Puerto Rico

Crown

• Bourasseau, Tito & Gloria (1978)

Triple Diamond

• Herrera, Gerry & Maresa (1979)

Double Diamond

• Morales, Ivan & Carmen (2010)

Diamond

• Fabregas, Fernando & Rose Marie (1998)
• Hernandez, Pedrito & Elsie (1999)
• Morales, Tony & Wilda (1996)

History of

Christopher Columbus landed on Puerto Rico in 1493 on his second discovery expedition and originally named it San Juan Bautista in honour of Saint John the Baptist. The island's current capital name, San Juan, reflects the name Columbus first gave the island. Explorer Ponce de Leon then colonised it, and over four centuries the island remained in Spanish sovereignty.

Puerto Rico became U.S. territory when the Spanish-American War ended in 1898. The U.S. passed Law 5600 authorising Puerto Rico to write and ratify its own constitution. U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship is known as a commonwealth in English. There's no specific Spanish counterpart to this word; it's interpreted as free associate (literally, "freely-associated state").

Culture, culture

Puerto Rico's culture is almost independent the 50 states. Culture is distinctly Caribbean, but strongly tied to Spain's culture, with some African and native elements. When visiting to Puerto Rico, one will believe they're in another country. But you're not, of course, because the U.S. flag is flying everywhere, reminding you that you're still on U.S. soil and other noticeable mainland influences include basketball and baseball.

Climate change

Puerto Rico has a warm tropical marine climate with low seasonal temperatures. Temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C (70°F to 90°F) and tend to be cooler in the mountains and at night. Year-round trade breezes ensure the sub-tropical climate. Annual temperatures average 26°C (80°F). Rainfall abounds throughout the north coast and mountains, but moderate on the south coast. Wet season stretches from June to November, where rain showers occur once day, almost daily. Periodic droughts affect the island.

The territory

Puerto Rico is largely mountainous, however the north has a coastal plain strip. The mountains tumble sharply to the west coast sea. Most of the coast's sandy beaches. The island has many tiny rivers, and the high central highlands guarantee the area is well hydrated, but the south coast is relatively dry. North's coastal plain belt is fertile. Puerto Rico's highest point is at Cerro de Punta, 1,338m above sea level.

Geographical location

Puerto Rico's island is a rectangular shape, the Greater Antilles' smallest, most eastern island. It has over 580 kilometres of coastline. Besides the main island, the islands of the Commonwealth include Vieques, Culebra, Culebrita, Palomino, Mona, Monito, and other isolated islands. It's surrounded by deep ocean waters. To the west, Puerto Rico is separated from Hispaniola by the Mona Passage, about 120km (75 mi) wide and 3,300m (2 mi) deep. Puerto Rico trench, 8,000m deep (5 km) off the northern shore. Off the south coast, the Caribbean's 5,466m (3.4 mi) deep Venezuelan Basin. Because Puerto Rico is rather short, it has no lengthy rivers or major lakes. Rio de la Plata is Puerto Rico's longest river, which flows to the north coast and discharges into the Atlantic Ocean roughly 18km (11 miles) west of San Juan. Puerto Rico has no natural lakes, though it has 15 reservoirs.

Regions

Puerto Rico – the main island itself

Culebra

Isla Mona – small island to the west

Vieques – also known as Isla Nena ("Little Island"); small, rural island approximately 10km (6.2 mi) east of main island

Bayamón Caguas Carolina Airport, Isla Verde club scene, hotels and casinos

Guaynabo's

San Juan, the capital; features one of the Caribbean's largest natural harbours

South of the country

• Guánica - Dry Natural Forest (Bosque Seco de Guánica)
• Guayama: Guayama
• Lajas Bioluminescent La Parguera Bay
• Ponce, Puerto Rico's second-largest town
• Salinas — Salinas Speedway, 400 m.

• Western Europe

• Mayaguez
• Rincón, the Caribbean's "Surfing Capital"
• St. Germans

Eastern

• Luquillo—best public beach, reef-protected bathing spot overlooking El Yunque Rainforest
• Fajardo - marina, ferries to Vieques and Culebra
• Naguabo Naguabo
• Río Grande – Rainforest entrance

North-western

• Arecibo – site of the world's largest radio telescope.
• Aguadilla - Surfing, Thai Food
• Añasco's
• Camuy, big cave system
• Dorado — park, Nolos Morales Beach, sheltered family area
• Isabela – surfing more
• Mocha

Other destinations

Old San Juan

Rain Forest of El Yunque

Caja de Muertos Island – Caja de Muertos for short; an uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The island is protected because of its native turtle traffic. Hikers and beachgoers are often seen in the island, which can be reached by ferry or through diving tour operators from the La Guancha Boardwalk sector of Ponce Playa.

El Yunque National Forest

Guánica State Forest (Bosque Estatal de Guánica) – the largest remaining tract of tropical dry coastal forest in the world, and designated an international Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The park comprising much of the dry forest is known as el bosque seco de Guánica ("the dry forest of Guánica").

San Juan National Historic Site – includes the San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro, and San Juan de la Cruz forts (the last also known as El Cañuelo), plus bastions, powder houses, and three-fourths of the city wall. All these defensive fortifications surround the old, colonial portion of San Juan and are among the oldest and best-preserved Spanish fortifications of the Americas.

Mona Island – off the west coast of the main island, halfway to the Dominican Republic. The island is secluded and only inhabited by wildlife. It can only be visited by appointment.

Rio Camuy Caverns – a 45-minute guided walking tour of the main cave, Cueva Clara, including a view of the "3rd-largest underground river in the world" and an enormous sinkhole

Get in

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. There is no passport control or customs inspection for travel between the US mainland and Puerto Rico or vice versa, although the USDA does execute agricultural inspections of bags heading from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland.

Visa-free entry

For travel within the United States, any TSA-compliant document, such as your state-issued driver's license or identification card, is adequate identification to board an aircraft to or from Puerto Rico, as with any other domestic aircraft.

Puerto Rico opted to follow the Mainland US admission reqirements. As with the Mainland, any non-US citizen must follow the Visa Waiver Program. American, American Samoan citizens don't need a passport nor visa to travel to Puerto Rico. Only some type of government ID(example; a driver's license) is needed for proof of citizenship. Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau only need a passport to enter. Citizens of Canada do not require a visa for entry, and can study and work under the TN Status. Any citizen of Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, and the US/American Samoa citizen can live, work and travel freely for an unlimited time while in Puerto Rico.

Visa Waiver Program requirements

Travel under the Visa Waiver Program is limited to tourism or commercial purposes only; neither employment nor journalism is permitted with a Visa Waiver. The 90-day limit cannot be extended nor will travel to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean reset the 90-day limit. Take care if transiting through the US on a trip exceeding 90 days to Canada and/or Mexico. See Visa Waiver Program requirements for the U.S. Mainland for more information.

All travelers arriving in Puerto Rico from outside the United States (including U.S. citizens) must complete the requirements for admission (or re-entry) to the United States.

By plane

Puerto Rico's primary airport is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (IATA: SJU) in Carolina, near San Juan. Jet Blue, United, and Spirit also fly to smaller airports in the cities of Aguadilla and Ponce.

Most U.S. and many international airlines offer direct flights from various cities to Puerto Rico. Flights are affordable and abundant. SJU is the biggest and most modern airport in the Caribbean and offers all the amenities and amenities (McDonalds, Dominos, Starbucks, etc.) of a major city airport. American Eagle runs a hub at SJU, and airlines like Caribbean Sun, Liat, and Cape Air offer cheap and quick connections to most Caribbean islands.

If you have loads of bags, beware there are no baggage trolleys in the domestic terminal, although there are plenty of baggage porters waiting to help you for a tip or fee. Luggage carts are accessible in the international terminal of the airport. At the exit, a porter will assist you with your stuff for a fee.

Transferring from the airport to your hotel normally necessitates taking a taxi, although some hotels provide complimentary transportation to their premises in customized buses. Puerto Rico Tourism Company employees at the airport will assist you in selecting the correct transportation. All major automobile rental businesses are located at the airport, and some give free transportation to their off-airport operations.

Typical flight times (westbound flights are slightly longer due to headwinds):

• Miami 2.5 hours
• Charlotte 3 hours
• Philadelphia 3.5 hours
• Washington D.C. 3.5 hours
• Atlanta 3.5 hours
• Boston 4 hours
• New York 4 hours
• Dallas-Fort Worth 4 ¼ hours
• Toronto 4 ¼ hours
• Houston 4.5 hours
• Chicago 5 hours
• Mexico City 5 ¾ hour
• Los Angeles 7.5 hours
• Madrid 7 ¾ hours
• Paris 10 hours
• London 12 hours

• Customs

When exiting Puerto Rico to the mainland, your luggage will be inspected by the US Department of Agriculture before departure. Generally the same requirements apply as when returning to the United States from a foreign country, except certain native fruits such as avocado, papaya, coconut, and plantain may be carried back; mangoes, sour sop, passion fruit, and plants planted in soil may not. In any circumstances, all agricultural commodities will be examined for illness. If you are bringing prescription medicines (particularly prescription narcotics) with you, you must have the actual prescription with you, or a letter from your physician.

Cruise ship passengers with ship bag tags are free from customs checks.

By boat

A commercial ferry service connects the west coast city of Mayaguez to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. This service is a popular and convenient way to commute between both cities. More than a million passengers visit the island on cruise ships every year, whether on one of the several cruise lines whose homeport is San Juan, or on one of the visiting lines. No passport is required for U.S./American Samoan citizens who use this service. There are also daily boat connections from the neaby U.S. territory of U.S. Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico. Again, U.S./American Samoan citizens in the U.S. virgin Islands don't require a passport to travel to Puerto Rico and vice versa. It is also possible for you to charter a boat and travel from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico and vice versa without being intercepted by U.S. border patrol.

Get around

Public transportation in Puerto Rico is fairly bad: outside the Metro Area (San Juan, Guaynabo, Carolina and Bayamon), there are no scheduled buses or trains. Most people choose to rent their own automobiles, however intrepid budget visitors can also explore the shared cab (público) system.

By taxi

Official tourism company-sponsored taxis on the Island are clean, clearly identified, and trustworthy. Look for the white cabs with the official logo and Taxi Turístico on the front doors.

Under a recently introduced Tourism Taxi Program, defined fares have been established for travel between San Juan's key tourist zones. Rates are as follows:

Several taxi company numbers:

• Asociación Dueños de Taxi de Carolina, ☎ (787) 762-6066. edit
• Asociación Dueños de Taxi de Cataño y Levittown, ☎ (787) 795-5286. edit
• Cooperativa de Servicio Capetillo Taxi, ☎ (787) 758-7000. edit
• Cooperativa de Taxis de Bayamón, ☎ (787) 785-2998. edit
• Cooperativa Major Taxi Cabs, ☎ (787) 723-2460 or 723-1300. edit
• Metro-Taxi Cab Inc., ☎ (787) 725-2870. edit
• Ocean Crew Transport, ☎ (787) 645-8294 or 724-4829. edit
• Rochdale Radio Taxi, ☎ (787) 721-1900. edit
• Santana Taxi Service, Inc., ☎ (787) 562-9836. edit

By car

• If you are going to explore outside of San Juan, hiring a car is by far the most convenient method to get around. Rentals are accessible from the airport as well as major hotels, and can be obtained for as little as $25 a day. Most national automobile rental firms are present at SJU, either on-site or somewhat nearby to the airport grounds. There are also local companies that provide fantastic service (and are usually cheaper than the national names) (and are usually cheaper than the national brands). Most of the rental firms that are off-airport provide a free shuttle service to their offices, just contact ahead to check about the service.

Many U.S. mainland vehicle insurance policies and/or credit card companies will cover insured drivers involved in rental car accidents that occur anywhere in the United States, including outlying territories like Puerto Rico, so verify with your own insurer before you rent a car in Puerto Rico. If you have such coverage, you can probably decline collision insurance from the auto rental business and request simply the loss damage waiver.

Puerto Rican traffic regulation enables a car -between midnight and 5am- to proceed with caution at a red light after coming to a full stop. Main roads and highways are adequately maintained, but, many of the frequently-used city-center roads and remote mountainside roads can be fairly terrible, with potholes, and uneven pavement. Some lane markers are often thin or non-existent since painting fades swiftly under the intense tropical heat and frequent rain. Be cautious of other drivers, as turn signals are not usually utilized or adhered to. Most indigenous do not drive like mainlanders are used to. Watch out for cars pulling out in front of you, or crossing an intersection, even if you have right of way. Also, there are numerous automobiles with non-functional head lights or tail lights, making driving in traffic even more risky. Speed limits are similar to the mainland U.S., however, like with other regions in the world these are regarded suggestions for the locals, but high fines should make savvy tourists careful.

The historical area of San Juan (Old San Juan) features many public parking facilities conveniently placed on the southern side of town, near the cruise port. Each garage has its own rate, sometimes they have a fixed charge during evenings and weekends. Tourists are highly urged to use these garages, as street parking is mostly for residents. Furthermore, streets in the old town date from the 1500's, so are very tiny and most of them are one-way. Parking in the San Juan Metro Area (outside the old town) is largely on-street, and like in all big cities, highways are frequently clogged during rush hour (6:30 am–8:30am and from 4pm–7pm), so give yourself plenty of time coming and going.

Road signs are Spanish language copies of their U.S. equivalents, so you shouldn't have problem picking them out. However, note that distances are in kilometers, whereas speed restrictions are in miles. Gas is likewise sold by the liter, not by the gallon, and it's a tiny bit cheaper than on the mainland.

In addition to the usual free highway (carretera) network, there are four major toll highways (autopistas) on Puerto Rico. They're significantly speedier and less congested than the conventional highways, and it's recommended taking them if in any type of hurry. Tolls for a 2-axle vehicles range from $0.50 and $1.50.

Since 2011, the Puerto Rico government has started converting all toll roads to electronic toll collection (AutoExpreso) solely and removing cash toll booths from toll plazas. Some but not all toll plazas still offer a human-staffed "R" lane where drivers can purchase AutoExpreso tags or add extra money to their accounts. Most rental car businesses now put AutoExpreso tags on all automobiles and automatically pass through the tolls incurred to the credit card supplied at the time of rental, plus a per-day service fee for each day on which the tag was actually used.

Off the main highways, roads in Puerto Rico quickly become small, twisting and turny, especially up in the highlands. Roads that are barely one-and-a-half lanes wide are prevalent, so do like the locals do and honk before going into blind curves. Signage is frequently limited. At crossroads, highway numbers are nearly always indicated but destinations are not, therefore a thorough highway map will come in helpful.

Navigating a car can be highly tough because most residents give directions by landmark rather by address and using maps in PR can be fairly tricky for visitors. Google Maps works fairly well in Puerto Rico, however, don't be shocked if some street names are either misspelled or missing. In order to avoid this, some travelers type the destination coordinates instead of the destination address; this could become beneficial in isolated places. Always leave some room for the regular highway traffic or any unexpected scenarios. Note that the bigger metro regions, like San Juan, can have numerous streets with the same name, thus it's vital to know the neighborhood (urbanization) name when dealing with taxi drivers, etc.

Police cars are easy to see, as per local legislation, they must have their blue light bar continually illuminated any time they are in motion. Avoid getting a speeding ticket: Penalties start at $50 + $5 for each mile above the speed limit.

As of 2013, there have been recent installs of traffic cameras around Puerto Rico and drivers can expect fines for traffic offenses.

By público

A público (also known as colectivo and pisicorre) is a shared taxi service that is much cheaper than taking a taxi around the island, and depending on your travel objectives, can be cheaper than renting a car. Públicos, which run Monday-Friday, can be recognised by their yellow license plates with the word "PUBLICO" inscribed on top of the registration plate. The "primary" público station is in Río Piedras, a suburb of San Juan.

There are two ways of getting aboard a público. The easiest option is to call the local público stand the day before and ask them to pick you up at a specified time (your hotel or guesthouse can probably arrange this, and unlike you, they presumably know which of the myriad of companies is going your way) (your hotel or guesthouse can probably arrange this, and unlike you, they probably know which of the multitude of companies is going your way). This is convenient, but it'll cost a few bucks extra and you'll be in for a wait as the car collects all the other exiting customers. The cheapest approach is to just show up at the público port (or, in smaller towns, the town square) as early as you can (6–7 a.m. is common) and wait for others to arrive up; as soon as enough have collected, which may take minutes or hours, you're off. Públicos taper off in the afternoon and stop running totally before nightfall, usually about 4 p.m.

Públicos can make frequent stops to pick up or drop off passengers and may take a while to get to their target terminal, but you may also request to be dropped off elsewhere if it's along the way or you pay a little extra. Prices vary based on the size of the público and the distance being traveled. For example, a modest público that can seat three or four passengers from Ponce to San Juan will cost around $15, while a 15-passenger público that is going between San Juan and Fajardo will cost about $5 each person.

By bus

Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses, usually known in English as Metropolitan Bus Authority, or by its initials in Spanish, AMA; is a public bus transit system centered in the San Juan metropolitan area. The AMA provides bus transportation to people of San Juan, Guaynabo, Bayamón, Trujillo Alto, Cataño, and Carolina through a network of 30 bus routes, including 3 express lines. Its fleet consists of 149 normal buses and 54 paratransit vehicles for handicapped persons. Its ridership is estimated at 30,000 on work days.

Most bus lines work Monday to Friday from 5:00am to 9:00pm; Saturdays and holidays from 6:00am to 8:00pm. The only two bus routes with service on Sundays are the T3 between Old San Juan and Sagrado Corazón train station at Santurce downtown; and E40 express between the San Juan Airport and Piñero railway station. Many fascinating locations might be located on the routes, like the relics of the earliest European settlement on the island and the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. Maps are available at the bus terminals, railways stations, or online ati.pr. You can also plan your route using Google Maps or using the unauthorized Tren Urbano App.

There are certain roads which are quite reliable: T3, E10 express, E40 express, and C22 . E10 express goes between Old San Juan and Sagrado Corazón train station; and C22 between Sagrado Corazón, Hato Rey Golden Mile banking zone, and Plaza Las Américas.

As a tourist staying in Condado or Isla Verde hotel districts, be aware there is a bus service running to and from Old San Juan. It costs only 75 cents, but takes 45 minutes to an hour, and the proper bus comes by irregularly. The bus only takes quarters and no bills, so prepare ahead. So the trade-off is between low cost versus your time and convenience. In the rainy months, standing at the bus stop might be uncomfortable. One effective way to get from San Juan to the Airport is to take the D53 or T5 to Isla Verde.

By train

Tren Urbano ("Urban Train") is a 17.2km (10.7 mile) completely automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan region of San Juan, which comprises the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón, and Guaynabo. Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations on a single line.

The Tren Urbano supports other f

Cuisine

Mofongo with camarones

Fish with plantain fritters (tostones) and salad

A traditional Puerto Rican meal: pork chops (chuletas), rice & beans (arroz y habichuelas), a bottle of sofrito and some token greens to satisfy the tourists

Arroz with gandules

Coconut Creme, Puerto Rican Traditional Candy composed with Coconut Milk and Sugar.

Authentic Puerto Rican meal (comida criolla) may be summed up in two words: plantains and pork, usually served up with rice and beans (arroz y habichuelas) (arroz y habichuelas). It is rarely if ever spicy, and to many visitors' surprise has very little in common with Mexican cookery.

Plantains (plátanos) are essentially delicious bananas and the predominant supply of starch back in the bad old days, although you will occasionally also discover other tropical tubers like yuca (cassava) and ñame (white yam) (white yam). Served with practically every meal, incarnations include:

mofongo – plantains mashed, fried, and mashed again, when packed (relleno) with shrimp this is possibly the best-known Puerto Rican meal of them all

tostones – twice deep-fried plantain chips, better when freshly cooked

sopa de plátanos – mashed plantain soup

The main meat eaten on Puerto Rico is pig (cerdo), with chicken a close second and beef and mutton further down the list. Seafood, strangely, is only a modest part of the traditional repertoire: the deep oceans around Puerto Rico are poorly suited to fishing, and much of the seafood offered in restaurants for tourists is in reality imported. Still, fresh local seafood may be found in restaurants across the east and west coast of the island, especially at Naguabo or Cabo Rojo respectively. Common fish used include chillo (red snapper), pulpo (octopus), jueyes (land crab) and carrucho (conch); the latter two are often served in salads which mimic ceviche in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, served pleasantly cold with vinegar and lime juice.

The apex of Puerto Rican porkcraft is certainly lechón asado - roast whole suckling piglet. Slow-cooked over an open wood flame for hours, this delicious masterpiece surpasses the best of any barbecue place in the American South. Lechón is typcially served at specialist restaurants, often little more than roadside shacks, which serve mile-high quantities accompanied by a dizzying array of exceedingly caloric side dishes (mentioned below) (listed below). To sample true lechón, take a trek down Route 184, the Pork Highway (La Ruta del Lechón), in the island's southeast portion in the town of Guavate. This small mountain village is noted for its many lechóneros, where you can settle back with a wonderful meal and a Medalla while watching the sun set over the magnificent Cordillera Central mountains.

Other variants of pork Boricua-style include:

• chicharrones – crispy dry pork rinds, Puerto Rico's favorite snack
• chuletas – big, succulent pork chops, offered grilled or deep fried.
• cuajo – slow-cooked pork stomach
• longaniza – pork sausage flavored with annatto, comparable to but less spicy than chorizo
• morcilla – delicious blood sausage (black pudding) (black pudding)
• pernil — pork shoulder with oregano and garlic
• A few other puertorriqueño classics include:
• alcapurria – fritter prepared with mashed tubers and vegetables packed with meat, chicken, or crab
• arroz con gandules – rice with pigeon peas, the unofficial national dish of Puerto Rico
• arroz con jueyes – rice with crab meat
• asopao – a hot tomato stew with rice and chicken or shellfish
• bacalaitos – salted cod fritters
• empanadillas – fried pastry loaded with cheese, pork or lobster, comparable to what Jamaicans term a patty
• quenepas — a green grape-like fruit prevalent in summer, don't eat the skin or seeds (and beware where you store them, they stain clothes easily) (and watch where you put them, they stain clothes easily)
• sofrito — a fragrant sauce of sweet pepper, herbs, garlic and oil, used as basis and condiment for various foods

Places to eat

Meals in sit-down restaurants tend to be rather pricy and most touristy places will cheerfully charge $10-30 for main courses. Restaurants oriented toward locals may not appear any cheaper, but the quality (and amount) of food is frequently substantially superior. It's fairly uncommon for eateries to charge tourists more than locals, so bring along a local buddy if you can! Note that many eateries are closed on Mondays and Tuesday.

Magic pancakes (brunch) (brunch)

If you want to eat like a native, look for locations that are out of the way. There is a roadside food stall or 10 at every corner when you get out of the metropolis. Deep-fried delicacies are the most prevalent, but they serve everything from octopus salad to rum in a coconut. You might want to think twice and consult your stomach before choosing some items - but do be willing to try new things. Most of the roadside stall cuisine is delicious, and if you're not hung up with the necessity for a table, you might enjoy dinner on a beach, chewing on all types of crab fritters at $1 a pop, drinking rum from a coconut. At the conclusion of dinner, you can see all the stars. Near the southwest of the island, in Boqueron, you might find fresh oysters and clams for sale at 25 cents a piece. The beach at Piñones is a particularly well-kept secret; the numerous food stands lining this lovely beach west of Isla Verde offer a dizzying variety of cholesterol-laden traditional Puerto Rican foods such as bacalaítos (fried codfish fritters), empanaditas (fried pastry dough stuffed with meat, potatoes, or plantains), and chicarrones (crispy fried pork skins) (crispy fried pork skins).

If you are extremely lucky, you might get invited to a pork roast. It's not just food, it's a day-long affair - and it's an unforgettable cultural experience. Folks sing, drink, linger out telling stories, and help turning the pig as it roasts; when it's finished, you'll likely find yourself served a luscious piece of pork paired with arroz con gandules (rice and beans) (rice and beans).

Typical fast food outlets, such as McDonald's and Wendy's are prevalent in Puerto Rico and identical to their American counterparts. Some feel, however, that fried chicken restaurants are somewhat different in PR. Pollo Tropical is a fast food restaurant peculiar to Puerto Rico that serves more traditional Puerto Rican

Finally, there are some fantastic restaurants, and as everywhere, the greatest are found largely near the metropolitan centers. Old San Juan is arguably your best hope for a 4-star lunch in a 4-star restaurant. However if your experimental bent wanes, there are numerous of "Americanized" alternatives in and around San Juan. Good luck, keep your eyes open for the next roadside stand, and make sure to take advantage of all the sports to balance the moving smorgasbord.

Dietary restrictions

Strict vegetarians will have a terrible time in Puerto Rico, although the larger towns offer eateries that can cater to their tastes. Traditionally practically all Puerto Rican food is prepared using lard, and while this has been mostly displaced by cheaper corn oil, mofongo is still routinely cooked with lard, bacon or both.

• Drink
• Pina Colad

Bottle rum Don Q

Unlike other U.S. jurisdictions, Puerto Rico's drinking age is 18. That, coupled with the fact that the U.S. does not need U.S. residents to have a passport to travel between Puerto Rico and the continental U.S., means Puerto Rico is a favorite destination for teens on spring break. Puerto Rico has a comparatively lenient attitude toward alcohol drinking compared with most US states, more similar to attitudes in Europe and other Caribbean countries. Beer and hard liquor are accessible at practically every grocery store, convenience store, panadería (bakery), connell cabinet shops, and meat shops. There are many bars right off the sidewalk that cater to individuals of age, notably in San Juan and Old San Juan.

Puerto Rico is undoubtedly recognized for its rum and rum-based cocktails, and is the birthplace of the globally known Piña Colada. Several great rums are distilled in Puerto Rico, including Bacardì, Captain Morgan and Don Q. Rum is not a connoisseur's drink in the same sense as wine or whiskey, and you may get a few funny stares if you ask for it straight as it is almost always taken as a mixer. This is a shame, because the best matured Puerto Rican rums are cocktails of brilliant subtlety and exceedingly high quality. Perhaps the greatest rum for a tourist to acquire in Puerto Rico is known as Ron del Barrilito. It isn't accessible in the mainland US, and is believed to be the closest to the rums made in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries, both in taste and the way it is distilled. It has an amber-brown color and a delightful, clean taste with a gentle dried-fruit scent, sugary-sweet flavor, a smooth texture, and a little smoky finish. Aged rum is incredibly delicious on a hot day on the rocks and garnished a mint leaf. Common highballs are largely of Cuban origin; they include the Mojíto (rum, lime juice, mint leaves, and seltzer water) and the Cuba Libre (spiced rum and cola), commonly known jokingly as a Mentiríta (meaning "little lie"), a shot at the Cuban government.

The local moonshine is known as pitorro or cañita, distilled (like rum) from fermented sugarcane. It is then poured into a jug with different flavorings such as grapes, prunes, breadfruit seeds, raisins, dates, mango, grapefruit, guava, pineapple, and even cheese or raw meat. Its manufacturing, albeit illegal, is widespread and a sort of national pastime. If you are lucky enough to be welcomed to a Puerto Rican household around Christmastime, it is likely that someone will ultimately bring out a bottle of it. Use caution since it is quite potent, occasionally reaching 80 percent alcohol by volume (although average alcohol levels are closer to 40-50 percent ). (although typical alcohol levels are closer to 40-50 percent )

During Christmas season, Puertoricans also consume Coquito, an eggnog-like alcoholic beverage made with rum, egg yolks, coconut milk, coconut cream, sweet condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It is virtually always handcrafted, and is commonly presented as a present over the Christmas holidays. It is wonderful, but highly calorie. It will also make you quite sick if you drink

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