Author: rodolfo@dobleulabs.com

As I set out across Mosquito Bay on a moonless night, the water below my glass-bottom kayak twinkles brighter than the stars above. I skim across a sea of diamonds. Every stroke of my paddle stirs up an explosion of blue-white light. I am on Vieques, a small island an hour by ferry off eastern Puerto Rico, in the middle of what’s reputed to be the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.

The light show is caused by microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates that glow when agitated; paddles, kayaks or splashing hands set off the fireworks. So do fish – schools of them skitter by like underwater glow sticks. Deeper down, a huge yellow shadow passes under my kayak. “What’s that?” I ask our guide. “Probably a tarpon,” he says, “Eighty or 90 pounds.” The original inhabitants of Vieques believed the tiny lights were stars fallen from heaven. When the Spanish conquered Puerto Rico, they concluded it was the work of the devil.

Now the so-called Bio Bay is a magnet for tourist dollars and the island is fighting to make sure the lights don’t go out, as they have elsewhere and recently did here for six months.

Pollution and red tide produce a glowing effect in many parts of the oceans but there are only a handful of bays in the world lit up by the light energy of dinoflagellates. Three are in Puerto Rico, and Mosquito Bay is the most intense of them all. As eight double kayaks gather round, our guide explains why. The bay has an extremely narrow opening to the Caribbean, which prevents dinoflagellates from being washed out to sea by the tides. They thrive in the warm, shallow water on nutrients from mangroves that surround the bay. And the relatively remote and undeveloped location means less pollution.

Vieques (pronounced Bee-eck-iss) was controlled by the U.S. Navy and used as a practice bombing range until protests forced it to pull out in 2003. Some parts of the island are still off limits because of unexploded ordnance. The military presence discouraged tourism – there is only one modern resort on the island – and most of its sweeping white-sand beaches are best known by the coloured flags that the Americans used for training exercises. Our favourite, Navio Caracas, is called Red Beach; Punta Arenas, at the west end of the island, is dubbed Green Beach. Home to just 10,000 people, Vieques evokes what many Caribbean islands must have been like before the invasion of all-inclusives – an estimated 3,000 wild horses roam free on the island, all but the main roads are so rough that most rental cars are four-wheel drive and beaches are lined with nothing but palm trees. While swimming and snorkelling are big draws, the main moneymaker is the Bio Bay.

Every night, except around the full moon when bright light obscures the bioluminescence, hundreds of tourists take to the water in kayaks or, for the less adventurous, an electric boat. Thirteen companies are licensed to run tours. Most are from mainland Puerto Rico and the United States; we go out with JAK Water Sports, the only local operator. After assembling in a beach parking lot, 15 of us climb on a bus and bounce over a potholed dirt road to a beach on Mosquito Bay. It is pitch-black; our guides use flashlights to point us to our kayaks and hand out life jackets with tiny blue lights to help keep track of us on the water. Several other groups are also getting ready to launch, and each operator will have more clients ready to go when we come in.

At $60 (U.S.) for a two-hour outing, it’s a lucrative business but it dried up in early 2017 when the bioluminescent effect suddenly dimmed. Tours were limited to weekends only and paddlers had to make do with the stars in the sky, as government officials and scientists tried to figure out what had happened. Some speculated that unusually strong waves and currents had diluted the plankton; others suspected overuse and contamination from sewage and runoff from nearby farms and construction. There’s still no clear answer, though the need for one declined when the lights came back on in July, as bright as ever.

Some protective measures were already in place – gas-fuelled motorboats and swimming were banned several years ago, but those rules were flouted, often by unlicensed tour operators. After the blackout, enforcement was stepped up. The road into the bay was improved, sediment traps were built and more native species were planted, all to reduce runoff. A new “real-time” monitoring station was installed in the middle of the bay to provide better information about water quality, temperatures and tides.

As we paddle, the gleeful wonder at the flickering below gets louder when a fish jumps from the water and hits one paddler in the head. Something else also makes the experience unique: It requires special camera techniques to capture the bioluminescent effect, so it’s a rare adventure where no one bothers to pull out a smartphone. Despite the lack of selfies, tourists will keep coming, as long as the rush to cash in doesn’t trump efforts to ensure the lights stay on.

By: ROGER SMITH

The Globe and Mail

One of my favorite things in life is traveling to new places. Learning about a culture first-hand through their history, traditions, and food is just fascinating and pure joy for me. I was glad to tag along on Rich’s business trip to Puerto Rico for a little relaxation after a crazy couple of months and a bad case of cabin fever.

I’d been to Puerto Rico for a wedding a couple of years back but didn’t get a chance to see too much outside of our lovely beach. This trip would be an opportunity to learn about San Juan’s history and try the cuisine. I am always on the hunt for new beers too, but knew that I was going into rum-country, so no high hopes here (spoiler – I did manage to try some new beers).

Rich was working so I kept busy by checking out museums, forts, galleries, and some good ol’ beach/pool time. It’s such a beautiful place and so full of history.

I am a fiend on Tripadvisor prior to any trip to get an idea of what are the must dos, so asked the San Juan forum where to eat like a local. The tip I got was to eat at a fonda, or cafeteria, where the Puerto Ricans go for lunches. I bellied up to the counter at Café Manolín in Old San Juan and had a wonderful meal of rice, beans, fried chicken, and a cold Medalla. I was handed a bottle of Pique to spice up my meal which was new to me and delicious! I knew at that moment what my souvenir would be, I brought back several bottles of another brand. I am planning to make my own once pepper season rolls around in MN, can’t wait!

I had tons of fun checking out San Juan and learning about its history but can’t wait to go back and learn more. Call it the anthropologist in me, but I am now intrigued by the African, Taino, and Spanish heritage the people share in addition to how historic events have shaped the island’s current status. I’ll have to do some reading to supplement what I learned on the island.

By: V in Minneapolis

GUANICA, PUERTO RICO — The three-mile trail to the abandoned fort on top of this dry forest seems easy enough to tackle.

A clear path to the “Fuerte” lies ahead, surrounded by shrubs and cacti, vegetation you would not expect to find on a tropical island.

But this is a dry forest, one that gets only about 30 inches of rain per year vs. about 200 in the rainforest on the other side of the island.

When I pull into the parking lot, there’s a park ranger station, but no park ranger in sight. I hike alone. Birds whizz by. Butterflies flutter.

I’m taking a road trip on the west coast of Puerto Rico, also known as the Porta del Sol, or gate of the sun. I choose Puerto Rico because it’s so easy to get to. Americans don’t need passports to travel here. Several airlines, including JetBlue Airways, have reasonably priced non-stop flights from various cities to San Juan.

But on the advice of a Puerto Rican friend, I decide to skip the crowded capital and drive three hours to the less crowded west coast to explore the tranquil beaches and charming towns.

“The southwest coast of Puerto Rico is a spectacular area of beaches still very little known by tourists,” my friend Samuel Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico who now lives in Virginia, tells me. “You will find mostly laid-back locals and surfers only within miles of uncrowded pristine beaches.”

LOVE HIKING? The Caribbean’s most scenic hikes

After an hour of hiking uphill under the beating sun, I arrive at the Fuerte. Before me is a panoramic view of those pristine beaches. The fort itself is now covered in graffiti but is still a beautiful structure. For about 30 minutes, I have the whole place to myself.

The view from the fort in Guanica, a dry forest in southern Puerto Rico. (Photo: Nancy Trejos)

Then John and Maureen Alvarez appear.

They too are taking a road trip. They live in Lafayette, Calif., but John was born in Puerto Rico. He’s taking Maureen, his wife, on a tour of his childhood stomping grounds. Like me, they’ve chosen to stay away from San Juan and follow a more uncharted path.

“This is pretty remote,” John says. “It’s really hard to find. This part of the island is pretty much undiscovered.”

DISCOVERING THE UNDISCOVERED

Stop by a beach shack for an afternoon snack in the town of Rincon, and you may end up getting a salsa lesson from Rey Chacon.

At La Naza nightclub, people like to eat empanadillas and other bar food. (Photo: Nancy Trejos)

On a Tuesday afternoon, my friend Kristie Kellahan and I pull into the Cafeteria El Balneario in search of empanadillas,or fried turnovers, and Medalla, the local beer.

Rey, which in Spanish means King, is also at the shack drinking beer—and the occasional shot of rum. He wears a straw hat and dances alone to salsa tunes pounding from a boombox.

He offers us a salsa lesson. Kristie obliges him.

“You come here on a Sunday afternoon, and people are singing karaoke,” Rey tells us.

On this particular afternoon, Rey Chacon is our only entertainment.

After our impromptu salsa lesson, we head south to explore the other beaches lining the southwest coast.

We arrive at Boqueron in the town of Cabo Rojo. For $4.28—the price to park—we get access to a beach with white sand and crystal clear turquoise water.

We count the number of people there. Only three others are in the water.

“It’s beautiful here. It’s my favorite area,” says Elle Perez, a New York City student visiting her grandmother.

According to local legend, Puerto Rico’s most famous pirate Roberto Cofresi hid treasure in a cave south of Boqueron Bay.

Boqueron beach is a secluded beach on the west coast of Puerto Rico. (Photo: Kristie Kellahan)

No one has found the hidden treasure. But in my opinion, the beach itself is the hidden treasure.

After a swim in the calm warm water, we pack up and drive farther south to Combate Beach.

It’s lunchtime and Annie’s Place, a restaurant on the water, is filling up with people drinking beer and eating mofongo, a traditional dish of mashed plantains with fish or meat mixed in.

“No shirt, no shoes, no problem,” a sign at the bar says.

After lunch, we stroll down the long narrow beach. We have a lot more company on this beach, but it is still tranquil.

Next, we go to a place commonly known as Playa Sucia, or dirty beach in Spanish. The beach’s official name is La Playuela, and there is nothing dirty about it.

Getting there takes effort. We drive down an unpaved road. Along the way we see post-apocalyptic looking salt flats. At the end of the road, we come across a parking lot. From there, we follow a walking path past the salt flats. Within minutes, the magnificent Caribbean is before us.

Playa Sucia, the nickname for La Playuela. It means Dirty Beach but there is nothing dirty about this beautiful beach. (Photo: Nancy Trejos)

Playa Sucia is located within the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, which helps make it quiet and pristine.

To the right, the Los Morrillos lighthouse hovers over the sea on a hill.

A lighthouse overlooks La Playuela. (Photo: Nancy Trejos)

We’re told the views from the lighthouse are magnificent. Unfortunately, when we try to climb up there, a police officer tells us that it is closed. Never mind that the sign says it is supposed to close at 4:30 p.m., an hour later. Closing times—just like shirts and shoes—are mere suggestions here.

MORE PUERTO RICO: The island’s best beaches

AFTER SUNSET

In the evening, we take a sunset cruise off the fishing village of La Parguera in the town of Lajas.

Our captain, Nayib Torres of Johnny’s Boats, takes us to an island where iguanas live. We get close enough to spot a couple.

We pass houses built on stilts in the water. They are painted in yellows, oranges, pinks, and other Caribbean hues.

The sun sets over the water, setting off another explosion of colors. There’s hardly any wind. We coast around the mangroves. “I love the wind when it’s like this,” Torres says.

Once it’s dark, we get on another one of Johnny’s Boats to take a tour of the bioluminescent bay. There are three in Puerto Rico. Each night, the water glows because of the millions of microscopic organisms inhabiting it.

I expect a light show. But on this particular night, the moon and the stars are too bright.

A few people on our boat jump into the water. Kristie and I choose to stay on the boat and watch. I see a bit of a glow when the swimmers flap their arms.

“They’re all over me. That was crazy,” Erika Springman says as she climbs back in.

I can’t spot anything on her. The stars are far more impressive. “It’s not Cirque du Soleil,” Kristie says.

On another evening, we opt to stay on land and do some bar-hopping. Chinchorros, or casual bars that also serve food, are quite popular across the island.

It’s Tuesday, and La Naza nightclub in the town of Mayaguez is so crowded that people are dancing salsa on the street.

People dancing on the streets outside of La Naza in Mayaguez. (Photo: Kristie Kellahan)

A live band is playing inside. People are snacking on empanadillas. Beer and rum is flowing freely.

It’s nearly 11 p.m. but no one seems concerned about getting to bed or having to wake up early the next day.

“It’s more relaxed here,” says Pamela Penchie, who works in public relations.

This is the kind of town where you’re just as likely to see a Volkswagen Beetle as a horse strolling down the street, where people give directions by giving you landmarks rather than addresses, and where strangers happily share their rum with you.

“The west side,” she says, “is an easier life.”

by Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY

Puerto Rico’s two best-known eco-parks are only separated by a slender mountain range and a stretch of highway — yet the trip of a few miles from one to the other brings travellers to a whole new world.

El Yunque, by far the more famous of the two, is lush and verdant — a damp, steamy rainforest full of vibrant parrots, mossy trees covered in red bromeliad blooms, croaking coqui frogs and humidity-loving orchids. Inside is the ancient home of “Yuquiyu”, a good spirit that the indigenous Taino Indians believed lived in the mist-shrouded mountain tops. It is this name — slightly corrupted by conquering Spaniards — that is the source of the “El Yunque” moniker used today.

Guanica, a short drive westward along the major Ponce-to-San Juan interstate, is fiery and desiccated, an inhospitable desert forest of rare, flowering cacti, hissing reptiles and limestone caves. It is a crumbly, arid atmosphere with petrified, alien rock formations, strange plants and big sea birds that wheel around the cliff edges and over the bright blue Caribbean waves.

As different as they are, the two parks were in fact born from each other. El Yunque owes its damp beauty to the fat clouds driven inland by Atlantic winds that drizzle rainwater over the Luquillo mountains. Over centuries, as El Yunque soaked up most of Puerto Rico’s abundant moisture, poor parched Guanica – on the Caribbean side of Luquillo – went without, slowly transforming into a unique dry forest that the United Nations deemed a protected biosphere in the 1990s.

Today, Guanica’s looping, hypnotic pathways snake through gnarled, deciduous trees. Some lead to Fort Capron – a colonial Spanish lookout according to some islanders, but more likely an old observation tower built by conservationists. Other paths lead to “El Centenario”, a 100-year-old tree that towers above all the surrounding shrubs. And still more paths trail down to the white sandy beaches along the coastline.

GINGER OTIS

Lonely Planet Writer

Apart from slow-moving lizards, Guanica appears lifeless to the casual eye, but it is actually teeming with activity. Sun and water have eroded the clay-like soil, creating sinkholes and caves that are home to thousands of bats and bizarre creatures, such as the blind cave shrimp and the purple land crab. Keen observers may even glimpse Puerto Rico’s famous bufo lemur, also known as the crested toad. Green leatherback turtles lay their eggs here, and hundreds of mongoose — brought in to kill the rats that once overran Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields — stalk the pathways for garden snakes. Flying in and around the park’s 1,000 types of trees and cacti is a diverse group of songbirds and warblers, including the Puerto Rican woodpecker, the Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo, the Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird and the highly endangered Puerto Rican nightjar. Only about 2,000 of the dark-coloured chirpers remain on the island and most live in Guanica.

Part of being an experienced traveler is having at least one good story about experiencing bioluminescence (and knowing what the word means). For the uninitiated, it is what it sounds like: creatures that make light. Both land and sea organisms have this ability, including bacteria, plankton, fireflies, worms, snails, fish, jellyfish, and even sharks.

Certain places across the world attract people who go simply to be awed by the magical, glow-y spectacles that bioluminescent critters create: forests full of fireflies, caves populated by glowworms, far-flung island shores. Some travelers even plan seasonal vacations around the mating, glittering fireworms in the Maldives or the bright-blue firefly squid that surface by the thousands in Japan.

Across the world, these creatures produce a light-emitting compound called luciferin, or they eat or live with something else that makes luciferin. The chemical is helpful for a few different reasons, none of which involves entertaining humans. Some animals get sparkly because they are stressed out about being hunted: making light forces predators to worry that something even higher up the food chain will move in. Others use their light to attract mates, camouflage themselves, lure prey, communicate with friends, or confuse enemies.

Here are the world’s best places to watch these twinkling creatures in action.

Puerto Mosquito, Puerto Rico

Known as Bioluminescent Bay, the tranquil, warm, and shallow waters south of Puerto Mosquito offer the ideal environment for tiny glow-in-the-dark organisms called dinoflagellates. On a nightly basis (and especially when the moon is new), kayakers glide over the bay and among the creatures, which emit a burst of blue light when disturbed. In 2008, the Guinness Book of World Records actually named this bay the world’s brightest.

Great Smoky Mountains

During the summertime on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains, tens of thousands of horny, synchronous fireflies put on a psychedelic fireworks show. They gather near the Elkmont Campground, flashing simultaneously as part of a two-week mating ritual that lights up the entire forest and draws spectators from around the world. The flashes happen in short bursts and end with abrupt periods of haunting darkness. Visit between late May and mid-June, and buy tickets in advance.

The Hawaiian islands

Pack your mask and fins for Hawaii, where tiny glowing bobtail squid can be spotted in shallow coastal waters. The squid doesn’t create any light on its own, but a bioluminescent bacteria that lives on the squid helps camouflage it from predators while it hunts at night. Near the surface, the shimmering bacterial cloak blends with the moonlight, making the squid invisible to predators below.

The Maldives

People used to think plankton were responsible for the glowing beaches in the Maldives — but in fact, little shrimp called “ostracod crustaceans” deserve the credit. The shrimp can shine much longer than plankton, which can only glimmer for about a second. This means the waters of the Maldives glow for longer than other places in the world. Some lucky visitors may encounter thousands of sparkling specks in the sand. Scientists believe this happens when a multitude of ostracod crustaceans die off.

Koh Rong, Cambodia

Nightly boat tours around Koh Rong, the second-biggest island in Cambodia, bring guests to dark waters inhabited by bioluminescent plankton. Upon jumping in, visitors discover their motion sets off trippy trails of twinkling blue lights. The longer people stay in the water, the brighter the plankton seem to glisten. The surreal beauty lasts until the tiny creatures become so agitated they begin to attack. Their bites are not particularly painful, but they do send everyone swimming for the boat.

New Zealand

On New Zealand’s north island, visitors can combine adventure with bioluminescence by booking a black-water rafting trip. This involves floating through dark caves in inner tubes, lying back, and admiring the starry walls of the cave, where thousands of matchstick-sized glowworms dangle and glow blue-green. These worms are the larvae of fungus gnats, and to ensnare their prey they hang silky “fishing lines” made of mucous from the ceiling. Then the worms turn on their lights to attract prey, which get caught on the lines. When the worms are hungry, they glow ever brighter.

Bermuda

In Bermuda, for a few nights after the full moon between May and November, fireworms open up a natural nightclub on the surface of the ocean. First, female fireworms leave the seafloor to swim in illuminated blue-green circles at the surface. When the males see this, they get their glow on and head up, too. All at once, the males and females release their sperm and eggs in flashes of color beneath the waning moon, and then call it a night. Tourists regularly behold this flashy mating spectacle from the bridge at Ferry Reach Park, Flatts Inlet, or Hamilton Harbor.

Toyama Bay, Japan

Off the coast of Japan, currents bring thousands of firefly squid to the surface of the ocean during their spawning season, from March to May, each year. Fishing boats gather to take advantage and ensnare the creatures, whose photophores allow them to glow bright blue. Sightseeing boats filled with travelers show up just to observe as the glowing blue squid are brought in. Scientists believe they use their light for communication, attracting mates, and scaring predators. You can learn more about them at the area’s Firefly Squid Museum, which claims, quite plausibly, to be the only such museum in the world.

Goias, Brazil

Private evening tours through Brazil’s Emas National Park can be arranged to view its famous termite mounds, which glitter brightly in the night as part of a feeding strategy carried out by the headlight beetle. Beetle larvae that hatch in the mound twinkle to attract termites, which they promptly consume. The lit-up mounds are best viewed in the summertime on the savannah and in the jungle.

Merritt Island, Florida

Although a devastating algae bloom fed by agricultural runoff has wiped out much of the wildlife in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, bioluminescent kayaking tours out on the nearby Merritt Island remain strong. In the summer, dinoflagellate fireworks shows are the main draw, and from October through May, glowing comb jellyfish — oval-shaped gelatinous drifters — are brought in with the colder waters. They emit two kinds of colored light: the usual blue-green bioluminescence and a breathtaking rainbow aura created when they scatter light through their cilia.

By ASHLEY HARRELL

Thrillist – Travel

After Christmas Day, Puerto Rico and most of Latin America celebrates Epiphany, or Día De Los Reyes Magos, on January 6th. After more gift-giving, Puerto Ricans celebrate what they call Octavitas the week after – or some of the last festivities of their long Christmas, which start right after Thanksgiving in November. The truth of the matter, though? The official end of the holidays in the Boricua calendar is the San Sebastian Festival.

Typically celebrated on the third week of January (Thursday – Sunday), the annual 4-day festival takes place in and around Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan. Many of the historical cobblestone streets are closed to motorized vehicles; artisans and food vendors set up shop; local musicians and general public alike bring their instruments and sing bomba and plena numbers. In a nutshell: all aspects of Puerto Rican culture convene in what most regard as the best festival of the island. This is the perfect crash course for tourists eager to learn more about the Indian Taíno, African, and Spanish heritage.
History of the San Sebastian Festival

San Sebastián, or Saint Sebastian, was an early saint and Christian martyr – one of the many victims of the persecution under the Roman emperor Diocletian in the Third Century AD. As a Spanish (Catholic) colony, the day of Saint Sebastian was commemorated with a feast on January 20th.

The first-ever San Sebastian Festival only lasted one day (the feast day) and was organized by one of the priests of the San José Church, which is located right on Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan, in the 1950’s. However, the festival wouldn’t be popular until after a hiatus of about 20 years.

In the 1970’s, the San Sebastian Festival was kick-started once more and extended to a 4-day affair full of art, live mulato music, dancing, and mestizo food. People line up on balconies, bring their instruments, buy local crafts, and party until the wee hours of the morning. Think of it as the Puerto Rican Mardi Gras, but with a mix of African, Taíno Indian, and Spaniard traditions instead.

The blue-gray cobblestone streets of Old San Juanare scorching hot, searing the bottoms of sandals like skillets cooking bistec encebollado — steak and onions. Some 30 miles east, however, the ground is cool and damp. Here, thousands of trees form a verdurous parasol that blankets the earth in shade.
It’s not just the temperature that’s different in this slice of Puerto Rico, however. It’s the ethos. Instead of colorful colonial architecture, these vistas burst with brightly colored blooms, including bright pink impatiens and red orchids. Instead of chlorinated swimming pools, there are refreshing waterfalls. And instead of traffic, the air echoes with sounds of San Pedritos — tiny, plump green birds that exhale distinctive “beeps” from their long, needle-nosed beaks.

Welcome to El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System.
Encompassing more than 29,000 mountainous acres in northeast Puerto Rico, the area that is now El Yunque was sacred to indigenous people, who believed it to house one of their deities, the good spirit Yokahú. It remains sacred today — albeit for scientific instead of spiritual reasons. Celebrated for its biodiversity, the forest houses 240 native tree species, 50 varieties of native orchids, more than 150 species of ferns, 50 types of birds, 11 species of bats, eight kinds of lizards and 13 species of coquí, or tree frogs, whose nocturnal, birdlike chirping echoes through the trees each night like a Puerto Rican lullaby.
“We have a lot fewer species than, say, the Amazon, but 20 percent of the species we do have are endemic —meaning they don’t exist anywhere else,” notes El Yunque tour guide John “Rubio” Druitt of Rubio’s Tours.

That makes Puerto Rico in general — and El Yunque in particular — a hotbed for ecological research. And for tourism.

“El Yunque is our most visited attraction outside of San Juan,” explains Luis Muñiz, deputy executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The forest is open daily, year-round. Although the terrain in some parts of the forest is challenging, there are trails for people of all ages and abilities.

“El Yunque offers something for everyone,” says Sasha Rodriguez, president of RST Puerto Rico, the onsite tour operator for the nearby Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa. “And if trails are not for you, you can still drive through the rainforest.” Indeed, many travelers access El Yunque by rental car, although most catch tour buses from their hotels. Either way, the forest is less than an hour from San Juan via Highway 66.

Your first stop should be El Portal Rain Forest Center, where you can learn the forest’s history, preview its plants and wildlife, and plan your itinerary. Popular destinations include Yokahú Tower, an observation tower with views all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and La Mina Falls, a breathtaking waterfall and swimming hole tucked at the end of a 45-minute stroll along the paved path known as Big Tree Trail.

El Yunque is expansive, with 28,000 acres of tropical palms and dense foliage crisscrossed with hiking trails. 

Although gorgeous scenery dominates, so do throngs of fellow visitors. For that reason, Druitt prefers hiking the Baño de Oro. A less-traveled trail, it takes you past an abandoned swimming pool from the 1930s, over the La Mina River and through an especially lush part of the forest. If you go slowly and look carefully, you’ll spot the aforementioned San Pedritos and one of the world’s smallest orchids, which flowers beneath a large leaf as protection from the frequent rain.

“It’s a beautiful trail; it’s a little bit rustic, but it’s not difficult,” says Druitt, who recommends visiting the forest as early as possible — it opens at 7:30 a.m. — in order to beat the heat and crowds.

Although the temperature at El Yunque is typically 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the temperature in San Juan, heat and humidity still reign supreme. So, dress appropriately and bring plenty of bottled water and snacks. “We usually suggest comfortable clothes — T-shirt and shorts — and comfortable walking shoes, like tennis shoes,” says Rodriguez. “You can also wear a bathing suit underneath your clothing in case you want to take a refreshing dip in one of the waterfalls.”

Mosquitoes aren’t too much of an issue, thanks to the bats and coquí that eat them. Still, insect repellent is a good idea, along with sunscreen. If possible, choose DEET-free bug spray and all-natural sunscreen, as harmful chemicals can easily transfer to the water if you go swimming. That affects not only aquatic life, but also local Puerto Ricans, who source 20 percent of their potable water from El Yunque’s rivers.

“Affecting one of the species in the forest will affect the whole area,” says Muñiz, who also recommends carrying a garbage bag. “If you bring any snacks or beverages, take them back with you and dispose of your trash.”

Even on the busiest days, when the tourists at La Mina Falls are as thick as the foliage around it, El Yunque’s beauty is pure and unspoiled.

In the name of Yokahú, its champions implore: Please keep it that way.

Matt Alderton, USA TODAY GoEscape magazine

A new destination for surfers and foodies.

A handful of New York City exiles are defying the island’s troubles and turning the tiny surf town of Isabela into a hot spot that draws those escaping the East Coast winter. The Brooklyn-raised chef Wilson Davalos launched the chic, 20-seat restaurant CLMDO in 2014, which sparked a host of other ventures. Highlights include La Central, a lively craft cocktail bar, and the just-opened branch of a Rockaway Beach favorite, Uma’s, a small resort that comprises a beachfront restaurant and surf shop with rooms for rent

By – NELL MCSHANE WULFHART

NY Times

Puerto Rico is offering travelers a chance to explore a route that digs deeply into the island’s ancient cultural roots.

La Ruta Taína, or Taína Route, is a new attraction that gives visitors a chance to learn about Puerto Rico’s indigenous history through a guided trek across the lands of the Taino people, who were among the inhabitants of the pre-Columbian Caribbean and surrounding areas.

The educational tours, which runs north and south near the center of the island through several towns and natural locations, “invites the world to take an in-depth look at our roots,” says Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Among the sites along the multiple tours are ancient ceremonial centers, indigenous petroglyphs and tombs, plus caves, beaches and natural reserves.

La Ruta Taína destinations include the northern coastal town of Arecibo, home to a vast cavern system that includes Cueva del Indio and Cueva Ventana Indio; the Centro Ceremonial Indígena Caguana and Cacique Don Alonso monument in Utuado; Piedra Escrita de Jayuya and Museo del Cemí in Jayuya; and Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes in Ponce.

Created by a team of archaeologists, along with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and conservation groups, La Ruta Taína can be completed individually or with the nearly 20 tour guides certified by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

For information on packages that include accommodations, meals and transportation, go to seepuertorico.com/en/rutastainas/

La Ruta Taína follows the launch this year of Ruta de la Salsa — the Salsa Route — that takes music fans to historic sites and attractions that played major roles in the development of one of the world’s most popular and influential music genres.

Stop in Pińones and stop at whichever kiosk you like and order some great authentic local street food. The smells here are incredible. Between the smells of the food, the ocean breezes and salty air and the whole general ambiance – you cannot but help to feel great as you begin your day.
Grab your food and your drinks and head towards the 1st natural and beautiful scenic beach to enjoy the views and tastes of the beginning of your first adventure day in Puerto Rico! After this, hit the road and keep truckin’!

Driving into Pińones you are instantly transported back in time to another era – almost as if the days of an iPad, high-end technology, and our fast paced lives have yet to come into existence.  The arresting contrast of arriving here presents the abrupt transition of culture from San Juan. It´s the perfect getaway and if you´re traveling from other parts of the world you will know this is when you´ve arrived to travel in Puerto Rico.

The two worlds are linked by Punta Cangrejos (Crab Point) a small bridge on PR-187. Once you cross over this bridge, the tourist traps become a distant memory and you are now well on your way to exploring the best of this island.
As you drive along PR-187, this is when you’re more than likely to experience the feeling of finally being on vacation and free en La Isla De Encanto.

History of Pinones Puerto Rico

The history of this place is interesting in that it has an ongoing story till this day in Puerto Rican lore. The town of Loiza, and the community of Piñones, reflects the richness of the island’s Afro-Spanish culture and traditions, especially in the form of music, food and crafts. It is considered by many locals “the soul of the island” celebrating Puerto Rico’s traditional Afro-Caribbean community and culture.

It is the home to many modest families making a living selling typical local food from kiosks along the beach. Their traditions span back 400 years and beyond that to the time when the Spanish conquered the land and brought in the first roots of African people to the island.  Most of this fertile low-lying coastal region was farmed by local people in the late 16th century.

In the 1720’s however the Spanish finally inched their way to this part of the land (the Spanish were mostly concentrated in Old San Juan) and turned them into sugarcane plantations. Obviously this caused quite a stir with the natives, and many were captured and forced into labor.

Unable to keep many locals who fled into the mountains, Spanish plantation owners were forced to ship in African workers – and sometimes even stole people from neighboring islands as well. Most of the over 30,000 residents of this town today are direct descendants of these Yoruba slaves.

The town of Loiza is named after Luissa, a powerful Taíno chief who ruled the area before the Spanish conquest. What makes her remarkable is that there are only two known female caciques (chiefs) known in the Caribbean.

Today, the region is proud of its Afro-Caribbean heritage even though it’s trying to hold on to our modern world’s rapid changes. If you’ll notice the coastline of Old San Juan, Condado, Ocean Park, and Isla Verde have their high-rises literally right on the beach which erases the view of the ocean from the road. In Pińones, there is nothing but coastline to look at as you drive through. Absolutely beautiful and pristine nature here. However, development projects in today’s world have been trying to get their hands on this region for years even though the efforts have been thwarted. In Puerto Rico, as throughout the Americas, community and environmental well-being remain on the defensive.

I love taking food tours when I travel. I find them to be the perfect introduction to a destination – you are essentially on a guided historical walking tour themed around the cultural cuisine an food of a country or city.

Tours don’t get much better than that if you ask me. If I’m going to be walking around and learning about all the ins and outs of a culture, why not add in some food and drinks into the mix? So when I got to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I instantly looked up food tours. The first one I came across was the Spoon Food Tours.

They run different tours, and since I was going to be taking the tour with my mom who has a lot of dietary restrictions (no gluten, no dairy, no red meat, no nightshade vegetables, etc) I need to first check if her needs would be accommodated. And I was very happy to hear from Paulina, the owner that the evening 4pm tour would work well!

We met our guide Caroline in front of the Plaza del Armas and were ready for the tour. Our guide was originally from Spain, but went to school at McGill in Montreal, before living with her husband in England and finally settling down and having a baby in Puerto Rico.

She was bubbly, she was chatty, she was passionate about both food and Puerto Rico – just what you want in a tour guide. After explaining a bit about the history of Puerto Rico (the Spaniards were in control for 400 years until the Americans took over in 1898) we were ready for our first stop.

We entered this bright and vibrant restaurant where the focus is on locally sourced home made food.

We also learned from Carolina that Puerto Rico makes some seriously delicious coffee. Coffee used to be the island’s largest export, but now it needs to be imported and what happens is that major brands will purchase the coffee from Mexico, mix in a minimum amount of Puerto Rican coffee and then sell it as Puerto Rican coffee. Currently, there is a rise in single origin specialty grade coffee and as this becomes more popular, there will be more small coffee growers entering the market.

That wrapped up our food tour! We had a great time with Caroline as our guide, who is simply brimming with information and passion for the Puerto Rican food scene and the culture. She took some time after the tour to share her favorite foodie destinations in the city, and we left with a list of at least a dozen new restaurants to try.

I fully enjoyed this food tour, which not only lets you sample bites of the traditional cuisine, but also is a guided tour around the historical center of the city with lots of both historical and culture information.

To book your own food tour head on over to Spoon Food Tours. We went on the sunset walk and taste 4pm tour, but there are lots of other tours to choose from. The total tour price with tax + fees for the evening tour is $105, and while this seems like a lot, you need to view this not just as a dinner with drinks and dessert, but a full tour experience where you also have a guided city tour built in as well. If you have dietary restrictions the evening tour will be able to accommodate them.

For a quick and easy getaway, Puerto Rico is a no-brainer. With direct flights from 20 U.S. cities, and no passport needed to gain entry for U.S. citizens, traveling to the island is a breeze. Plus, the island’s rich culture will make you feel like you’ve traveled somewhere exotic, even though you’re still on U.S. soil.

With 270 miles of coastline and several out islands, Puerto Rico beaches are hard to beat. Expect world-class surfing in Rincon, reefs teaming with marine life off the coast of Culebra, and prime sunset views in Aguadilla to name a few. It’s no wonder that many Puerto Rico beaches consistently rank among the best in the world.

Whether you’re looking to surf, snorkel or sunbathe, here are the best Puerto Rico beaches to visit.

Icacos

You’ll have to hire a boat to get to this small island off Puerto Rico’s east coast, but the trek is worth the effort. In Fajardo, book a private boat, or opt for a group catamaran snorkel tour. Icacos is serene and secluded — you’ll feel like you have your own private island for the day. Be sure to bring your own shade, snorkel gear, food, and drinks.

Flamenco Beach

Take a day trip to the island of Culebra, where Flamenco Beach is the most popular spot. It’s easy to see why: The crystal-clear shallow water is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. You’ll see a variety of fish, coral, and even an occasional sea turtle. Plenty of facilities and food stalls make it a great beach to laze the day away.

Domes Beach

This popular surfing beach near Rincon is set between the lighthouse and the domes of an inactive nuclear plant, hence the name. Watch the surfers or walk the trail to nearby Spanish Wall Beach. In the winter months, Domes Beach is a prime spot for whale watching.

Playa Caracas

Also known as Red Beach, this strand is located on Vieques, a small island 8 miles off Puerto Rico’s east coast. Within Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, this unspoiled beach doesn’t offer many facilities, save a few picnic gazebos and barbecue grills. Bring an umbrella, a chair and your favorite book and spend the day amid the gorgeous scenery.

Luquillo Beach

Located near El Yunque National Forest, this beach is the perfect afternoon stop after a morning spent hiking the rain forest. It’s one of the best beaches for swimming on the mainland of Puerto Rico. Rent a kayak or try out flyboarding. Luquillo is also famous for its food kiosks. With an array of local street food, you won’t go hungry at this beach.

Isla Palominos

Palomino Island is a beautiful private island off the east coast of Puerto Rico. The island is reserved for guests of El Conquistador, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, but day passes are also available. Palomino’s smaller sister island, Palominito, was used as a backdrop in the movie * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides*.

Isla Verde

Lined with resorts ranging from budget to high-end, this is one of San Juan’s most popular beaches, drawing both tourists and locals. If you’re looking for nightlife, this is the place to be — many of the resorts feature casinos, lounges and nightclubs.

Isabela

If you enjoy hunting for shells or checking out tide pools you will love Isabela. Located on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico, the rocky shoreline is full of sea biscuits, sand dollars, and tide pools. Make sure you wear water shoes and watch out for anemones.

Crash Boat Beach

Located near Aguadilla on Puerto Rico’s west coast is Crash Boat Beach. Restaurants, snorkeling, scuba diving, and hanging out with friends are the main attractions here. Grab a drink and relax on the beach to have a front row seat to a breathtaking sunset. If you want to explore a bit more, down the road is another fantastic beach, Playa Las Ruinas, named for its location near the ruins of an old lighthouse dating to 1889.

Playa Sucia

Off the beaten path on the southwest tip of Puerto Rico, there is a small dispute over the name of this beach, as some locals refer to it as La Playuela. One thing that’s undisputed: it’s beauty. TripAdvisor consistently ranks the beach as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Bring sturdy shoes and start your trip at the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. From the top of the limestone cliffs, you’ll get a breathtaking view of the beach before the short hike down to enjoy it.