Puerto Rico Things to Do

 
by lonestar_philomath
 
  •   Things to Do
    by lonestar_philomath
  •   Beaches
    by realde14
  • Snorkel at Mosquito Pier
      Snorkel at Mosquito Pier
    by sybilvane
  • The Community center
      The Community center
    by joiwatani
  • The hammock
      The hammock
    by joiwatani
 

Most Viewed Things to Do in Puerto Rico

1.

Old San Juan   San Juan

Old San Juan, San Juan

 57 Reviews  Walking through Old San Juan is like walking through a museum dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Spain's culture in the new world. Multi-colored cement buildings covered with balconies... 

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2.

Beaches   San Juan

Beaches, San Juan

 18 Reviews  This area is east of the Condado, en route to the airport..AND IT IS CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST BEACHES IN Puerto Rico and we were fortunate to have it right across our Marriott Hotel! There are lots... 

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3.

El Morro   San Juan

El Morro, San Juan

 44 Reviews  The El Morro fort is one of the things that has to be done in San Juan. The large structure makes you feel safe and protected from any pirates. There are multiple levels to the fort and many artifacts... 

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4.

Bacardi Factory   San Juan

Bacardi Factory, San Juan

 17 Reviews  Waste of time and effort. Of all the things we did during our trip, this is the one we should have skipped. First of all, in the incredible heat, the trip there was exhausting and the tour did not... 

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5.

San Cristobal Fort   San Juan

San Cristobal Fort, San Juan

 21 Reviews  I wanted to see both El Moro (because it is a lighthouse) and Fort San Cristóbal which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a U.S. National Park Service site. But since the fort is open only until 1700... 

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6.

San Juan Cathedral   San Juan

San Juan Cathedral, San Juan

 15 Reviews  The Cathedral of San Juan de Bautista dates back to 1521. As such, it is one of the oldest buildings in Puerto Rico and the second oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. It's not very big, but to... 

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7.

Plazas and Parks   San Juan

Plazas and Parks, San Juan

 16 Reviews  Probably so named because it was the sight of parading Spanish troops during the Spanish-American War, we came upon Plaza de Armas on this beautiful, bright day to find it already decorated in... 

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8.

San Juan Cemetary   San Juan

San Juan Cemetary, San Juan

 4 Reviews  This cemetery is described by some tour guides as San Juan's "Pere-Lachaise". Located between El Morro and Castillo San Cristobal, many of Puerto Rico's most notable citizens were buried at Santa... 

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9.

La Fortaleza   San Juan

La Fortaleza, San Juan

 5 Reviews  La Fortaleza was built between 1533 and 1540 as the Spanish settlement's very first fortification, making it a few years older than El Morro. In fact, when you go on a tour of the residence, you can... 

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10.

Statues and Monuments   San Juan

Statues and Monuments, San Juan

 3 Reviews  We saw a number of memorial statues on our tour. The first picture is the statue of Eugenio María de Hostos (The Citizen of the Americas), by José Buscaglia, commerates this famous Puerto Rican... 

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11.

El Capitolio   San Juan

El Capitolio, San Juan

 4 Reviews  El Capitolio de San Juan was built in the 1920s just outside of the old city, close to Fort San Cristobal. It was built in an effort to officialize the position of Puerto Rico as part of the American... 

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12.

Capilla del Cristo   San Juan

Capilla del Cristo, San Juan

 2 Reviews  There are many legends surrounding the construction of this little chapel located at the bottom of Calle del Cristo. Many have to do with a young man who, during a fiesta in 1753, took a fall over the... 

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13.

Museums   San Juan

Museums, San Juan

 3 Reviews  If you order a drink with rum anywhere in San Juan, chances are you'll be served some Don Q Cristal or Don Q Gold. At the same time the Bacardi family was setting up its distillery in Cuba, the... 

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14.

Alcaldia - City Hall   San Juan

Alcaldia - City Hall, San Juan

 3 Reviews  Like the Capitolio, the San Juan City Hall is open to all visitors from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Located on the Plaza de Armas in a beautiful building dating back to the 17th century, the... 

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15.

El Convento   San Juan

El Convento, San Juan

 2 Reviews  El Convento is the most famous hotel in San Juan, and probably the most popular as well although not everyone can afford to stay there. Even if you are not one of the lucky few, you can still take a... 

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16.

Other Churches   San Juan

Other Churches, San Juan

 2 Reviews  As we drove through the city, Marian told us about the various places that we were passing. Some of the buildings were churches. Dominican friars built the Iglesia de San José in 1532. For 300 years... 

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17.

La Ballaja - The Barracks   San Juan

La Ballaja - The Barracks, San Juan

 1 Review  The Cuartel de Ballajá, or "Ballajá Barracks," once housed Spanish troops during the 1800's and later becoming the the quarters for American soldiers following the Spanish-American War. This building... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Northside vs. Southside

by staindesign

The beaches are obviously surrounding this lovely isle. So you can find a place to go almost any town that you will find yourself in. Therefore, you must ask yourself what kind of water are you looking for? On the Northside of the island you will have lots of strong waves. You can surf or body board until your hearts content. Crash boat or Hobo's beaches are excellent places to even watch the locals surf. On the south side of the island, the water is calm. The snorkeling is excellent and the water is clear.

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Rent a Boat!

by staindesign

When you go to La Parguera it is a must to rent a boat for the day. The rates run you $20-35 an hr. There are tons of mangrove keys in the bay to explore. The locals anchor their boats at the keys and party all day. The snorkeling is really enjoyable around the mangroves. Be careful driving your boat because there is a lot of wild life like sea turtles and many sand bars!

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Gillian's Island!

by staindesign

Gillian's Island in Guanica area is a $7 treat! You ferry out to the mangrove key to spend your day playing in the sandbar, snorkeling, and drinking. Mary Lee's by the Sea is where you'll take the ferry. Once you spend the day on this tiny little island, take any ferry you want back to Mary Lee's. We saw baby baracoudas, tiger fish and sea urchins. **Make sure you take a cooler with snacks and drinks, because there isn't any place to buy anything. Also, it gets really filled up. We choose to skip the main beach and find a little secluded mangrove area for ourselves.**

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Bosque Seco Hike

by staindesign

One the south side of the island, it gets dry! So dry in fact that cacti are growing like weeds! How unusual that this small island can have such a diverse terrain?! Apparently, it has to do with how the mountains are high enough that they don't allow the rain to pass over to the other side of the mountain. Again, I have to push for my recommendation of the road trip or day trips to see the different terrain! Btw, Bosque Seco means Dry Forest. I'd recommend taking Route 333 to the dead end. Then hike the Meseta Trail. The trail runs along the coast. The Cliffs are completely awe inspiring. And don't for get our water, you'll need it!

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A huge Hike

by staindesign

The Observatory in Arecibo should be one of the wonders of the world. The size is unbelievable! It costs $10 per person. They have a 2 story museum and the radio telescope outside viewing platform. There are Spanish and English presentations about the telescope. My favorite fact is about the kind of shoes they must wear to clean up the reflector. To stand on the reflector you can't weigh more than 150lbs! By the way, this is the exact location from the James Bond Movie Golden Eye. Pretty Cool! There is no cell phone usage allowed, it doesn't matter, there isn't service anyway. And the trek up to the observatory is a workout, I don't recommend flip flops!

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Yes it Rains in the RainForest!

by staindesign

I know there is a ton of reviews on El Yunque. But I just loved it! The path to La Mina Falls is probably the most busy, but very enjoyable. It is a serious hike up and down steep hills to finally find the destination of the falls and the pool where you can swim. The pool is very cold, fyi. They have paved most of the path which helps the muddiness. But be prepared, it rains! We hiked through 2 downpours. At the tourist center you can buy ponchos and umbrellas.**Please just suffer the rain if you forget to buy rain protection. People were pulling leaves off of the trees and that is just stupid. Damaging the forest and it hardly provides much rain protection.***OPEN daily 7.30am-6pm, $4 per person entrance

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Caving

by staindesign

The Caves of Camuy are the 3rd largest in the world. $15 per person. There is a tour guide, but they provide an audio tour (English & Spanish). The audio tour is excellent! It is educational and has great music. I'm big on caves, so I'd totally recommend coming here. Get there early, if you plan to come after 11am, then you might as well not. The first day, we did and we had to come back the next day. If that happens to you, then I recommend the Observatory. It isn't very busy, but be prepared for a serious walk up a hill!

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Horse Back Riding on the Beach

by staindesign

Riding a horse on the beach is/was on my bucket list. What sounds more amazing to do on an island? I totally recommend Tropical Trail Rides in Isabela. 2.5hr ride for $45. They take you down the beach to a cave area, where you stop for about 20mins. You can explore the caves or watch the surf. The guides are bilingual and the owner of the farm is from Missouri. Elizabeth answers the phone and is very helpful at giving directions to the farm. The place sits back off the road, so I do recommend that you call or use GPS. They do two tours daily. The horse do fit all experience ranges. I liked this company because I am a more experienced rider and I didn't feel like it was boring where the horses followed without any help from the rider. The guide gets the horse to trot often so it keeps it interesting.

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El Morro

by staindesign

This is quite a sight! The entire fort is lined with windows where canons stood ready to protect the island. The cost is $3 per person to enter. And the fort is open to explore. There isn't much to see except the view and 3 or 4 rooms with information about the fort. Quite interestingly, the last time the fort was used was in the Spanish - American War with the US Navy in 1898. It took 200 years for the fort to be constructed, but today the ocean salt is eating it slowly every day. The black that covers the walls is it's slow deconstruction. In the front yard of the fort many people come to fly kites and enjoy the sunny day. It is all very beautiful!

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La Mina Falls

by staindesign

La mina is one of the biggest attractions in El Yunque. You must do the hour hike to reach the falls. Be prepared it does rain in the rain forest! We were caught in a downpour 2 times. The falls can be reached from two different paths. Supposedly "big tree" is the easiest. Over all it isn't bad. The hills can be very steep, but the path is paved which helps with the muddiness and the slipperiness. Once you reach the falls you can swim in the pool. That wasn't an option for me because it was really cold water!

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Fun things to do in Puerto Rico

Top 3 Hotels in Puerto Rico

Hotel Baños de Coamo  Puerto Rico

 1 Review and 27 Opinions  This has been a spa resort where guests can enjoy the therapeutic effects of the therman waters... 

 Hotels in Puerto Rico

Hotel El Convento  San Juan

 5 Reviews and 809 Opinions  The staff was great...the rooms were great...the only place you would want to stay in Old San Juan! 

 Hotels in San Juan

Bravo Beach Hotel  Vieques

 8 Opinions

 Hotels in Vieques

276 Hotels in Puerto Rico
 
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Reviews and photos of Puerto Rico attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Puerto Rico sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Puerto Rico
  1. San Juan Things to Do
  2. Isla de Vieques Things to Do
  3. El Yunque National Forest Things to Do
  4. Ponce Things to Do
  5. Rincon Things to Do
  6. Aguadilla Things to Do
  7. Fajardo Things to Do
  8. Rio Grande Things to Do
  9. Culebra Things to Do
  10. Condado Things to Do
  11. Puerto Rico, Island of Things to Do
  12. Yauco Things to Do
  13. Dos Bocas Things to Do
  14. Isla Culebrita Things to Do
  15. Rio Piedras Things to Do
  16. San German Things to Do
  17. El Morro Things to Do
  18. Parguera Things to Do

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Popular Regions in Puerto Rico

San Juan Municipio Things to Do  Vieques Things to Do  Luquillo Things to Do  Ponce Things to Do  Fajardo Things to Do  Culebra Things to Do  Aguadilla Things to Do  Humacao Things to Do  Rincon Things to Do  Carolina Things to Do  Rio Grande Things to Do  Lajas Things to Do  Arecibo Things to Do  Isabela Things to Do  Cabo Rojo Things to Do 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Looking for info on the various Carnavals and if its ok for kids? If so, which city? My wife and 2 sons (6 and 8) are traveling... 

joiwatani profile photo

A: The Carnaval is in Ponce, a city in Puerto Rico. The Carnaval is like the Rio de Janeiro carnaval. I have not attended one in Puerto Rico because I was there last June.... 

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