TRAVEL TIPS
PUERTO RICO
OVERVIEW TRANSPORTATION VISÃO GERAL TRANSPORTE ATTRACTIONS ATRAÇÕES
WHERE TO STAYONDE WHERE TO EAT SHOPPING COMPRAS FICAR ONDE COMER
OVERVIEW The tropical island of Puerto Rico is situated
Immigration policy in Puerto Rico is regulated by
in the Caribbean between the Caribbean Sea
the U.S. government, so you must obtain a visa
and North Atlantic Ocean. It is the smallest
at the U.S. Consulate before entering the territory.
inhabited island of the Greater Antilles, with a 580 km long coastline. The islands of Vieques,
The island has about four million inhabitants
Mona, Culebra and some others secluded
and belongs to the United States. Puerto Rico is
islands are also part of its territory. Its location,
a self-governing commonwealth in association
history and friendly atmosphere make Puerto
with the United States. It has the same
Rico the travel destination of thousands of
president, follows the same laws and rules and
tourists every year.
uses the U.S. dollar as currency, but has its own life with its independent culture.
Surrounded by deep waters it is a true exotic getaway with miles and miles of white sand
This beautiful place was blessed with its almost
beaches and crystalline waters, mountains,
perfect attractions. The nature was really nice
forests and other natural beauties. The people
to Puerto Rico, so you must get to know a little
of Puerto Rico are also an attraction with their
more about these wonders.
culture and warm hearted way. The official language is Spanish and English is spoken by just a quarter of the population. For federal subjects, English is required.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS PUERTO RICO
CLIMATE Puerto Rico has a tropical marine climate with warm and sunny days almost all year round. The temperatures are usually between 25 °C and 35 °C, at night and at the mountains, temperatures are usually lower. Throughout the year, it rains very often, but it happens with greater intensity between May and October, when the hurricane season occurs. January to April are the driest months. Regardless of the season, the humidity is high, averaging 80%.
BEST TIME TO VISIT The best time to visit Puerto Rico is from December to April, these are the best months to enjoy the tropical climate of Puerto Rican territory. The average temperature throughout the year is around 26 °C, but it is better to
avoid the hurricane and cyclones season that occurs between May and November. During this period, you can have a low-season vacation. The good point is prices usually go down by half at this time of the year.
TRANSPORT The transportation system of Puerto Rico has changed in the past few years. It is possible to get to the cities and islands in many different ways: By ship - the main port of the country is ‘The San Juan Harbor’ that is one of the five busiest in the Western Hemisphere. Even
though there is no passengers or tourists
‘Public Car’ - or ‘guaguas’. Vans that fit 10 to
control service on the port, it is known that
14 people, it is a good option to visit the city,
more than one million people visit the island
but it does not leave until the van capacity is
each year. The other ports are: Aguadilla,
complete, what might take from 10 minutes to
Arecibo, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayanilla,
several hours.
Guayama, Mayaguez, Playa de Ponce. Taxi - they are all over the metropolitan area By air – there are more than 20 airports in
of San Juan. They are billed through the meter,
Puerto Rico, the main one is the Luis Muñoz
but it is possible to fix a price depending on
Marín, located in Carolina and receives daily
the destination.
international flights. Most of the airports are well prepared with restaurants, banks, duty
Rent a car - there are several companies
free shops, banks and even rental cars.
around the island. Rates tend to be slightly more expensive than in the United States.
Bus - the bus system in Puerto Rico is known as the AMA and Metrobus. This service
Train - or “Tren Urbano”. There are 16 stations
connects the San Juan metropolitan area to
that connect the cities of San Juan, Bayamón
seven cities: Trujillo Alto, Toa Baja (Levittown),
and Guaynabo. Its opening hours are from 5:30
Guaynabo, Cataño, Bayamón, Carolina and
a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Loiza (vía Piñones). Its opening hours are 4:30am to 10pm.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS PUERTO RICO
ATTRACTIONS
El Castillo de San Cristobal - is a Spanish fort built to protect the city from attacks by land. It is part of the National Historic Site San Juan
There are 78 cities in the entire territory of Puerto
and is 45 meters high. It is open every day
Rico, and each one has its particular history and
from 9am to 6pm.
beauty. On the next pages you will get to know a small selection of tourist attractions, after all
Palacio de Santa Catalina - or La Fortaleza, Paseo
there are many sightseeing points in Puerto Rico.
de la Princesa. It is the official residence of Puerto Rico governor. It was built between 1533 and
El Castillo San Felipe del Morro – it is a small
1540 and was declared World Heritage. It is the
town built in the sixteenth century. It is
oldest executive mansion in the New World.
located in the northwestern part of San Juan and is a major tourist attraction. It is part of
El Teatro Tapia - built in 1872, it is one of the
the National Historic Site in San Juan and was
oldest theaters in Latin America. Currently
declared UNESCO World Heritage Site by the
people can watch concerts, operas, plays and
United Nations in 1983.
cultural events.
Centro de Bellas Artes - the largest fine arts center in the Caribbean. Where you can watch many concerts, plays and operas. Bacardi Rum Factory - located in Cataño, northeast coast of Puerto Rico, is opened Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm and on Sundays from 10am to 3:30pm. It is also known as the ‘Cathedral of Rum’, about 500 thousand square meters big. There are guided tours daily. Ateneo de Puerto Rico - This museum was founded in 1876 and is the largest cultural institution in the country. You can make part of art contests and art classes. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
La Princesa - is a former prison that became the Museum of History. The building was built in 1837 on the San Juan Bay, a beautiful place, surrounded by lots of trees. Open for visitation Monday through Friday. Museo del Niño - or Children’s Museum, it is located in Calle del Cristo. Opened Tuesday to Sunday, there are many interactive exhibits, giving children simple lessons such as the benefits of brushing the teeth and recycling products. Art Museum - it is located at Avenida José de Diego, Santurce 299. It is the most important gallery of Puerto Rico, where it was invested 55 million dollars. It has a rich collection of art displaying the cultural heritage of the Caribbean island. The value of the entries varies between adults, children and elderly, the largest value is around $ 8. Opened Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS PUERTO RICO
San Juan Beaches – the beaches are famous for
Flamenco Beach - perfect for those who like
its white sands and its nice and cool climate,
to relax and go to a quiet place where tourists
different from the Caribbean sands that are
usually do not go. Located in San Juan, you will
dark and very hot on sunny days.
find there a long white sand path with crystal clear water and very quiet environment.
Isla Verde Beach – it is one of the most popular beaches in San Juan with several restaurants
Muñoz Rivera Park - located at Avenida Ponce
along the beach. There are several trees,
de León, it is situated at the seaside. It has a
parking spaces and showers. Tourists arrive
beautiful landscape and lots of trees, great to
there early to find a good place and the
go for a walk. It opens from Tuesday to Sunday
beaches are always crowded.
from 9am to 5pm.
Beach County - also located in San Juan,
El Yunque – it is the biggest natural attraction
surrounded by hotels and beaches it is the
in Puerto Rico. It is located thirty minutes east
tourist’s favorite. You can rent equipments
by car of San Juan. This rainforest is protected
at the kiosks to practice activities like water
by the National Forests of the United States.
skiing and paragliding.
It is almost 12 km long and covers the regions of Canóvanas, Las Piedras, Luquillo, Fajardo,
Ceiba, Naguabo and Rio Grande. There are about 240 species of trees and different plants,
WHERE TO EAT
and 50 species of birds including the rare Puerto Rican parrot, which is on the brink of extinction.
When it comes to good food serving, Puerto
Visitors can walk along one of the trails
Rico is not a friendly place for those on a
watching the scenery, vegetation and waterfalls
diet. It is impossible to visit these islands and
with different species of flowers and plants.
go home without trying any of the delicious foods. The most common appetizers are the bacalaitos (codfish cakes), the surullitos
WHERE TO STAY
(rolls with corn) and Empanadillas with many types of filling. As the first course, there are the traditional black bean soup, from the Caribbean and soups like the classic arroz con
Puerto Rico offers a variety of hotels for
pollo sopรณn (kind of soup), the sopรณn fish and
different people and different pricing options.
caldo gallego, prepared with white beans,
There are about 15,000 hotel rooms and inns
salty pork and different types of vegetables
available in all Puerto Rican territory, and most
and sausages. Another type of stew is asopao,
of them are located in San Juan, the capital.
typically Puerto Rican, a mixture of various types of meat and spices.
If you want to rent or buy property on the island, real estate companies offer many
The local cuisine uses two types of spices: the
services and information. Because Puerto Rico
adobo - pepper, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil
is a place where there are many tourists all
and vinegar or lemon juice, that is used in the
year long, the country offers a wide selection
meat - and sofrito - different types of onions,
of properties throughout the island.
garlic, cilantro and golden peppers in olive oil, used in rice, soups and stews.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS PUERTO RICO
In Puerto Rico, there are several choices of
for affordable prices. Another product of local
dishes with fish and seafood, besides pork and
culture are hand-made cigars, which can be
chicken. The main dishes are beef stew, beef
found in Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra.
and veal pastelón and other meat dishes.
STREET MARKETS There is a route Puerto Rico southwest where
SHOPPING The mall, with many different stores, is located in San Juan suburb. The Plaza Las Americas in Hato Rey, is the largest mall in the Caribbean with approximately 200 stores, including worldwide well known brands. There are also plenty of clothes, souvenirs, cosmetics, electronics shops with all sorts of products. You can buy local handicrafts in San Juan, but the countryside festivals like Festival de las Chinas and the festival that takes place in Las Marías are great places to buy typical products at very reasonable prices. Puerto Rico is a major producer of rum, so you can find several shops selling this beverage
you can drive and go along cities and places with rich Puerto Rican culture. At the regions of Yauco, Sabana Grande, Lajas, Hormigueros, Cabo Roxo Maiagüez, San Sebastián, Moca, Isabela, Aguadilha and Ponce you can get to know and have direct contact with the artisans. Local crafts include wood carvings, musical instruments, ceramics, laces, masks, baskets and other rarities. Hammocks are the most typical objects of Puerto Rico that are still made in the traditional way. Another object of the local culture are the images of saints carved in wood.
CURRENCY As Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States, its currency is the U.S. dollar. But the
currency is known as ‘peso’. It is normally
5 cents (nickel) 10 ¢ (dime) 25 ¢ (quarter
abbreviated with the sign $, or $ or U.S. $
dollar officially, or simply quarter - quarter in
to distinguish it from other currencies into
common usage), and 50 cents a dollar. Then
U.S. dollars using the same symbol $. The
there are the bills of $ 1, $ 2, $ 5, $ 10, $ 20,
U.S. dollar is divided into 100 cents (cents). In
$ 50 and $ 100.
circulation there are coins of 1 ¢ (one cent),
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS PUERTO RICO
To exchange money, you can use “Banco Popular”, a national bank located in the capital San Juan. At airports there are also banks and agencies that do this service. The opening hours of banks, outside of airports, is from 9am to 3:30pm.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
911
EMERGENCY SERVICES
COUNTRY CODE
787 939 POLICE
787-343-2020 AMBULANCE
787-343-2222 CIVIL DEFENSE
787-724-0124 FIRE DEPARTMENT
787-343-2330 COAST GUARD
787-729-6770 TOURIST INFORMATION
787-722-1709 LUIS MUÑOZ MARÍN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
787-253-3522