Puerto Rico can be called the best place to relax in the Caribbean for a number of reasons. This island is a real natural pearl for tourists, beach travelers, the fans of surfing and those who like to wander around the tropical jungle.
In addition, Puerto Rico offers great vacation opportunities for adventure seekers. The enormous amount of local entertainment and leisure facilities are simply amazing: historical sights, incredible wonders of nature, local shops, iconic restaurants, and breathtaking night clubs – there’re everything you need. The island is suitable for family vacation, honeymoon holiday, and for a relaxing beach rest. Here’re some of the best sights to see on Puerto Rico:
#1. El Yunque National Forest
Just 50 kilometers away from San Juan there’s a wonderful oasis of natural origin – El Yunque National Park. It takes about 35 minutes to reach it by Payless car rental at San Juan Airport.
This is the only tropical rainforest that has received the status of a US National Park. Among the lush greenery of the park, travelers will see hundreds of rivers and lakes, small waterfalls, as well as amazing plants and rare animals. The local flora and fauna is very diverse: hundreds of species of ferns and mangroves with an unusual root system, 60-meter half-century trees, and a special kind of frogs, which emit strange sounds of bird singing are presented there.
Waterfalls, morning fog, caused by a large amount of precipitation, and lost paths make El Yunque Park a special and charming place.
#2. Río Camuy Cave Park
Río Camuy Cave Park is the world’s biggest cave system located in the northwest of Puerto Rico. It was created thanks to the Camuy River, which carries its waters into the Atlantic Ocean and for many years has eroded over 200 caves.
However, only a few of them are open to the public. Visitors can go down in a special trailer into the well of the cave, admiring the abundant vegetation that covers the walls. Excursion programs allow you to come to the amazement of the scale of one of the halls with a height of more than 20 meters, and enjoy rafting on an underground river. The cave system is not fully explored and keeps many secrets.
In the caves you can see stalactites and stalagmites of fanciful form, as well as ancient petroglyphs of the Taino Indians. The Cueva Ventana cave, which is nearby, is worth a visit. One of its exits is located at a considerable height, and from this spot you’ll have a magnificent view of the valley of the Río Grande de Arecibo.
#3. Mosquito Bay
The southern part of Vieques Island holds a certain secret – Mosquito Bay amazes visitors with its peculiarity. You can visit this amazing lagoon during the day to swim and see the marine life. However, at night and you should make a kayak trip and see an exciting light show. At night, the water around moving objects begins to glow due to the bioluminescence of zooplankton living there. This happens due to the presence of millions of microorganisms capable of photosynthesis. A walk on kayaks along the bay provides an opportunity to see a non-trivial spectacle, when thousands of bright lights of water spaces and stars in the sky merge together.
#4. Arecibo Observatory
In the magnificent mountains of the northwestern part of Puerto Rico you’ll find the largest radio telescope in the world, which has long been one of the attractions of the island. Funded by the Cornwall University and the US government, it has been used for many years to search for extraterrestrial life forms. Also, there is a first-class Museum of Science and Space, located directly under the impressive telescope plate, whose diameter reaches 305 meters.
In the Information Center of the Observatory visitors can see expositions on astronomy. What’s more, the huge radio telescope antenna, which can be viewed from a special observation platform, appeared several Hollywood films.
Inside the science center, scientists provide interactive excursions on the work of the radio telescope and the structure of our universe. The observation deck offers an opportunity to assess the enormous scale of the radio-device.
#5. Flamenco Beach
If someone will ask you to describe your ideal beach, most likely you would call Flamenco Beach occupying a small coastal area on Culebra Island. This is an amazingly beautiful U-shaped bay featuring white soft sand, transparent turquoise water, magnificent palm trees, lush vegetation and a calm lagoon.
This is a vivid embodiment of the dream of a paradise of Earth, where you can spend your ideal vacation. Palms adjoin straight to a strip of white sand, and numerous tropical fish swim right on the shallows. The clear waters of Flamenco Beach are typically calm, thus providing excellent conditions for snorkeling. The kiosks along the beach offer local snacks from fresh seafood, as well as rental sun loungers and umbrellas for a reasonable fee. The beach is easily accessible, being the only place on the island where camping is allowed. Thus, Flamenco can be called one of the best Caribbean beaches.
