With year-round sunshine and plenty of diverse attractions to offer, Puerto Rico is an attractive vacation destination any time of the year--and convenient for American tourists.
Visitors can get a taste of the history of Puerto Rico by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, Old San Juan. There you can see brightly colored colonial buildings and three Spanish colonial fortresses--El Morro, San Cristobal and La Fortaleza.
Visitors can sunbathe on the many beaches of Puerto Rico, trek through El Yunque rain forest or kayak through the bioluminescent bays of Laguna Grande, La Parguera, and Mosquito Bay--where the water appears phosphorescent thanks to microscopic organisms that emit light.
Puerto Rico's national dish is "mofongo"--made from fried plantains, broth, garlic and meat. Mofongo is served at most local restaurants. The national drink--piña colada--is made with rum, coconut and pineapple, and is served at many beach bars.
U.S. citizens do not need a passport to visit Puerto Rico. Both English and Spanish are the official languages--English is spoken in major tourist areas. Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar--sometimes referred to as the "peso."
The weather in Puerto Rico only varies from an average of 75 degrees in winter to 82 degrees in summer. The high season, however, is winter--making a summer vacation less crowded and more affordable.
