Puerto Rico offers more than turquoise water and white sand beaches along its 300 miles of coastline. It’s a destination that blends centuries-old architecture and rich cultural heritage with natural beauty. Whether you’re wandering through the vibrant streets of Old San Juan or hiking to a hidden waterfall deep in the rainforest, the island’s blend of elegance and adventure makes it a unique escape for those who want luxury AND fun.
Nowhere is Puerto Rico’s old-world charm more evident than in Old San Juan, a 500-year-old living museum of Spanish Colonial architecture that’s as colorful as it is historical. Pastel-hued buildings line the narrow cobblestone streets (made of blue-hued stone ballast from Spanish ships), each facade adorned with intricate wrought-iron balconies, decorative cornices, and heavy mahogany doors, design features that have endured since the 16th and 17th centuries. The district’s historic grid layout is designed to maximize breezes and shade, to shelter you from Puerto Rico's enduring sun.
Make sure to stay at Palacio Provincial, located in the heart of Old San Juan and within walking distance to many local attractions. The hotel is situated within an early 19th century historic building, which for most of its 200-year existence housed the center of diplomacy for Puerto Rico. A highlight for any architecture lover is a tour with Andy Rivera, a distinguished professional in the field of historic preservation and architectural design, who currently works as part of the Puerto Rico Historic Building Drawing Society (PRHBDS), an organization dedicated to the documentation and conservation of historic buildings in Puerto Rico. You might try Mercado La Carreta for lunch after your tour. But don't retreat back to your hotel just yet - Old San Juan has a vibrant nightlife where you can find anything from fine dining experiences, musical events and trendy clubs to dance the night away.
To continue your architectural journey, travel to the city of Guayamo, approximately a one-hour drive from Old San Juan. Guayamo, "The City of Witches," boasts many museums, among them, Museo Casa Cautiño, a historical gem that offers a glimpse into the island’s colonial and aristocratic past. The house showcases an elegant blend of neoclassical and Puerto Rican Creole architecture, with a symmetrical façade, Roman arches, pilasters, and ornamental detailing that reflect the aesthetic transition of the late 19th century. During the Spanish-American War, the house was used as headquarters by U.S. forces. After the war, the Cautiño family returned and lived there for generations, filling it with art and handcrafted furniture made by Puerto Rican artisans. Check out Gallo Pinto with Chef Ángel David Moreno for dinner. Known for his innovative approach, Chef Ángel, a finalist for the 2025 James Beard Awards, infuses classic Puerto Rican flavors with modern techniques, creating dishes like chicken pate, tuna crudo and passion fruit sorbet to cleanse your palate.
But Puerto Rico’s luxury isn’t limited to just its cities. The island’s natural wonders invite travelers to explore a more adventurous side of its style story.
An hour east of San Juan is the El Yunque National Forest, offering lush hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, and picturesque vistas. As the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system, El Yunque is alive with chirping coquí frogs, misty air, and towering tree ferns. Trails like La Mina or Mount Britton lead visitors through stone paths and bamboo thickets to breathtaking lookouts. If you listen, you're likely to hear the beloved Coqui frogs from dusk until dawn.
As the sun sets, another kind of adventure awaits. On the island’s east coast lies Laguna Grande in Fajardo, one of Puerto Rico’s three bioluminescent bays. Guided kayak tours take guests through mangrove tunnels under starlit skies to a glowing lagoon, where microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates light up the bay, producing a glow-in-the-dark effect when stimulated by the movement of your paddle. This natural phenomenon is truly magical.
Not to be outdone, Puerto Rico is also home to a booming food scene with 8 James Beard nominees in 2025 alone. Beers and breweries, rum distilleries, coffee haciendas and over 5,000 restaurants round out all that Puerto Rico has to offer.
The best part of Puerto Rico is its people. They call themselves Boricua, a unique name honoring their Island heritage. Boricua is a spirit, flavor, and rhythm that you'll intrinsically feel in every part of this most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. Boricua is a state of mind and a way of life, embodied by its proud, passionate, kind people. Get ready to #LiveBoricua
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