PUERTO RICO VACATIONS
Puerto Rico. Whether one seeks the old world charm of Old San Juan or the shopping and casinos of New San Juan, stunning beaches and perfect weather or a tropical rain forest, Puerto Rico is the destination. As part of the United States, passports are not needed for Americans, and flights and lodging widely abound.
Geographically, Puerto Rico is a Caribbean hub, presiding squarely over the waters between Hispaniola and the Virgin Islands. As a commonwealth of the US, however, it remains a world apart from its island neighbours, over a distance that can be measured not just in miles, but in dollars. It's island life with infrastructure, the likes of which the Tropic of Cancer seldom sees: excellent interstate highways, for example, allow travellers to zip from coral reef to five-star restaurant, and hikers can traipse through the spectacular El Yunque rainforest on well-paved trails maintained by the US National Forest Service. American influence is strongest in San Juan , where even the ramparts of El Morro - which staved off European aggressors for 500 years - haven't managed to prevent the influx of big-name American fast-food and retail chains. But the capital retains a distinctly Latin character at its core, with Old San Juan hosting a treasure-trove of pastel Spanish colonial architecture on exquisitely restored cobblestoned streets.
Despite the threat of overdevelopment from US dollars, most of the 35-by-100-mile island has managed to elude despoilment. Even in the crowded capital, it's hard to find a sullied beach, and outside the major cities nature is largely untouched - especially in the jungly, mountainous interior; on the relatively hidden beaches along the southwest coast; and on the offshore islands. In fact, the rich natural resources and wide range of hiking, birding, diving and caving opportunities make Puerto Rico as much a magnet for eco-tourists as for sun-worshippers.
