1. The Beaches: #1 attraction for me in Puerto Rico. We are surrounded by water so we get to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. My top three favorite beaches are: Ocean Park, the Hilton Hotel beach and Flamenco Beach. All three are amazing but I choose between the three depending on what I want to do at the beach that day. Ocean Park is in an area called Condado, its just about half an hour from Old San Juan. This is were the locals, especially teens, tend to go with all the friends from all the different high schools and universities in order to enjoy a day together under the sun. It tends to get extraordinarily crowded so get there early. People bring their own chairs, stereos and the most important thing, the cooler. Everyone brings them full with beer, but if you happened to forget it or maybe run out no worries, these three old men are always walking by yelling "Agua, Cerveza, Pina Colada" which means "Water, Beer, Pina Colada". I would say that to relax this isn't the right beach, instead go to the private beach at the Hilton Hotel. The problem with this one is that you need to be a guest at the hotel or have some type of connection to get a pass and be able to get in. The reason for its exclusivity is the beach itself. Its a small very calm beach, it has a barrier made of rocks that breaks the waves before they hit the shore so you can just lying on the warm with the breeze hitting you and the sound of the water is a great way to take that stress off you shoulders. And the last one is Flamenco Beach a long narrow beach in one of Puerto Rico's islands Culebra. This one is BEAUTIFUL! There are two ways to get to Flamenco Beach: a "paper like" airplane from east coast city Fajardo or the ferry boat. I prefer the ferry because you sit up on the top deck and you are able to start working on that sun tan even before getting to the beach. Once you get there, you will find tons of SUV's aka the taxis that are waiting to drive you to Flamenco Beach. When you finally reach Flamenco after like a 20 minute ride don't panic if you run out of breath. This is normal at first. The water is so clear that you can see even the tiniest little fish swimming, the sand is white and if you happen to go on a good day, there is not a single could in the sky. At Flamenco you can do anything: snorkeling, read a novel, play some soccer...whatever you want. If you happen to love it so much there are two nearby local hotels that offer accommodations.
2. El Yunque: I've been to El Yunque about three times already and every time I go I still get that feeling of being in a magical place. The vegetation that surrounds you is so intense that you cant help but to just be in "aw" from the moment you enter it to the moment you leave. You see all types of trees from the Sierra Palms to the variation of epiphytes, tree orchids; and if your lucky you may spot 2 of Puerto Ricos endangered species: the Coqui, which is a tiny tree frog and the Puerto Rican Parrot which is feathered with bright colors and sings a beautiful melody. The experience at the forest is free unless you want an official tour guide, then you have to pay $5 per person. Personally I like going on my own with a group of friends, the different paths along the mountain are well labeled and there are always people walking by making sure that you are okay. Best advice I can give you is wear a bathing suit underneath, then a T-shirt, some shorts, a worn out pair of sneakers that you don't mind getting wet. Oh and don't let me forget the backpack! Be sure to take one have towels, plenty of water bottles, the camera and snacks to make you hike a bit more enjoyable. The rocks are slippery from the moisture and moss. There is a lot of elevations and tree branches that you need to either jump or duck in order to pass on. Why did I mention a bathing suit? Well that is because one of my favorite things of El Yunque its the natural waterfalls that over the years have been created ending up in small rivers and lakes. The water is really clean and crystal clear. Trust me that when you see you will want to jump in immediately, just be careful because the water is very very very cold!! The rain forest is open 7 days a week and its closing time is 6PM since it gets dark after that and I would just really not like to be in a big dark forest all by myself.
3. Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques: At yet another of Puerto Ricos offshore islands, you will find another of my favorite wonders of the island. This one is a night activity and it turns into a night like no other. The bioluminescent bay offers an experience that makes you believe you are hallucinating. Get in the water and all the water you touch turns into a blue/green phosphorescent color! Is this girl tripping us you ask? Nope, I'm not. There is this whole scientific explanation behind this phenomenon with complicated terms that I cant even pronounce, so I'm going to give you the info for dummies. There are these microorganisms that are like half plant half animal, that when you agitate them they release a chemical that reacts with the water to form the fluorescence that we see. The best nights to go is when there is no moon, this way you are literally in a black hole and you can truly admire the beauty and coolness of these little creatures and what they create. To get to Vieques again you can take a ferry or an airplane. I wouldn't advice to go an do this alone if its your first time, there are locals all over the place who tell you at what time to meet up with them and they take you to the bay. By the way these locals are so nice and are all into reggae so you'll be listening to Bob the whole night. So come and jam with us under the dark sky.
These are my personal favorite. But trust me when I say that Puerto Rico offers much more. All I can say is come on over and make a favorite list of your own. :)
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