Tourism in Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
for a number of decades given it is host to diverse natural wonders, cultural and historical buildings, concerts and sporting events.
The fact that visitors from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
do not need a passport to enter Puerto Rico attracts a large number of tourists from the mainland United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
each year. Other groups of tourists that visit Puerto Rico in significant numbers include Mexicans
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Dominicans
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n, Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n tourists.
Destinations
- AguadillaAguadilla, Puerto RicoAguadilla , founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo...
: site of old Ramey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, now a local airport - Arecibo: site of the famous Arecibo ObservatoryArecibo ObservatoryThe Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope near the city of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. It is operated by SRI International under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation...
- Bayamón: site of the Science ParkParque de las CienciasParque de las Ciencias Luis A. Ferré Bayamón, Puerto Rico is an educational and recreational park located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico focused on science-related exhibitions. It is one of multiple touristic attractions inaugurated under the leadership of longtime mayor Ramon Luis Rivera and is named in...
- Cabo Rojo: site of beautiful beaches
- Cataño: the site where BacardiBacardiBacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
has the world's largest rum distillery - CulebraCulebra, Puerto RicoIsla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
: home to several solitary beaches such as Flamenco BeachFlamenco BeachFlamenco Beach is a seaside resort in Puerto Rico, United States on the Island of Culebra.-Geography:Flamenco is located on the western shore of Culebra. The beach lies on a half-mile-wide, horseshoe strip of coast. The beach is bordered by the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge, which is of itself... - Fajardo: home of the Fajardo Lighthouse and its luminicent bay, Las Croabas fishing village, the Paso Fino horse national competition ring, and Seven Seas beach.
- Luquillo: Home to several beaches, including Balneario La Monserrate, Playa Azul, La Pared, and La Selva - the last two, sandy bottom surf spots where leatherback turtles often nest.
- Mayagüez: home of the Dr. Juan A. Rivero ZooDr. Juan A. Rivero ZooDr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo is a zoo located in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. It is the only zoo on the island. It is named in honor of Juan A. Rivero, its first director. It has an extensive collection of animals from all continents, as well as new facilities.-History:...
and the local beer, Medalla, brewery - PoncePonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
: home to a 19th century historic districtPonce Historic ZoneThe Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
with over 1,046 restored buildings, plus the world-renowned Museo de Arte de Ponce, the imposing Serrallés CastleSerralles CastleSerrallés Castle is a mansion located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico overlooking the downtown area . It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés, founder of Destilería Serrallés...
, the nostalgic Hacienda Buena VistaHacienda Buena VistaHacienda Buena Vista, also known as Hacienda Vives , is a coffee plantation and estate in Ponce, Puerto Rico, established in the 19th century. The plantation was started by Don Salvador de Vives in 1833. It is now owned by the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust , who operates it as a museum...
coffee plantation, and its whimsical Parque de BombasParque de BombasParque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
firehouse. - RincónRincón, Puerto RicoRincón is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco . It is located in the Western Coastal Valley, west of Añasco and Aguada. Rincón is spread over 8 wards and Rincón Pueblo...
: surfSurfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
capital of the Caribbean - San JuanSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
: home of Old San JuanOld San Juan, Puerto RicoOld San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Location:...
, the Puerto Rican Museum of Art, El Morro CastleMorro Castle (fortress)Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany... - Trujillo Alto: home of Lake Carraizo Dam
- Rio Grande: home of El Yunque National ForestEl Yunque National ForestEl Yunque National Forest, formerly known as the Luquillo National Forest, and the Caribbean National Forest, is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rain forest in the United States...
- ViequesVieques, Puerto RicoVieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands...
: home to many beaches, two Spanish castles and lighthouses, eye-catching mountains and sought-after marine reefs.
Airports
- Culebra Airport, Island of Culebra
- Eugenio María de Hostos AirportEugenio María de Hostos AirportEugenio María de Hostos Airport is a small public airport located four miles north of the central business district of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The airport, named after the celebrated Mayagüez native Eugenio Maria de Hostos, covers and has one runway...
, Mayagüez - Humacao AirportHumacao AirportHumacao Airport is a public use airport owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and located one nautical mile southeast of the central business district of Humacao, a city in Puerto Rico....
, Humacao - Luis Muñoz Marín International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International AirportLuis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to FAA reports . It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports...
, San Juan - Mercedita AirportMercedita AirportMercedita Airport is a commercial airport located three miles east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers and has one runway. Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all...
, Ponce - Rafael Hernández AirportRafael Hernández AirportRafael Hernández Airport is an airport located in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It is named after the Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández Marín. The airport is the second international airport in Puerto Rico in the region of Porta del Sol, Puerto Rico's west coast.Rafael Hernandez Airport mainly...
, Aguadilla - Vieques Airport, Island of Vieques
See also
- Tourism in the United StatesTourism in the United StatesTourism in the United States is a large industry that serves millions of international and domestic tourists yearly. Tourists visit the US to see natural wonders, cities, historic landmarks and entertainment venues...
- Public holidays in Puerto RicoPublic holidays in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico celebrates all the official holidays of the United States, and a large number of other which are official holidays established by the Commonwealth government....
- List of Puerto Rico Landmarks
- Porta del SolPorta del SolPorta del Sol is a tourism region in western Puerto Rico. It consist of 17 municipalities in the western area: Quebradillas, Isabela, San Sebastián, Moca, Aguadilla, Aguada, Rincón, Añasco, Mayagüez, Las Marías, Maricao, Hormigueros, San Germán, Sábana Grande, Guánica, Lajas and Cabo Rojo. Porta...