Experience Puerto Rico

To truly experience Puerto Rico you need to explore the island, taste the foods, meet the people and feel the rhythms.

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A Time Capsule
Top 10 Musts for Experiencing Puerto Rico
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Welcome to Puerto Rico!

It's simply incredible that so much natural beauty, dramatic history and vibrant culture can be packed into just 3,500 square miles. Puerto Rico is living proof that big things can come in small packages, as the island's attributes, vitality and reputation far exceed its physical boundaries. It's both old-world and cosmopolitan, ancient and modern, tranquil and vivacious, Latin and North American—and with a fusion of influences so distinct, it's like nowhere else on Earth.

From feeling the rush of water as you body raft down the Tanamá River to listening to the sweet song of our native coqui to smelling the aroma of our mountain-grown coffee, there's no end to the indulging of senses here. Modern-day urban life mingles comfortably with stunning historical sites, some of which are 500 years old and beyond. Puerto Rico is rich in character and cosmopolitan verve, as well as plentiful in cultural influences—world-class restaurants, sensational shopping, top resorts and a sizzling nightlife. Our music—spicy, sensuous and contagiously rhythmic—is a special source of pride. Our native beauty, in both people and vistas, has made the island a household name. Puerto Ricans have a Latin sensibility, a Caribbean flair and a North American savvy, yet possess a strong national identity. But it's our openness and warmth that draw people from all over the world to visit and, often, to stay and echar raíces—sprout roots and settle here. Being Puerto Rican, after all, is almost a frame of mind.

A Time Capsule
Highlights in Puerto Rico's History

100 A.D.	The earliest known inhabitants of Borikén or Borinquen (as the island was called) migrate to the island.
600	Taino Indians establish settlements on the island.
1493	Carib Indians invade the island's shores, while Christopher Columbus claims the island for Spain and names it San Juan Bautista.
1508	Ponce de León began colonization on the island and renamed it Puerto Rico.
1518	The first West African slaves are brought to Puerto Rico.
1791	The modernization of the island's sugar industry begins.
1798-1810	The sugar, rum and coffee trade between the U.S. and Puerto Rico blossoms.
1868	Revolutionaries take the town of Lares and declare Puerto Rico a republic; however, the uprising fails.
1873	Slavery is abolished on the island.
1897	Spain charters Puerto Rico as an autonomous state under a Spanish governor.
1898	U.S. forces invade Puerto Rico, ending the Spanish-American War, and Spain cedes the island to the United States.
1917	The Jones Act grants islanders U.S citizenship.
1947	With U.S. Congressional approval, Puerto Ricans draft their own constitution and are given the right to elect their first governor.
1952	Puerto Rico becomes a U.S. Commonwealth.

Top 10 Musts for Experiencing Puerto Rico

Step into a waterfall at El Yunque forest.
Fly a kite on the grass of El Morro Fort.
Head to Piñones on a Sunday afternoon for a stroll on the boardwalk and a hot bacalaíto (flat codfish fritter).
Visit each of the plazas in Old San Juan.
Visit one of the bioluminescent bays on a moonless night.
Drink coconut water out of the coconut.
Visit the lechoneras of Guavate and sample the spit-roasted pork.
Dance at a patron saint's festival.
Enjoy a sunset in Rincón.
Try a piragua (shaved ice with sweet fruit syrup).

Find out what's in store across the island; Old San Juan, Ponce, Dorado, Fajardo, Vieques and Culebra. Puerto Rico offers interesting sightseeing, cultural events and activities for everyone!

For exceptional ideas about how to make the most of your visit, see Things To Do & See and our Dining and Shopping guides!