| Porto Rico ((es)/(in)Puerto Rico) | |
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| San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico | |
| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | San Juan |
|---|---|
| Area | 9 099,8 km² |
| Population | 3 957 988 hab. (2002) |
| Density | 434,95 inhab./km² |
| Form of State | Republic |
| Other languages | Spanish, English |
| Cash | US dollar (USD) |
| Religions | none 48% Catholicism 85% Protestantism and others 15% |
| Electricity | 120 V/60 Hz Where 220 V/60 Hz, American plugs |
| Telephone prefix | 1787, 1939 |
| Internet suffix | .pr |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC − 04: 00 |
| Location | |
 18 ° 15 ′ 20 ″ N 66 ° 25 ′ 4 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
Porto Rico is a Isle from Caribbean. It is a state associated with United States. Located in the Caribbean Sea, east ofHispaniola and west of US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico is on a major shipping route from the Panama Canal, the Mona Passage.
Understand
Politics
Puerto Rico is a state associated with the United States. Its political system resembles that of an American state, with some differences. In particular, if Puerto Ricans participate in the presidential primaries, they do not vote in the corresponding elections. While they have elected representatives in the House of Representatives, they do not have any in the Senate. The population is divided into two roughly equal parts, one in favor of independence, the other of attachment to the United States. In the absence of a clear majority, the current status continues.
Geography and tourist frequentation
Puerto Rico is a predominantly mountainous island, with a coastal plain in the north. The mountains drop steeply into the sea on the west coast. There are sandy beaches along most of the coasts. The island is watered by many small rivers, fed by the high central mountains. The south coast is relatively dry. The coastal plain in the north is fertile. The highest point in Puerto Rico is Cerro de Punta, at 1 338 m above sea level.
Tourist frequentation is concentrated on the coasts. However, it is easy to have empty beaches of occupants, it is enough to walk along the shore for a few hundred meters from the parking lot, so that the bathers disappear. Puerto Ricans tend to congregate and the areas they occupy are very noisy.
There are hardly any tourists in the interior, with the notable exception of El Yunque Park, which is very busy. Elsewhere, it's not uncommon to spend a day in nature without meeting a human being.
Culture
Puerto Rico is culturally Latin and Catholic. The American influence is however very noticeable, especially in the big cities.
Regions
 The different regions of Puerto Rico |
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Cities
- San Juan - the capital has the largest natural port in the Antilles. the San Juan National Historic Site (Engl. San Juan National Historic Site), includes the forts San Cristóbal, San Felipe del Morro and San Juan de la Cruz, also called El Cañuelo, as well as the bastions, the powder depots and three-quarters of the city wall. All of these fortifications surround the old colonial part of San Juan and are among the oldest and best-preserved Spanish fortifications in the Americas.
- Aguadilla - surfing and thai food
- Arecibo - the town hosts the largest radio telescope in the world
- Barceloneta
- Caguas
- Camuy
- Canovanas
- Carolina - Luis Muñoz Marin airport, hotels and casinos
- Fajardo - marina, bio-luminescent bay and departure of ferries for Culebra and Vieques
- Guaynabo
- Luquillo
- Mayaguëz
- Pumice - Puerto Rico's second city is home to many museums, such as the Ponce Art Museum and the Museum of Puerto Rican Music. To the north, there is a site of the Taino Indians, the Tibes Ceremonial Indigenous Center.
- San Germán - Porta Coeli is the oldest Catholic church in the Antilles.
- Yauco
Other destinations
- Caja de Muertos Island (Engl. Caja de Muertos Island), or Caja de Muertos, for short - uninhabited island off the south coast of the main island. The island is protected because of its frequentation by native turtles. Hikers and beach goers can only get to the island by ferry or through the dive agencies, from the La Guancha Boardwalk area to Ponce Playa.
- Culebra
- Guánica State Forest (Engl. Guánica State Forest, esp. Bosque Estatal de Guánica) - this small reserve protects a dry forest, to the east and west of the city. It is the largest remaining area of tropical dry coastal forest in the world. It was classified as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The park comprising most of the dry forest is called Guánica Dry Forest (esp. Bosque seco de Guánica).
- La Parguera - bio-luminescent berry.
- Mona Island (Engl. Mona Island) - off the west coast of the main island, halfway to Hispaniola, this isolated island is inhabited only by animals. You can only go to the island by reservation.
- Rio Camuy Caves (Engl. Rio Camuy Caverns) - north / northwest of the island. The main cave, Cueva Clara, is walked through 45 min. It shows the "third largest underground river in the world" and a huge chasm.
- Vieques
To go
Formalities
Visa
- The United States and its territories
- Countries that do not require a visa to travel to the United States and Puerto Rico
- Countries eligible for the visa waiver program
The visa rules for Puerto Rico are the same as for the rest of the United States.
Customs
On flights from Puerto Rico to the United States, baggage is inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture prior to departure. In general, the rules that apply are the same as when entering the United States from a foreign country. Some local fruits, such as avocado, papaya, coconut, and plantain can be taken away, but mangoes, passion fruits, and potted plants cannot. In any case, all agricultural products will be checked, in order to verify that they do not carry disease. [1].
For the transport of prescription drugs (prescriptions for narcotics, in particular), you must have the original prescription, or a doctor's certificate.
Cruise ship passengers with ship baggage tags are exempt from customs inspections.
By plane
Luiz Muñoz Marin International Airport is the largest hub in the Caribbean area. Direct flights to almost the entire area via regular or charter medium-haul flights. All the big American companies serve the island with about thirty direct connections to / from the American continent.
The transfer, by taxi, between Luis Muñoz Marin airport and downtown San Juan, costs about twenty dollars.
On a boat
Circulate
All modes of transport exist in PR except the train but it is not that easy to find public transport to get where you want to go. As for San Juan, if you find buses, you have to be patient because the schedules are not really respected and you also need to have the exact change to pay for the ticket. There is also a Tren Urbano which leads from Bayamón to Sagrado Corazón but it is only one line. There is no metro in San Juan. At worst there is a taxi, but prefer the turistico taxis (white with the logo of the tourist office, el morro del viejo san juan) because their prices are regulated and fixed. Most Puerto Ricans have a car and it is still the most convenient way to get around the island.
On a boat
San Juan is the Caribbean cruise destination, every day the super-liners pour their floods of tourists into the streets of Old San Juan (free zone, luxury goods oblige!).
Do not hesitate to visit the surrounding islands very well served at very affordable prices for those which are inhabited. At worst, you will negotiate the price of a crossing in a fishing village (don't forget your mobile phone in this case!).
To get to Vieques and Culebra, departures take place every morning from Fajardo. There is only one ferry per day. By car, you must book the passage on the ferry at least a week in advance. For pedestrians, reservation is not necessary, but, in order to be sure to have a place, you must go to the terminal before 6 h for Vieques, and before 4 h for Culebra.
By train
There is no railroad on the island.
By bus
By car
The road network is very dense. The highways, concentrated in the coastal areas, are well maintained.
In the central mountains, the roads are narrow and winding. As soon as you move away from the main axes, the condition of the road deteriorates, with many potholes. Overtaking is practically impossible and crossings sometimes difficult, especially with trucks.
Off the highways, direction signs are virtually non-existent. It is very difficult to stop because the roads have no verges and there are no parking areas. The tourist who hopes to take photographs on the scenic route is likely to be very disappointed.
Puerto Ricans drive like the French, neither better nor worse. On the motorway, the speed limit is never respected. Traffic is complex in large cities, with no direction signs, especially in San Juan, Ponce and Arecibo.
Renting a car is very easy. Most of the major rental agencies are located at Luis Munoz Marin Airport. It is recommended to take all insurance and bring a GPS terminal.
Parking is not possible in Old San Juan, it is advisable to park at the port. Paid parking lots are very cheap.
To speak
Since 1993, two languages are now official in Puerto rico: theSpanish spoken by 95% of the population and English spoken by 20%. Favor Spanish if you are looking for friendly contact with people, English is not very well received (it is the language of the colonist), many young people in particular refuse to speak it outside of school. Even if you speak badly, make an effort and you will always be better received.
Do
Bioluminescent berries
Bioluminescent berries near Fajardo and Vieques are an experience not to be missed. The microscopic organisms, which live in the water of these berries, emit light when they move away from the moving waters. The best observations are made on kayak or boat trips during a new moon. Microorganisms are difficult to see during a full moon and impossible to see in direct sunlight. By far the most famous is the bioluminescent bay of Lajas. Besides the boat trips, the traveler will find many restaurants and fast food stands.
Beaches
The Blue Flag program, launched in Europe in 1987, has been modified for implementation in the West Indies. This is a voluntary program that has proven, over the years, to be a very effective strategy to ensure the best quality of beach services for bathers in different parts of the world.
Casinos
In the San Juan metro area, luxury hotels have casinos similar to those in Las Vegas. For gamers, San Juan is a great place to stay while on an island vacation.
El Yunque
El Yunque, Puerto Rico's rainforest is a must see. It stretches along the mountainside. Walking up the road, you dive into an extraordinary tropical forest. At any altitude, you can observe plant and animal life. We meet the Puerto Rican parrot there (Amazona vittata), endangered, and we can hear the song of the coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui), the local tree frog. There are many hiking trails and the Yokahu Tower is a great place to view the forest from above. Two paths lead to the Mina waterfalls. You can swim under the falls, but the water is cold. The short hike and long hike trails intersect and it is important to pay attention to the markings.
As this is a tropical rainforest, expect it to rain every day and frequently. Take an umbrella and do not bring any objects that fear humidity.
Horse riding
It is possible to go horseback riding on Aguadilla Beach.
Surf
Tennis
Kayak
Kayak trips are possible on Lake Guajataka.
Diving
In apnea or scuba, it is practiced mainly on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico, as well as in Fajardo. For the practice of snorkeling, it is essential to make sure that the agency plans an outing to real snorkeling sites. Some agencies, like Sea Ventures, offer day trips that combine snorkelers and scuba divers and take all divers to deep water sites suitable only for scuba diving.
Sailboard
Trek
Many small family-owned tourism businesses offer guided hikes of the central mountains, including Utuado, near the Rio Tanama, and Arecibo. Some of them also offer free or low cost hosting.
Annual festivals
They are listed in the tourist guides available at the two main airports.
Visit of a plantation
Coffee, sugar cane and tobacco were, in the past, the three main agricultural products exported by Puerto Rico. Sugar cane was produced in the warm lowlands near the sea, while tobacco and coffee were grown in the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico. Some coffee plantations are still active or have been turned into museums. Most of them are located in the mountain region just north of Pumice and can be visited.
To buy
The currency of Puerto Rico is the US dollar ($, USD).
- Rum (Bacardi, in particular), called ron.
- Cigars
- Panamas
- Sculptures of saints (santos). Old sculptures are very expensive.
Eat
The advantage of the triple culture (Creole, Spanish, US) means that there is something for all tastes and all budgets. From KFC to gourmet restaurant [2], the best value for money is the criollo (Creole) that you can taste everywhere (at the restaurant, in a bar truck along a road, at the market, etc ...). Very tasty and very fragrant cuisine, beware of the kilos it is a little greasy sometimes !!!
The local specialty is mofongo, a dish of plantains.
Have a drink / Go out
The bars are closed at nap time, between noon and 16 h.
Undoubtedly the most festive island of all the Caribbean. Many festivals and concerts are organized there. Paradise for salseros or reggaetonners from all over the world, the number of clubs and bars is impressive.
Housing
It is difficult to find accommodation in Puerto Rico. Outside of San Juan, hotels are scarce or non-existent. In particular, Arecibo, a town of over 100,000 inhabitants, has none.
All hotels are expensive. There are no single rooms. A single traveler will need to rent a double room.
To learn
To work
Same visa requirements as in the USA, impossible to find a job without being there and without a piston !!! Do not look for advertisements on the web or elsewhere, it is not the local culture. We prefer human contact to the talk of a CV.
Security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:911 |
No particular security problem.
Government travel advice
Canada (Government of Canada)
Health
The rains are daily, it is recommended to bring an umbrella. In humid forests, a mosquito repellant is useful. In dry forests, it is advisable to take plenty of water when hiking.
The main health risk is solar erythema.
