"Asturnut's Puerto Rico Page" a Puerto Rico Travel Page by asturnut

For anyone living in North America, Puerto Rico is an ideal tropical destination for several reasons.
Obviously, the location is a real plus, especially if you live on the eastern side of the continent. It isn't a fiasco of long flight after flight, like for example, trying to get to Hawaii or other Polynesian delights. Another bonus is that unlike many other carribean destinations, it hasn't been overrun with commercial tourism garbage. If you desire luxury accomodations, you can find that on Puerto Rico too, but without having the experience stripped of all it's culture. In PR you can have meaningful interaction with locals whether you are staying in modest hotel or opulent casino. And the #1 reason I love PR, is frankly, it's cheap without being cheap. Puerto Rico is an inexpensive and underrated tropical destination. You can have a traditional resort vacation or a "through the back door" travelers vacation for a real bargain on this wonderful little island. The airfare is extremely inexpensive, especially coming from the East Coast. I have seen fares as low as $150 roundtrip.

But to be honest, Puerto Rico is a beautiful island that is contrasted by the poverty of the people who live there. To get a real feel for Puerto Rico, you have to leave the resorts in San Juan and go into the countryside. You will be struck by how people, despite their destitute circumstances, can be so warm and friendly. If you happen to live in a city that has a large Puerto Rican population (as I do, with 45%), you may think you know something about them and their history and cultural identity. I can tell you, you're probably wrong. Until you see the Boricuas/Boriquen (the name for the indigenous population of PR- "Puerto Rican" is an english term) in their "natural habitat" you can't really appreciate what a special and interesting population they are. PR will give you the perspective you need to wear some of the raw edges off your predjudices and preconcieved notions about Puerto Rican culture.

While San Juan, especially the old part of the city, has many sites worth seeing, you should make a concerted effort to visit sites away from the capital city. Another popular destination is Camuy Caverns, which is worthy of a visit. Of course, guided tours are available to see the most popular sites. But Puerto Rico is a small enough island that you can rent a car and drive around yourself to see the sites off the beaten path on your own, which is what I recommend.

A good place to start:
http://welcome.topuertorico.org/