The Island of Enchantment

Puerto Rico is a beautiful island in the Caribbean about the size of the state of Connecticut. Following the Spanish-American war in 1898, the U.S. acquired Puerto Rico under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. As a result, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and its inhabitants are U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico has a tropical climate with the average daily temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The people of Puerto Rico are generous beautiful people whose official languages are Spanish and English. Puerto Ricans are very proud of their culture and overcoming obstacles within their complicated history.

The main land of Puerto Rico is said to be in the shape of a pig with smaller islands off its coast line, such as Vieques, Culebra, and other smaller islands. Vieques is a beautiful island of the main island’s eastern coast. It is known for its bioluminescent bay where microorganisms glow in the clear blue-green water.  Vieques is also known for its wild horses that roam free over different parts of the island. Let us not forget the beaches, as Vieques has some of the most beautiful beaches and one particular beach Playa Negrita (Negra) boasts black sand. If you are one who likes less of a crowd, then Culebra is the island for you. Culebra has beautiful beaches, hiking, and a great place to enjoy water sports like snorkeling, riding in a catamaran, kayaking, etc. 

On the main island there are many sights to see from beautiful beaches, Old San Juan, El Yunque (rain forest), explore Parque Nacional de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy (cave system located in Camuy), enjoy an authentic Lechonera, visit one of the kioskos in Luquillo near Fajardo, and many other wonderful things to do on the island.

In Old San Juan learn about the local history when visiting San Cristobal and San Felipe del Morro. Walk the streets of Old San Juan and explore the colorful buildings, restaurants, various shops, and the Pan America Pier located south of Old San Juan where the cruise ships dock. If you are a lover of nature visit El Yunque where you can walk the trails through the rainforest to La Mina waterfall and Mount Britton. In the south view the petroglyphs created by the indigenous Taino people. In the evening the rainforest comes alive with the sound of the Coqui (tree frogs) endemic to Puerto Rico. The calls the Coqui make in the evening are only by the males and serves two purposes: 1) repel males and establish territory and 2) attracting females.

The Rio Camuy Cave Park is an incredible 268-acre location of subterranean caves carved out by the Camuy River. Camuy is an amazing sight to see!  You enter the cave in via a trolley ride then a guide will walk you through the cave on a tour explaining the geologic and ecosystem of the area. While walking through the cave you will notice guano left behind by the current residents and if you are lucky you may get the pleasure of seeing one up close. Once leaving the cave, make sure to stop and get some ice cream, it’s amazing and there are some flavors you will want to try like corn ice cream. 

Puerto Rico has some amazing food like lechon (roasted pork), a good restaurant to visit for lechon is Lechonera Los Pinos. If you visit the kioskos in Luquillo, you can experience fresh lobster, grouper and other fresh fish, mofongo, arroz can gandules, tostones, pasteles, and many more flavorful dishes. Many restaurants around the island offer many delicious foods and offer entertainment.

Visit Puerto Rico and immerse yourself in the Puerto Rican culture.  There is nothing like experiencing this magical island first hand.  If you have been to Puerto Rico, please share your experience. Visit Ketour Travel’s website (https://ketourtravel.com) read the blogs and updates on current and future trips. Do not forget to subscribe to the newsletter, follow Ketour on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.