The capital city of San Juan offers much for your Puerto Rico vacation. Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan) was founded in 1509. Here you can visit the 1532 San Jose Church, the second oldest church in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. The 1540 San Juan Cathedral is the resting place of Ponce de Leon, and San Juan's City Hall dates from 1602. More modern is the Condado neighborhood, where you'll find a beautiful beach and Ashford Avenue, home to many hotels and restaurants. Here you'll also find all-night casinos, boutique shops, cafés and nightclubs. Don't miss the 1832 Teatro Tapia, one of the oldest theatres in North or South America. For a great view, head to Parque de las Palomas, where you can look out on the city, its harbor and the surrounding mountains.
Heading out of San Juan, El Yunque National Forest provides many ways to experience Puerto Rico's wild side. The only tropical rain forest in the U.S. Forestry System, mountainous El Yunque provides 28,000 acres of rivers, waterfalls, flowers, forests (of the hardwood, cloud and dwarf varieties) and many birds and flowers. Hiking is quite popular, and there's also plenty of kayaking and even guided SCUBA diving. For culture in the middle of the forest, check out the El Yunque Art Gallery. For guided nature walks, try Enchanted Island Eco Tours (eietecotourspr.com), and for lodging, try Casa Cubuy (casacubuy.com), an eco-lodge located close to a large waterfall.
Leaving the main island of Puerto Rico, you can visit the island of Culebra, 20 miles to the east. At the end of your ferry or plane ride, you'll find the cove and beaches of Flamenco Beach. There are reefs on each side of the beach, making it a popular snorkeling destination, and there are other snorkeling beaches nearby that can be reached by passing through an old (and safe) minefield. Flamenco Beach also offers campgrounds. By contrast, Melones Beach provides many private apartments. In addition to snorkeling, you can rent jeeps to visit the beaches or rent a motorboat to visit the many nearby islets with their private beaches.
