Travel to Puerto Rico for Many Reasons

Image by Andries3 via FlickrAs we head into winter traveling to San Juan Puerto Rico looks better and better. Whenever it gets cold people want to travel to warmer climates. There are many great reasons to think of traveling to Puerto Rico.

San Juan boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. With white sand and green water, you can't help but sit back and relax with your feet in the warm Caribbean sea. Another plus is that San Juan is just a short flight away from many other Caribbean islands, such as Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and also St. Thomas.

The Le Lo Lai festival goes on all year round and showcases the heritages of the local people, who are of Indian, African, and Spanish backgrounds. This festival is another great reason to travel to Puerto Rico.

Another wonderful reason to visit is Fort Cristobal. It is one of the oldest and largest fortresses built in the Americas. It has over 100 foot walls that look graceful and powerful when the ocean's waves crash into them. There are also guided tours in English and Spanish.

Travel to Puerto Rico offers quite a bit, there is more to do and experience than just the beautiful weather.

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Puerto Rico has a Lot to Offer

Image via WikipediaPuerto Rico that is officially known as commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an autonomously governed body of the United States of America situated in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Puerto Rico is an archipelago consisted of main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands and Keys.

The island is rich in a number of beautiful locations around it. Its central mountain range goes as high as 1,338 meter at Cerro de Punta and it is the only tropical rainforest in the United States. El Yunque in Puerto Rico is quite popular for its beaches, turquoise waters and soft yellow sand. It is a great tourist center and a number of cultures get merges here and nightlife here is exceptional beyond the expectation of a person to enjoy it.

Puerto Rico features two main beaches - Puerto Rico Beach and Amadores Beach. Puerto Rico Beach lies between two harbors and is full of soft golden sand that kids love to make into huge sandcastles. The clear waters offer fantastic opportunities to go scuba diving and dolphin-watching on one of the many boats available. A path links the two beaches and the views along the way make the walk worthwile - plus, the waters at Amadores are perfect for cooling off!

Puerto Rico has three of the large commercial centres that are common to the tourist areas of Gran Canaria, the largest of these being the Centro Civico that offers everything from souvenir shops to supermarkets, restaurants to bars. The bars around Puerto Rico provide a lively nightlife for all which lasts until the early hours of the morning.

Close to the Centro Civico is the picturesque marina that exhibits luxurious yachts and is the main place where holiday makers have their choice of sedate or extreme water sports to try out depending on their level of daring!

Getting around Puerto Rico is extremely easy and the surrounding areas of Gran Canaria. Air-conditioned buses run frequently and taxis are both safe to use and extremely cheap. There is plenty of activites around the resort such as mini-golf, squash and tennis courts and of course there is always the mandatory trip to the Aqua Park which provides a fun and sun filled day for everyone, with thrills and spills on the hair raising waterslides!

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Puerto Rico: Not just a Beautiful Beach Destination

When individuals decide to make Puerto Rico their vacation destination, they normally do so for the warm water, sandy beaches and exciting nightlife that only Puerto Rican travel can offer. However there are many interesting points about Puerto Rico that most people do not know.

For one, did you know the world's largest single dish radio telescope makes its home in Puerto Rico? Most people do not. However, this telescope, which is the world's most sensitive radio telescope can be found in the Arecibo hills. This huge dish is a sight to see, measuring 1000 feet in diameter and spanning around 20 acres. If you are a James Bond fan and have seen the movie Goldeneye, you might remember the telescope. James Bond and his villainous foe had their final showdown at this very place, showcasing the huge telescope.

If you have ever wanted to visit a tropical rain forest, but didn't think you would ever get to do so, your visit to Puerto Rico can double as an exotic rain forest adventure. A few hours trip from San Juan is EL Yunque, which can lay claim to being the United States National Forest System's only tropical rainforest. You can view beautiful flowers, exotic birds and witness the beautiful waterfalls that only a rain forest can offer.

If you have an interest in historic buildings, visit one of the two oldest churches left in the Americas. The Iglesia de San Jose was built during the 1530's. This church is actually the Western Hemisphere's second oldest church. Even more famous than the Iglesia de San Jose is the Cathedral de San Juan. This church was built even earlier, in the 1520's and has remained despite being looted, falling victim of two hurricanes and also various attacks through the years. If you visit this Cathedral, which is Puerto Rico's most significant religious landmark, you can see the mummy of a saint which is encased in glass and Ponce de Leon's remains.

If food and drink are more your style, you might be interested to know that Puerto Rico supplies over 70% of the rum that is sold in the United States. Rum is the chief export of Puerto Rico and has been produced here for around 400 years. Puerto Rican's are serious about their rum, so much that they are the world's only rum producer to have a minimum aging law. Rum lovers can choose from the three categories of rum; light, dark and aged, also known as anejo.

If none of this information interests you and you are only interested in Puerto Rico for its beautiful beaches, you are still in luck. Puerto Rico is home to over 270 miles of beach land. Tourists can choose from beaches where surfing is the main attraction to those that host tranquil, more calm waters. You can also choose from quite, secluded destinations to those more crowed resort front properties. Puerto Rican beaches are both varied and beautiful.

In Puerto Rico you can find something for everyone, whether you wish to just lie on the beach and soak up some sun or if you would rather enjoy all the interesting destinations and attractions that it has to offer.

Christmas in Puerto Rico

Image by scaturchio via Flickr
If you are an individual that is really into the Christmas holidays, but you really do not want to spend them in the United States, you may want to seriously consider Puerto Rico. Not only would you get to enjoy all of the Puerto Rican Christmas traditions, but you could also do so while enjoying the warm weather and sandy beaches. A Puerto Rican Christmas doesn't traditionally last only twelve days, as many of the festivities begin in November and last far into the New Year. There are some beautiful island traditions that are included in the festivities and well known through out Puerto Rico.

In Puerto Rico, beginning on December 15th and ending on December 24th, the local churches hold something called misas de aguinaldo. These are masses that begin at dawn and feature the singing of Christmas Carols, which are called aguinaldos. As far as festivities that include aguinaldos are concerned, Puerto Rican Christmas carolers are definitely not in short supply. Carolers, locally translated as parranada begin their neighborhood treks in late November and they continue into January. If you are someone that truly enjoys listening to Christmas Carlos and loves the thought of this Christmas tradition, spending a vacation being able to listen to these eager carolers may be just the treat you are looking for.

While Christmas Day is huge in Puerto Rico, Christmas Eve is even more popular. This does not exclude the feasts that is prepared for this festive holiday. On Christmas Eve a traditional Puerto Rican dinner awaits the table of most all of Puerto Rico's inhabitants. It is typically a dinner that consists of roasted pork and rice and beans. If you are tired of the traditional Christmas turkey and dressing, this traditional Puerto Rican feast may be a very welcome part of your Puerto Rican holiday.

After the traditional Puerto Rico feast, individuals attend a midnight mass, which is known in the native language as Misa de Gallo or Rooster's Mass. This mass comes complete with Christmas music and possibly a live nativity scene.

If you can extend your Puerto Rico holiday trip into the New Year, you will have a chance to enjoy Ano Viejo, which is New Year's Eve. The natives enjoy fireworks and a tradition of eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight. Eating the grapes is supposed to bring good luck for the New Year. If you look closely, you can also witness some individuals sprinkling sugar in their front yards. This is also a traditional good luck practice. You can also take part in the annual party that is thrown by the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.

As you can see, Puerto Rico has much more to offer than just sandy beaches and warm calming waters. If you aren't sure that you want to spend Christmas at home this year, try looking into a Puerto Rican Christmas Vacation. Odds are you will be very pleased with all of the festivities that you can participate in and will have a Christmas you will never forget.

Get Ready to Travel to Puerto Rico

Image via Wikipedia
San Juan, Puerto Rico--Ole!

If you are looking to travel to Puerto Rico and you aren't sure which area you should visit first, don't forget to visit San Juan. San Juan, also known as La Ciudad Amurallada, is one of the major ports and tourists resorts in the West Indies. In the city of San Juan, you will find three areas that are very distinct; the outlying communities of San Juan, Old San Juan and the Resort and Beach areas.

One of the points of interest that you definitely want to visit is Old San Juan. This community is over 465 years old and was originally a stronghold for the military. It encompasses an area of seven square blocks and has both a commercial district and a lovely residential neighborhood. While you are in Old San Juan, you will want to visit one of its many plazas and enjoy the museums that tell the history of this gorgeous city. You will be entranced at all of the history that will unfold right before your eyes, both in the museums and as you are walking through the streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Let us not forget the beaches. San Juan is filled with warm sandy beaches, surrounded by beautiful glistening blue green water. The Beach and Resort area of San Juan begins right outside of Old San Juan. The four areas that are included in the Beach and Resort area are Condado, Miramar, Isla Verde and Ocean Park. In these areas, you can lie on the beach and enjoy what has attracted individuals to Puerto Rico for many many years. But, not only will you find the beautiful beaches, you will also be able to enjoy fine dining at the restaurants, gamble to your hearts content at the casinos and shop till you drop at the chic boutiques.

There is a lot to do in San Juan Puerto Rico and the night life is no exception. The areas of old San Juan offer nightclubs for those individuals that are not done with their day when the sun goes down. There are many nightclubs in the Old San Juan area for these individuals to enjoy. If you are visiting Old San Juan, you can a enjoy a night out on the town after basking in the sun.

So, when you are visiting beautiful Puerto Rico, do not forget to spend some time in San Juan. Not only is it one of the most beautiful areas in Puerto Rico, it also has a lot to offer those that spend time there.

Puerto Rico and Art

When most people think of vacationing in Puerto Rico they are not necessarily thinking of the type of scenery they can experience except the natural type. However, Puerto Rico while a beautiful island is not just known for that. There are many talented and prolific artists in this beautiful land.

Puerto Rico is filled with many beautiful galleries and museums that are brimming with wonderful and colorful native artists. Many are in the capital of San Juan but there are great ones outside the city as well. The Centro de Artes Populares is a well known center for Puerto Rican Artists. Information on it follows below taken from the site Puerto Rican Painter dot com.

Centro de Artes Populares
( San Juan , Puerto Rico )

This restored colonial building houses the Popular Arts Center of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena. Three galleries hold changing exhibitions of works by Puerto Rican artisans. There is also a shop on the premises that offers a diverse selection of crafts, ranging from traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments, such as the cuatro, to santos , the carved wooden saints for which the island is famous. Jewelry, straw hats, pottery, furniture, sculptures, rugs and prints of typical Puerto Rican life round out the inventory.
253 Calle Cristo
Old San Juan
1/787/723-1773
Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm
Free admission