Puerto Rico Things To Do

Many trips to the Caribbean islands seem to involve, at some point, a boat, and some sort of taxi. It’s the nature of things for a trip to the Caribbean to involve a lot of travel – and by travel I mean “movement.” If you’re point of interest is a cultural hotspot, you’ll likely be moving to a city center. If it’s the beach, you’ll likely be headed to a different part of the island. This is not so in San Juan. Both the cultural capital of Puerto Rico and a sunny beach stop, once you get to San Juan, it’s the city itself that seems to move around you, and what a pleasure it is.

One of Puerto Rico’s top natural wonders, bioluminescent bays, or “bio bays,” are bodies of water that contain millions of micro-organisms that emit a fluorescent glow. Bioluminescence occurs when the micro-organisms—actually a type of marine plankton known as dinoflagellates—are agitated or disturbed causing them to illuminate. When disturbed all at once, a high concentration of dinoflagellates in the water can cause the bay to appear as if it is glowing. Kayaking in Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bay is one of the best ways to experience this fascinating natural phenomenon.

Though a traditional Christmas may seem like snow-capped pine trees, icicles dangling precariously from rooftops, ice-skating on the frozen pond, and whipped hot-chocolate in every caroler’s hand, there is an entirely different way to do things. A Christmas spent in Puerto Rico will be unlike any other in that the warm tropical climate and the gentle breaking of the ocean will fill your holiday dreams with sand and “aguinaldos” (traditional Christmas carols).

Vieques is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico that’s located eight miles (13 km) off the eastern coast of mainland Puerto Rico in the Spanish Virgin Islands. Interestingly, Vieques was used as a military base by the United States Navy for more than five decades, during which time the island was largely closed off to visitors. The Navy withdrew from Vieques in 2003, leaving much of the island largely undeveloped. The former military base comprised roughly two-thirds of the island, split between the east and west ends and has since been declared a National Wildlife Refuge by the federal Fish and Wil