The Most Beautiful Places in Puerto Rico to Visit and Fall in Love
Puerto Rico means “rich port” in Spanish, and it lives up to its name. Puerto Rico is a vacation for those locals and visitors who do not like to sit still. Let’s look at the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico worth visiting for everyone.
Puerto Rico is an amazing island that is located in the Caribbean Sea and is an unincorporated territory of the United States. This picturesque corner of the world attracts travelers from all over the world with its rich cultural heritage, picturesque landscapes, and the warm hospitality of the locals.
The island offers a huge amount of entertainment and the best of leisure opportunities: historical attractions, incredible wonders of nature, restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. The island is suitable for family vacations, for a honeymoon, and for a relaxed beach holiday.
Here are the top 15 most beautiful places in Puerto Rico to visit, travel, and enjoy.
The Top of the Most Beautiful Places in Puerto Rico for Active Trip
1. La Fortaleza of San Juan
San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, impresses with its beauty and rich history. The historical part of the city, known as the Fortress, is a real treasure for hiking. Here you will find several forts that act as open-air museums, as well as many museums in the city center. Every corner of the Fortress is steeped in history, and the colorful streets and hilly landscape create a unique atmosphere of a fairy tale.
The Fortress impresses with its scale and the huge green grass field around it. Here you can just sit on the grass and enjoy the view of the Atlantic Ocean, watching people fly kites or play with dogs. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
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2. Castillo de San Cristobal
The San Cristobal Fortress is a majestic historical structure located in San Juan. It was built to protect the Fortress of El Morro from attacks from the shore and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983. The Fortress impresses with its power and scale, and its well-groomed ruins and interesting installations of the life of soldiers of that time allow you to plunge into history. The fort offers a magnificent view of the ocean, waves crashing against the rocks, and medieval fortress walls, which is simply breathtaking.
There is also a small museum inside the fortress, where exhibits from various times and the history written under them are on display. The San Cristobal Fortress is not only a historical treasure but also a great place for photos and unforgettable impressions.
3. Castillo San Felipe del Morro
The Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico is a majestic and monumental structure that immerses you in the atmosphere of the past. This historic fort is an example of the Spanish fortification school and one of the largest and most advanced in the Caribbean. The majestic walls of the fort rise above the waters of the Atlantic, creating stunning views of the bay and the raging waves below.
Visiting the castle allows you to feel involved in history and enjoy a trip to the beauty of the surrounding nature. You can stroll along the outer wall of the fort, enjoying the beautiful views from below the walls and chatting with iguanas frolicking at the foot of the fortress.
4. Condado Beach
Condado Beach is a unique place that is definitely worth visiting during your trip to Puerto Rico. The most beautiful beaches offer a unique combination of an urban environment and a beautiful beach holiday. Here you can enjoy the clear water and soft sand without leaving the hustle and bustle of the city.
Condado Beach is ideal for the best beaches lovers who also appreciate the proximity to urban entertainment. You can enjoy the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea for swimming and relaxing, which resembles a Jacuzzi, and at the same time is located in proximity to cafés, restaurants, and shops. This beaches in Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
5. Calle de la Fortaleza
Calle de la Fortaleza is one of the places to visit and the main street of the old city of San Juan, which stretches through its entire territory. Walking along this street, you can enjoy the atmosphere of the ancient city, visit shops and boutiques with souvenirs, as well as enjoy delicious food in cozy restaurants. Special attention should be paid to house number 104, where the famous Pina Colada cocktail was first prepared. A day trip to this hotel is obligitaroty.
On Fortaleza Street, you can also see creative umbrellas that create a unique atmosphere and give the street a special charm. Here you will find a wide variety of cafés, souvenir shops, and street musicians who create a lively atmosphere and make a walk along Fortaleza Street unforgettable. This street is also central and convenient for shopping for souvenirs, authentic local products, Puerto Rico cuisine, and other goods.
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6. La Guancha de Ponce
La Guancha de Ponce is an amazing place in Puerto Rico. Here you will find everything you need for a great holiday. Yoga on Coloma is located on La Guancha Beach, where you can practice yoga under the guidance of a warm and hospitable Coloma. Classes are held in English and Spanish, which makes them accessible to enjoy the beauty for everyone.
La Guancha also offers wonderful views of the port and the yacht club, in the summer you can see dolphins. The beach here is usually empty, but always cheerful. In addition, there are excellent restaurants in the area where you can enjoy delicious food. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
7. Isla de Caja de Muertos
The Island of Caja de Muertos is a real gem of the southern coast of Puerto Rico. This place is simply breathtaking in its beauty and uniqueness. To visit the island, you can use the Island Venture ferry, which provides excellent service. They offer various packages including trips for food and drinks, which allow you to spend the whole day on the island.
The crossing takes about 45 minutes, and you are allowed to bring coolers with food and drinks for a small fee. Umbrellas and chairs can also be rented for a comfortable stay on the beach. The island does not have fresh water and bathrooms, so you need to take everything you need with you. Discover Puerto Rico with all your energy.
8. Serrales Castle Museum
The Castillo Serrales Museum in Ponce, Puerto Rico is an impressive place combining the architectural styles of an Italian villa and Hearst Castle. This is a great place with the natural beauty that is located on a hill with beautiful views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean Sea, this house belonged to the founder of the distillery Don Q Rum.
The museum offers regular guided tours that allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in the history and culture of this place. Inside the castle, you can see the amazing artifacts stored here and enjoy the original furniture that the rooms are furnished with. The museum also has a monarch butterfly sanctuary and a Japanese garden where you can walk and enjoy the beauty of nature. A guided tour takes about 1.5 hours and is very informative.
9. Ashford Avenue
Ashford Avenue is a beautiful street located in Puerto Rico. All the main and best hotels in the city are located here, which makes it an ideal place to stay during your vacation. Most hotels have direct access to an excellent beach where you can enjoy the sun and sea breeze.
Ashford Avenue is conveniently located, just a 20-minute drive from the airport, 10 minutes from the cruise ship ports, and 10 minutes from the historic district of Old San Juan. The Plaza Las Americas Shopping Center is also nearby, where you can find many shops and entertainment. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico. The best things to do is to walk.
10. Balneario El Escambron
Balneario El Escambron is a beautiful beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is a place that cannot be missed if you are in the area. The beach is known for its cleanliness and beautiful clear water. Here you can enjoy a relaxing swim thanks to the artificial promenade that protects the beach from the waves.
If you like active recreation, it is recommended to take a walk along the bluff, which is located next to the beach. It offers stunning views of Old San Juan, Isla Verde, and El Condado. There is also a small Spanish fortress near the beach, which can be explored.
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11. Laguna del Condado
Laguna del Condado is an amazing place in Puerto Rico, which offers many opportunities for outdoor activities on the water. If you like surfing, and windsurfing, or want to try these sports, then Laguna del Condado is the perfect place for you.
There are several places around the lagoon where you can rent equipment. However, one of the favorite ones is the Vela Uno band, which is located next to Konrad’s hotel. They offer free demonstrations and training in the basics of surfing, after which you can try it yourself. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
12. Guánica Biosphere Reserve
Guánica Biosphere Reserve is a Guánica Biosphere Reserve in the southwest of the island, which is under UNESCO protection and is noticeably different from other parks in Puerto Rico. The reserve is a dry subtropical forest preserved on the Caribbean Islands.
Nine species of birds, of all the variety of their species living here, can be found only in this corner of the planet. Among them are such beautiful birds as the Puerto Rican woodpecker and the emerald hummingbird.
13. The Río Camuy Cave Park
The Río Camuy Cave Park — cave network is located in the northwest of Puerto Rico. It took more than 45 million years for the world’s third-largest underground river, the Rio Camuy, to carve these unusual dark labyrinths into the solid rock. In the caves, you can see stalactites and stalagmites of bizarre shapes, as well as ancient petroglyphs of the Taino Indians.
It is worth visiting the Cueva Ventana cave, which is located nearby. One of its exits is located at a considerable height, and from there you can enjoy a magnificent view of the valley of the river Río Grande de Arecibo. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
14. Arecibo Observatory
Arecibo Observatory is located next to Río Camuy Cave Park. It uses the world’s largest radio telescope to observe the Solar system. Exhibitions dedicated to astronomy are open to visitors in the Observatory’s Information Center.
The huge antenna of the radio telescope, which can be viewed from a special observation deck, is featured in such Hollywood films as “Golden Eye” from the James Bond epic and “Contact” directed by Robert Zemeckis.
15. Bioluminescent Bays
The Brightest Bioluminescent Bays: Laguna Grande, Mosquito Bay, and La Parguera — stunning lagoons are worth visiting both during the day to swim and see marine life, and at night to take a kayak trip and see an exciting light show. At night, the water around moving objects begins to glow due to the bioluminescence of the zooplankton living here. This place is one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico.
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FAQ
How to stay connected with the world during your trip to Puerto Rico?
If you do not want to arrange expensive roaming or are in a panic to look for a local mobile operator upon arrival, then arrange an eSIM in advance and stay in touch even in Puerto Rico. eSIM is a virtual SIM card that is issued online in a couple of minutes and allows you to be in touch in any country in the world.
What is the official language in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has two languages of communication: English and Spanish. In tourist places, everyone speaks English at least somehow, in more remote places only Spanish.
What currency should you take to pay in Puerto Rico?
The US dollar. Many places accept payment by card, except for paid beaches — they mostly pay in cash, so it is advisable to immediately have small dollars.
Puerto Rico is a territory dependent on the United States. The locals dream of becoming the 51st state, but the United States is in no hurry to accept Puerto Ricans into its ranks. But it’s worth noting that all locals have American citizenship, and the United States just helps Puerto Ricans a lot, and they have a common currency and defense.
Plan Your Best Trip to Puerto Rico using eSIM Plus
When planning any trip, it is important not to forget about the connection. After all, the days of expensive roaming and searching for local mobile operators have sunk into oblivion. Now it has become much easier to be in touch in an unfamiliar country. You only need to apply for an eSIM before the trip and be in touch in the selected country as much as you want.
eSIM is a virtual SIM card that is issued in a couple of minutes online and does not require large physical and financial investments. You just need to go to the eSIM Plus website, select the required tariff, and pay for it. After that, you will be able to stay in touch in Puerto Rico for a selected number of days or weeks. By the way, the extension can be made automatic, and forget about bureaucracy on the trip forever.
Choose your best trip assistant — eSIM Plus!