Travel to Puerto Rico: So Close and So Unique
The beauty of the Caribbean for Canadians like myself is that it is so close and easy to get to, in addition of course to its natural beauty. For Americans, Puerto Rico is an even more unique destination. As an unincorporated US territory, US citizens currently do not have to have a passport to travel there. We had a couple of brief visits there in 2019 as our cruise departed from San Juan. Never ones to miss out on an opportunity to see and experience a new region, we flew in a few days early and spent some time exploring the capital, San Juan.
About Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles and is located between the Dominican Republic and the British and US Virgin Islands. It is a little over 9,000 square kilometres in size (over 3,400 square miles) with about 3.2 million residents. Puerto Rico has a complicated political history; it is neither an independent country nor a state, but a territory of the United States. Residents of Puerto Rico cannot however, vote in the US elections. Spanish and English are the official languages although you may also hear a combination of the two.
The country’s main industry is manufacturing, especially chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and electronics. It is not considered a wealthy country as compared to the US but its people have a fairly good standard of living as compared to other Caribbean countries. The most popular sport is baseball, while basketball, and boxing are also popular. The best time of year to visit is from December through March.
Where to Stay
The hotel where we stayed is now the Condado Palm Inn by Hilton. It has been significantly renovated since our stay and features an outdoor pool, fitness centre, and a restaurant on site. It is about 5 km (3.1 miles) away from Old San Juan and 9 km from the airport (5.6 miles) and is only a block away from the beach.
What to Do
We didn’t have a lot of time in Puerto Rico but we tried to make the most of it. Our favourite activities were:
Castillo San Felipe del Morro – this fortress, more commonly known as El Morro, is in the historical section of San Juan. Built over a period of about 200 years, it stands guard at the entrance to the harbour. We spent a few hours here as it is large and impressive. We also had a very quick tour through another fort, Castillo San Cristobal.
Casa Bacardi Rum Factory – we enjoy drinking rum so what better place to learn all about it. Casa Bacardi was easy to get to on our own. We caught a ferry from Pier 2 in Old San Juan for 50 cents each way and then it was a short taxi ride on the other side to the rum factory. We did the fairly basic Legacy Tour where we learned about the history of Bacardi and where the bat logo came from. Following that we enjoyed a couple of mojitos on their patio.
Old San Juan and the Barrachina Restaurant – Old San Juan is one of those areas you can walk through and imagine life there hundreds of years ago. The cobblestone streets and old buildings are in direct contrast to the modern cars driving by. Be sure not to miss the “umbrella street”, Calle de la Fortaleza, and include a tour of the governor’s mansion, La Fortaleza. And if you enjoy rum drinks like I do, seek out the Barrachina for a refreshing Pina Colada. While there is some discussion about where this drink was actually created, the Barrachina appears to be where, in 1963, don Ramon Portas Mingot first made this delicious concoction.
Next Time in Puerto Rico
Our time in Puerto Rico was short, and we didn’t get outside of San Juan at all. There were some things I would like to go back and do, including kayaking in the Bioluminescent Bay and possibly hiking in the El Yunque National Forest. We tried to book the kayaking but we weren’t there at a good time for it. Apparently the nights right before and right after a new moon are the best so I would plan another trip with that timing in mind. I would likely stay in another part of the island, possibly at Villa Sirena Buye in Cabo Rojo or Seagate Hotel in Isla de Vieques.
