerto Rico’s luxury hotels. The third option is La Parguera in the southern town of Lajas, about a two-hour drive from San Juan.
2. Stroll Old San Juan
Viejo San Juan is the heart of Puerto Rican history and culture, and you must stroll through the old town at least once during your visit. The oldest city in America has well-preserved, pastel-hued colonial architecture, military forts and cobblestoned streets. The buildings are home to innovative restaurants, countless shops and sophisticated and edgy bars and clubs.
3. Explore a tropical rainforest
Sacred to Puerto Rican culture, El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. You can explore the lush green scenery via one of its many hiking trails leading to natural pools beneath plunging waterfalls. You can also join one of many tours arranged through your hotel concierge or on Viator. One favorite outing takes you to a natural rock waterslide in a river you can ride down for an exhilarating rush. Other tours include rope swings into deep pools and cliff jumps.
4. Drink a piña colada (and stay) at the glam hotel that invented it
Bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero invented the piña colada at San Juan’s iconic Caribe Hilton in 1954, and the hotel’s bar still serves the original recipe. The mix of gold rum, creamy coconut and tang of fresh pineapple is simply … muah.
The luxe Caribe Hilton, on a tranquil stretch of beachfront just a 10-minute drive from Old San Juan, is fresh off a top-to-bottom $150 million renovation. Guest rooms and public spaces look as glam as they did when the hotel opened in 1949. Over the decades, the resort has hosted countless celebrities, royals and world leaders.
5. Spend a beach day on one of the nearly 300 beaches
With over 270 miles of coastline and nearly 300 beaches touching the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico is home to endless stretches of white and gold sand backed by turquoise-tinged water that offer something for everyone. The west coast around Rincon offers excellent surfing, while the small islands off the east coast boast some of the most classically stunning stretches of sand.
On the island of Culebra, a 10-minute flight or 30-minute ferry ride from San Juan, head to Flamenco Beach, one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful. Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla on the island’s northwest shore is another top choice, with options for snorkeling, fishing and seasonal surfing. It also has one of the best dive spots in Puerto Rico, El Natural, just offshore. This beach also delivers stunning sunsets.
