Things to do in Puerto Rico | What to do in Puerto Rico

What to do in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico offers a range of outdoor activities, including the following…

Scuba diving

Surrounded on three sides by the continental shelf, Puerto Rico offers a choice of coral reefs, walls, caves and canyons for divers of all abilities.

In San Juan, dive the Condado reef, which sits conveniently near the resorts of Isla Verde. Dive lava reefs indented with caves, tunnels and overhangs to see schools of copper sweepers, snapper and grunts, as well as a variety of tropical fish including angels, jacks, bluehead wrasse, butterfly fish, sergeant majors and sea horses, among others.

Some of the best dive sites include: La Parguera, a world-class wall dive; Fajardo, home to delicate gorgonians, immense coral heads and a unique double-barrier reef; and Mona Island in western Puerto Rico, which is renowned for its large land-based iguanas and gin-clear waters filled with more than 270 species of fish and offering visibility often exceeding 60m.

Several dive centres offer excursions and PADI instruction, if required.

Snorkelling

To see various species of rainbow-hued tropical fish, the best snorkelling can be found near Fajardo on the east coast, La Paguera in southwest Puerto Rico, Rincon on the northwest coast, Caja de Muertos off the coast of Ponce.

Snorkelling is also great around the islands of Vieques, Culebra and remote Mona – all easily visited by boat on a day trip, if you’re not staying close by.

Surfing

Known as the ‘Hawaii of the East’, Puerto Rico’s northwest beaches attract surfers from around the world, with the best surf beaches located between Rincon and Isabella.

You can also surf other beaches along the entire north coast as well as those around San Juan, including Puerta de Tierra at Escambrón Beach.

The surf is up from August through April, however the best surfing months are from October to February.

One of the best beaches for learning how to surf is at Pine Grove near the Ritz-Carlton and Courtyard Marriott hotels in Isla Verde. Rincón also has several surf schools.

Deep-sea fishing

Hook up a charter to catch Allison tuna, white and blue marlin, sailfish, wahoo, dolphin (mahi mahi), mackerel and tarpon.

Fishing is typically good year round; the big game fish tournaments take place in August and September. Charter trips can be organised through most major hotels and at most marinas.

Hiking

Puerto Rico's lush mountainous interior and scenic shoreline offer a choice of excellent trails to hike.

For some of the best hiking, head to the lush and wet rainforest of El Yunque National Forest, located a 45-minute drive east of San Juan.

Follow a choice of several clearly marked trails including: the rugged El Toro trail to the peak of Pico El Toro (1074m), the highest peak in the forest; the El Yunque trail to the park’s most panoramic lookouts; and the Big Tree Trail to the picture-perfect cascades of La Mina Falls.

Alternatively, follow some of the 58km of trails through the dry and arid Guánica State Forest, an Arizona-like landscape studded with cacti and rare birdlife such as the Puerto Rican nightjar.

Ponce is the best centre for exploring some of the greatest forest reserves in the Caribbean Basin, notably: Toro Negro Forest Reserve, with its Lake Guineo (the lake at the highest elevation on the island); the Guánica State Forest, ideal for hiking and bird-watching; and the Carite Forest Reserve, a 2428ha park known for its dwarf forest.

Try also the Río Camuy Cave Park, where a limestone landscape is riddled with caves, underground rivers and natural ravines.

Or try hiking remote Mona Island, the so-called ‘Galápagos of Puerto Rico’ because of its giant iguanas and three species of endangered sea turtles inhabiting mangrove forests, cliffs and caves. You can also find with more than 100 bird species here.

Golfing

Choose from almost 30 golf courses, including several championship links, on the island often referred to as the ‘golf capital’ of the Caribbean. Puerto Rico’s golf courses are especially known for their scenic beauty.

Tee-off at the legendary Dorado East links at the Dorado Beach Resort and Club, 35 minutes west of San Juan; designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, the course is one of the most challenging in the Caribbean.

At the Wyndham Río Mar Beach Resort and Spa, try two world-class courses including the Greg Norman-designed course that ranges alongside the Mameyes River with stunning mountain and coastal vistas.

Or tee-off from the Tom and George Fazio-designed Ocean Course, which offers panoramic ocean views.

Island Hopping

Check out Puerto Rico's popular offshore islands…

Culebra Island

With its secluded white-sand beaches, crystal clear waters and healthy reefs that are ideal for diving and snorkelling, the tiny island of Culebra is perfect for escaping the more popular resort areas of Puerto Rico.

Vieques Island

Once mainly controlled by the US military, Vieques offers 40 palm-fringed white-sand beaches that are open to everyone, including the gorgeous Playa Sun Bay located on the east coast near the fishing village of Esperanza.