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Looking for the best Puerto Rico travel tips? You’ve come to the right place. Sitting in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico is a stunning tropical island that’s on many travelers’ bucket lists.
Beautiful beaches, rich culture, amazing food – Puerto Rico’s got it all. From the colorful capital of San Juan to the lush El Yunque National Forest, there is lots to look forward to when visiting Puerto Rico.
There are, however, a few things you should be aware of before visiting this gorgeous Caribbean Island. This Puerto Rico travel guide will take you through them.
Travel Tips for Puerto Rico
There’s so much to do and see in Puerto Rico that can easily overwhelm any traveler visiting the island for the first time.
Here are some simple, yet great tips for traveling to Puerto Rico that can help you plan your tropical adventure succesfully.
1. Know That Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory
Puerto Rico’s current political status might be confusing to many. One of the things to know before traveling to Puerto Rico is that it is a U.S. territory, but it is not a state. Puerto Ricans speak Spanish officially, but English is also widely spoken.
Like in any U.S. territory, the official currency is the US dollar. US citizens don’t need a passport to go to Puerto Rico unless their visit is the starting point of a cruise vacation.
2. Know What You Want to Do
One of the most important things to know before visiting Puerto Rico is that Puerto Rico’s tourism is focused on the leisure and outdoor adventure niches. So it’s good to know what you want to do when you visit Puerto Rico.
Looking for a relaxed time at the beach? Want to spend time at a resort in Rio Grande? Surfing in Rincon? How about eco-tourism and outdoor adventures such as snorkeling with turtles? Exploring Spanish and Puerto Rican culture and history in Old San Juan? All this can be done and more.
There are many interesting facts about Puerto Rico that you might not know. For example, Puerto Rico has the oldest city in the United States – Old San Juan. And it has the only rainforest protected by the U.S. – El Yunque.
Just an hour away from San Juan, you can find a dry forest, a dwarf forest, or the largest cave network in the western hemisphere, among other natural features. If you love exploring caves, Puerto Rico is the place to do it!
Did you know Puerto Rico is considered the rum capital of the world? You know what this means… lots of nights out to experience the vibrant nightlife! You can even take a tour of the world-famous Bacardi Rum distillery.
3. Know When to go to Puerto Rico and What to Pack
The island sits at latitude 18N, so the tropical weather lasts 365 days a year (highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s). Awesome, eh? That said, your packing should consist of bathing suits, flip-flops, polarised sunglasses, and sunscreen.
For hikers and outdoor adventurers, hiking boots and a rain jacket are highly recommended. For a night out, stylish is what’s in.
While it’s a year-round destination, the ideal months to visit Puerto Rico are between March and August (late spring/summer).
During the winter, beaches get full of algae; and during late summer/early fall, the hurricane season is at its peak. This hurricane preparation guide can help you stay safe.
4. Understand Your Transportation Options in Puerto Rico
Let’s be honest, public transportation in Puerto Rico sucks big time! As a result, one of the best tips for visiting Puerto Rico I can give you is to rent a car. Unless, of course, you are staying at a resort that will shuttle you wherever you want to go.
Planning on walking around? Old San Juan, Condado, and the old sector of Rio Piedras are the only pedestrian-oriented urban centers in the metropolitan area. You can easily Uber or take a taxi between them and then roam around on foot.
Sadly, apart from San Juan, all the other cities and urban centers on the island weren’t designed with pedestrians in mind. Plus, walk for three minutes under the scorching sun and you will wish you were inside an air-conditioned car.
A useful form of public transportation is the Tren Urbano single rail line, but it mainly serves people that live in San Juan’s suburban areas.
Another convenient way to get around the San Juan area or Condado is via an E-bike rental or by using the local scooter rental network, Skootel, via their app.
So, how can you reach other beautiful sights around the island? You either need to rent a car or take a tour.
For tours, I recommend checking here for the best tour options on the island. For cars, I recommend checking DiscoverCars and Expedia, as they have some of the cheapest car rentals.
5. Know Your Budget
Visiting Puerto Rico is not necessarily cheap, but traveling to this Caribbean island on a budget is possible.
You can find budget-oriented accommodation, most commonly known as paradores (rustic government-sponsored accommodations). However, they can still cost $100 per night or more.
Vrbo is also a popular option, or you can save money by checking the best-reviewed hotels across the island and their latest deals on Hotels.com.
Cheap food can be typically found at beach shacks or mountain kiosks, and at local markets (around $5-$10 per meal). I personally love Piñones and Los Kioskos de Luquillo to get some of the best Puerto Rican cuisine on a budget.
Most restaurants have mid-range prices (say $12-$25 per meal) and are similar to other U.S. destinations. The further you get from the metropolitan area, the cheaper things get.
6. English is Widely Spoken in Puerto Rico, But Learn a Few Spanish Words
While English is widely spoken on the island, Spanish is the official language. The more you venture outside urban areas, the less you will be able to communicate in English.
Although most Puerto Ricans speak English, learning a few Spanish words can help you go a long way when visiting Puerto Rico.
It is recommended to learn a few Spanish expressions, greetings, and phrases. The effort is always appreciated by many Puerto Ricans.
Keep in mind that due to there being two official languages, the “official” Puerto Rican language can be considered to be Spanglish (so full of funny and horrible slang). Check out this Puerto Rican slang dictionary.
7. Know That You Can Explore the Island by Yourself
Don’t get fooled by tour companies or hotels that say places are far and hard to reach.
These are lies and tourist traps. No single place on the island is more than 2.5 hours away, and the expressway circles the whole island, making most municipalities easily accessible.
Don’t be afraid to ditch the tour bus and experience the island by yourself. This is one of the Puerto Rico vacation tips I can give you.
Take your car and go to the mountainous region (off the beaten path), or take the ferry to one of the surrounding islands – Vieques and Culebra. You’ll find many beautiful beaches there.
While Vieques and Culebra are accessible and doable on your own, the local ferry company sucks, which makes the accessibility logistics a bit of a pain sometimes. Still, you can test your luck and book your ferry tickets ahead of time. (roughly up to two weeks ahead)
Alternatively, if you don’t want to deal with the transportation logistics to get to the pier in Fajardo to catch the ferry, then I recommend doing this catamaran day trip to the iconic Flamenco Beach in Culebra or Culebrita Island.
Final Thoughts on Things to Know When Traveling to Puerto Rico
There you have it – seven great tips to help you plan your Puerto Rico trip. As you can see, with just a little research, you can have a tropical vacation under a decent budget and with a wide variety of activities that can easily cater to any traveler’s niche.
Read More on What to Know Before Traveling to Puerto Rico
- Check Viator to book the best tours on the island at competitive prices.
- Looking for affordable accommodation options? Check out this post on Cheap hotels in Puerto Rico
Images by Angela, Michael, csuspect, and churl respectively from Flickr’s Creative Commons.
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