Puerto Rico: Old San Juan, Tropical Rainforest, and Pristine Beaches
Table of Contents
Story and photos by Scott Kendall
Just southeast of Cuba and Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico is a unique beautiful island in the Atlantic Ocean. Puerto Rico is delightful combination of pristine beaches, intriguing world history, Old San Juan, and even a tropical rainforest. With friendly locals, fantastic food, and a nice array of local beers and spirits, Puerto Rico has something for everyone
For centuries, Puerto Rico had been an important military post for the Spaniards. With a long history of exploration, wars, and conflicts, Puerto Rico was key part of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean until the Spanish-American War of 1898. Since then, Puerto Rico has been a possession of the United States, with talk of statehood every now and then.
Puerto Rico on the Map in the Northeastern Caribbean
Old San Juan
No visit to Puerto Rico would be complete without a visit to Old San Juan. Historic forts, homes, and stories seem to hide around every corner. We were happy to see a free walking tour hosted by Guru Tours. Our tour leader, Alfredo, was fantastic, and we were happy to leave a nice tip at the end of our tour of Old San Juan.
Don’t-miss sites include Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro. Originally started in 1539 with major additions in 1587 and throughout the next century, El Morro is a walled fortification on the northwestern tip of Old San Juan. It was a critical defender for the island against enemies for centuries. Over two million visitors a year explore this Castillo, which was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1983.
Historical Sites in Old San Juan
History lovers should not miss Saint Christopher’s Castle, the largest Spanish fort built in the America’s to help defend the city. Other historical and architectural masterpieces include San Juan Baptista Cathedral, built in 1540, and Capilla del Cristo, a small sanctuary built to honor the saints of health.
Other fascinating sites are the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, built in the 19th century, and Teatro Tapia, one of the oldest theaters still in use under the American flag. Another famous, slightly newer building dating from 1917 is the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico, a Beaux Arts architecture style building in Old San Juan.
Beaches in Puerto Rico
As an island in northeast Caribbean Sea, you would expect Puerto Rico to have lots of beaches. And you would be right. With over 270 miles of shoreline, some of the best beaches in North America call Puerto Rico home. Visitors and locals get to choose from almost 300 beaches in this tropical paradise.
Whether you want to lay in the sand, swim, snorkel, scuba dive, jet ski, paddleboard, or even surf, Puerto Rico’s beaches got you covered. Flamenco Beach, La Playuela, Cayo Icacos, the family friendly La Monserrate in Loquillo, and more are calling your name.
El Yunque, the only Tropical Rainforest in the US National Forest Service
Tropical Rainforest, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest Service. The 29,000 acres in northeastern Puerto Rico has an average temperature of 73 degrees and high rainfall makes for the perfect climate for vegetation to flourish. In addition to hiking the lush mountainous terrain, visitors can enjoy other features of El Yunque. Jump into the deep water of the Rio Grande River or whiz down the natural rock slide.
Eat in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has many fantastic restaurants to sample. Many serve Puerto Rican specialties, often referred to as Cucina Criolla. Popular Puerto Rican dishes include Mofongo, plantains, arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), pasteles (plantain cakes), tostones (twice fried plantain slices), cuchifritos (fried appetizers), and flan de queso (cream cheese dessert). Historically, these Cucina Criolla foods are traditionally paired with local beer or rum with cola or fruit juice.
Limbers and Mojitos, Ice-Cold Puerto Rican Treats
Limbers and Mojitos are the perfect treat for those warm Puerto Rican afternoons. Limbers are the local version of shaved iced and come in a wide variety of refreshing flavors. Common flavors are Mango, Papaya, Strawberry, Guava, Pineapple, Coconut, and Passion Fruit are just a few of the many choices. I especially appreciated my Passion Fruit Limber as we stopped at a streetside vendor during our tour of Old San Juan.
Mojitos are also very popular, but have the added punch of alcohol. These adults beverages consist of rum mixed with mint, lime, sugar, and a touch of club soda. Many versions of mojitos also include various fruits flavors. Mango, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, ginger and lemongrass are some popular flavors used in mojitos.
Costa Azul in San Juan
Whenever we travel, my wife and I try to pick at least one “fine dining” experience. We were pleased with this find close to our bnb in the neighborhood of San Juan just west of the airport. My wife and I enjoyed a quiet table in the back of the restaurant. Our very personable waiter quickly became our best friend, and we were on our way to a lovely evening. My wife ordered the Snapper with Risotto, and I devoured my lamb chops and mashed potatoes. A Decoy Canvasback Red wine complemented our dishes. The special dessert also sounded fantastic, but we were already comfortably full and passed.
Ferrari Gourmet in San Juan
Ferrari Gourmet was a wonderful recommendation by our Uber driver. A short walk from our bnb, this hidden gem fed six hungry visitors one night. We all left with a full tummy and a smile on our face. The warm, personal service, fabulous food, and reasonable prices made Ferrari Gourmet one of our favorite places to eat and drink in Puerto Rico.
Two of us ordered the Shrimp Scampi, a perfectly seasoned dish with tender shrimp and a light sauce with white wine, onions, and peppers. I would order it again in a heartbeat. Other winners were the Pork Medallions and the Antipasto appetizer with prosciutto, salami, manchego cheese, tomato slices, hard boiled eggs, olives and focaccia toast – a full meal for one of our group.
Puerto Rico is Calling You
So come visit Puerto Rico. This paradise in the Caribbean has so much to offer. Intriguing history, pristine beaches, fabulous food, a tropical rainforest, tasty food, and so much more. With so much more to see, I’m sure we will be back soon to visit the friendly folks in Puerto Rico.
Click below to see some of the top travel books about Puerto Rico.
Scott Kendall is the Founder, Editor, and frequent contributor to PlayStayEat. He is a former Navy Officer, teacher and tennis coach who is an avid traveler and writer. Scott has traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas to Italy, France, England, Croatia, Slovenia, and others. In addition to his contributions to PlayStayEat, much of his published work can be seen at scottkendalltravels.com.