| Puerto Rico |
| Puerto Rico is a tropical island nation that is located in the Caribbean sea. It is one of the oldest colonies in the new world so in addition to its nice weather and beautiful beaches, it is filled with lots of history as well. Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico on his second voyage in 1493, and the island was then colonized by the Spanish. For hundreds of years the Spanish controlled Puerto Rico and other colonies in the Caribbean until the Spanish American war in the late 1800s. During the war the United States invaded Puerto Rico and it was signed over to the Americans with the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Today Puerto Rico is a mix of both Spanish and American cultures. The official language is still Spanish though the far majority of the population speak English as well. |
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| The first governor of Puerto Rico took office in San Juan in 1508. A decade and a half later, the San Jose church was built in 1522 and is still in use today. On the left is a picture of the church which is the second oldest in the western hemisphere. Since it is now an American territory, San Juan is the oldest city that flys the American flag. On the right is a photo of the capitol building in San Juan that was built by the Americans and finished in 1929. |
| San Juan was protected by early colonial defenses such as Fort San Felipe De Morro as seen above. San Felipe was finished in 1539 but during the next 400 years it continued to be improved. The forts were used many times in wars against other colonial powers in the area. During World War II the United States added a modern bunker which you can see to the left of the flags, it was used to watch for enemy subs and ships trying to sneak into the Caribbean. Below are photos of coloinal cannons and the inner areas of the fort where people lived. |
| While Puerto Rico has its history, it also knows how to have a good time. A big export of Puerto Rico is rum, most famous their brand Bacardi. On the left is the Bacardi facility, the largest rum distillery in the world located in San Juan. After you've bought your rum you can then head out to one of the many beaches on the island. The beach photo above is from Luquillo which is just east of the capital. |
| If you have seen the movie James Bond Goldeneye, then you might remember the very end where 007 was trying to stop a satellite from launching an EMP into Great Britian. In the movie the location was Cuba, but the Arecibo Observatory is actually located in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately it was closed when I went so that was the best photo I could get. The Observatory can look at other planets and stars and because of its location near the equator it can view all of our planets. The observatory actually has largest electromagnetic-wave gathering capacity in the world and below the cradle area you see is a 305 meter dome. |
| Another attraction is El Yunque which is Puerto Rico's largest national park. it is a rainforest located less than an hour from the capital. El Yunque has many trails to hike and is very well maintained. They have certain peaks that reach up to 1000 meters and can take up to 2 hours to hike. You can see what the vegetation looks like in above, while on the right you can see one of the paths going between two large rocks. |
| Above are two birds I caught on camera while hiking in El Yunque. I also saw a humming bird and a mongoose on the trail but they both didn't stay around long and left before I could get any photos. The first bird is the Bananaquit, on the right is the Puerto Rican Tody |
| El Yunque isn't the only place to see wildlife, these photos above and on the right where taken throughout Puerto Rico. The colorful tree above is actually natural, to the right is a lizard and a common cattle egret I came across. |
| While most of Puerto Rico is wet jungle and rainforests, the southwestern part has a different place known as Guanica. The area is very dry and includes the national park Guanica Dry Forest which is one of Puerto Rico's largest. The area has large cactus and the area is very desert like, but like the rest of Puerto Rico, it still has great beaches. The photo on the left is of the Caribbean sea taken from Guanica, where many families go to relax. |
| Puerto Rico is a major tourist destination. Many people come to visit its beaches, rainforests, caves and to see its history. On the left is the customs building in the capital's harbor. There is almost always a large cruise ship docked in San Juan as tourists pour into the city daily arriving in the Old San Juan district as seen on the right. |
| Another fort only a mile away from San Felipe castle is Fort San Cristobal. It was built in the late 1700s and was the largest Fort built by the Spanish in the new world. I'm unsure why the Spanish built a second fort so close to San Felipe. |
| Unfortunately Puerto Rico is extremely Americanized, I don't think there is a place in the island that is less than 15 miles from a Burger King or McDonalds. As I explored the country I definitely could feel that it had an American influence. Some towns and neighborhoods still have the Caribbean atmosphere even though a fast food joint is around the corner. The upper left photo is of a neighborhood in Ponce in the south, on the right is Aguadilla on the western coast. The two photos below were taken from the western part of the country outside of Aguadilla. |
| Along the trails of El Yunque are some towers that have spiraling stairs to give you a good view. On the left you can see some of the dense rainforests that surrounds a peak. On the right is a photo of a flower I saw along the trail. |
| El Yunque has lots of great scenery and waterfalls. The first photo is of the silhouette of a tree during sunrise in the early morning, on the right is a waterfall that was located at the intersection of two different trails. |
| I was actually very surprised to learn that the 3rd largest river cave system is located in Puerto Rico. These four surrounding photos are all of the Rio Camuy park. The two photos above are of the main entrance which leads into a giant room that is over 200 feet in height and filled with thousands of bats, crickets and spiders and blind fish. You can actually fit a baseball stadium in this room! Below is an interesting stalactite. Another part of the cave once had a huge ceiling but it collapsed and formed a depression. The depth of the hole is huge and it is now filled with vegetation and wildlife. The river still flows and you can see it reenter the cave system to the bottom right. |
| Puerto Rico Links |
| Post a question or comment about traveling in Puerto Rico. |
Adriana from Puerto Rico: It is very beautiful it is the best country in PR ...PR is the best island ever ...!!!!
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George: Puerto Rico did have a reputation for high crime but this was normally not directed to tourists and in
either case it is much safer today. To me personally, Puerto Rico is very safe and not a place I would have any
worries about visiting. I found the people nice and helpful throughout the country and the only place I was told to
avoid was La Perla in the capital. Other than that just use common sense and you'll have a great time in Puerto
Rico!
either case it is much safer today. To me personally, Puerto Rico is very safe and not a place I would have any
worries about visiting. I found the people nice and helpful throughout the country and the only place I was told to
avoid was La Perla in the capital. Other than that just use common sense and you'll have a great time in Puerto
Rico!
Kewii from USA: hey im from Texas... but im not country and i love nature.. and i've dreamed of goin to PUERTO
RiCO for as long as i can remember. And i will go one day.. But is it as perfect as it seems? Are the beaches safe? And
the people, are they nice?
RiCO for as long as i can remember. And i will go one day.. But is it as perfect as it seems? Are the beaches safe? And
the people, are they nice?
