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Puerto Rico Beach

10 Best Things to Do in Puerto Rico

SmarterTravel

Whether you’re in the mood for sun and sand, old Spanish forts, or boatloads of succulent roast pork, you can always get your fix in Puerto Rico. A U.S. territory since 1898, Puerto Rico is proudly and exuberantly different than anywhere on the mainland. And that’s why so many people come to visit these Spanish-speaking islands where you don’t even need a passport to visit.

Puerto Rican culture is animated by a sort of hybrid vigor, a product of the intermixing of indigenous Taino Indians, Spanish settlers from Andalusia and the Canary Islands, and freed West African slaves. The result is a freewheeling kaleidoscope of Afro-Latin musical traditions and cocina criolla, or creole cooking.

It would be easy to spend an entire trip just on Puerto Rico’s main island, Borinquen. But its smaller sisters are worth a visit, too. The tourist-friendly islands of Culebra and Vieques lie to the east. And for the more adventurous traveler, the remote, essentially uninhabited islands of Mona, Desecheo, and Monito—which have been called the Galapagos of the Caribbean—lie to the west.

Whatever your speed, you’ll quickly discover that the islands of Puerto Rico are full of little things that will take your breath away. Here are the best things to do in Puerto Rico.

What to Do in Puerto Rico

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