This June 5th marks three quarters of a century since Iberia‘s first flight, and in the decades since 1949 we’ve happily racked up too many thousands to count. And we can tell you, Borínquen is an absolute tropical gem, whether you travel alone, with friends, or family and whether you´re a beach bunny, a history buff, adrenaline addict, culture vulture, foodie, or some combination of all the above. And here are several outstanding highlights of this star of the Caribbean.
(FOTO SUGERIDA: https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/flamenco-playa-de-isla-culebra-puerto-rico-gm187480018-29317192
The Beaches, Baby!
¡Vamos a la playa! Hitting the sands is the first commandment of a trip to any Caribbean island, and on this front PR provides providentially. Even the city strands of San Juan (such as Isla Verde) are wonderful indeed, but for true sandy sweetness head to for example El Dorado, on the north coast not far from San Juan and the west coast beaches of Mayagüez, Boquerón, and Aguadilla. And special mention goes to the offshore isles of Vieques and Culebra! On the latter, Playa Flamenco is considered one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, between the luxuriant greenery and brilliant turquoise water, whilst the former is home to magnificent strands such as Caracas, Prieta, and La Chiva – and you´ll also spot wild horses roaming freely! (Another fascinating must on Vieques is Mosquito Bay, one of the world´s very few a “bioluminescent bays”, where microscopic organisms light up at night – a magical sight!)
Tasty Puerto Rico Eats
Apart from the Caribbean´s usual rice and beans, Puerto Ricans adds a few of their own culinary twists, such as arroz mamposteao, which incudes ripe banana and cilantro. In fact, bananas as well as plantains. their unsweet siblings, are an essential ingredient here. You´ll find green plantains for example in tostones (mashed and fried in flattened discs), alcapurrias (elongated fritters stuffed with ground beef , seafood, cheese, or a variety of other fillings), and mofongo (mashed and served in a soup with ingredients such as beef, shrimp, chicken, and pork). And of course don´t forget to order a piña colada, made with top-quality island run, fresh pineapple, and coconut!
An Eco-Paradise
Nature abounds across the island, but one particular eco-must is the El Yunque National Forest, bursting with diverse flora including some 240 species of native trees, 50 native orchids, and 150 of ferns, spread among four, as well as fauna such as iguanas and the tiny tree frog called the coquí, Puerto Rico´s national animal. Divided into four subforests (Tabonuco, Palo Colorado, Palma de Sierra, and the Dwarf or Cloud Forest), El Yunque is also known for its lovely waterfalls, particularly La Mina, dropping into a pond where it´s delightful to take a dip.
Speaking of waterfalls, another fantastic one is Las Delicias in the town of Ciales, in the hills about an hour west of San Juan, whose the charm lies in its location – it´s no hard to find, but you´ll feel like you´re in the middle of nowhere. For a bit of adrenaline, head out west to the mountain town of Maricao, where you can jump off the rocks of Salto Curet into the pool below.
Photos | Javier_Art_Photography; TK; SGAPhoto ; alexandra oquendo