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Puerto Rico

The Caribbean with a rhythm all its own. Historic old San Juan, glowing bioluminescent bays, rainforest and beaches, blended with irresistible island energy.

  • Currency $ US Dollar ($)
  • Language Spanish, English
  • Best time December – May
  • Visa US territory — ESTA required (up to 90 days)
Why visit

Why Puerto Rico

The Caribbean with a rhythm all its own. Historic old San Juan, glowing bioluminescent bays, rainforest and beaches, blended with irresistible island energy.

  • Old San Juan and El Morro fort
  • El Yunque rainforest
  • Bioluminescent bays (Vieques, Fajardo)
  • Culebra's Flamenco Beach
Read more

Puerto Rico serves up the Caribbean at its most vibrant and varied. The cobbled, colour-washed streets of Old San Juan pulse with history and music, while golden beaches and warm turquoise seas ring the entire island.

Nature here is spectacular: hike the only tropical rainforest in the US forest system, and kayak across bioluminescent bays that glow electric blue after dark, a genuine bucket-list wonder for families.

With easy connectivity, a superb food and music scene, and endless soft adventure from surfing to snorkelling, this compact island delivers a rich, rhythm-filled escape that is easy to fall in love with.

A pillar, not a footnote

Eat your way through Puerto Rico

The single reason many travellers come back — the food culture worth reshaping a trip around, and the dishes to seek out region by region.

Puerto Rico

Plantains, pork and rice — cocina criolla at a Guavate roadside pig-roast.

Puerto Rican cooking, cocina criolla, runs on a trio you'll taste in almost everything: sofrito, adobo and annatto-tinted sazón. The dish most call national is arroz con gandules, rice with pigeon peas and pork, and its natural partner is lechón — whole pig slow-roasted for eight hours until the skin crackles. Head up to Guavate in the Cayey mountains, where the Ruta del Lechón is lined with lechoneras carving pork to order with machetes.

The plantain turns up in every guise — green and fried into tostones, mashed with garlic and crackling into a dome of mofongo, grated into alcapurria fritters at the beach kiosks of Piñones. It's rarely spicy; the heat comes from pique, the homemade vinegar-pepper sauce added at the table. Finish, especially at Christmas, with creamy coconut-rum coquito.

Dishes to seek out
  • Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas)
  • Mofongo (garlicky mashed plantain)
  • Lechón asado (spit-roast pork)
  • Pernil (roast pork shoulder)
  • Tostones (fried green plantain)
  • Alcapurrias (stuffed plantain fritters)
  • Coquito (coconut-rum drink)
Things to do

Nature, culture & hidden gems

Editorial content coming soon

We're hand-picking the standout places, hidden gems and can't-miss activities in Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the cities above are a great starting point.

Plan your trip

Curated Puerto Rico itineraries

Browse all Puerto Rico trips →
When to go

Weather & timing in Puerto Rico RIGHT NOW 24° clear

Best Dec–Jan, Mar · Shoulder Feb, Apr–May

  1. Jan 6° / -4°
  2. Feb 8° / -2°
  3. Mar 12° / 2°
  4. Apr 18° / 8°
  5. May 24° / 14°
  6. Jun 28° / 18°
  7. Jul 30° / 20°
  8. Aug 28° / 18°
  9. Sep 24° / 14°
  10. Oct 18° / 8°
  11. Nov 12° / 2°
  12. Dec 8° / -2°

Best time to visit

December – May

Best for
  • Culture
  • Cuisine
  • Landscape
  • History
At a glance
Sunshine 7 hr/day (est.)
Rain days 8 days/mo (est.)
Wettest December · 60mm
Driest June · 10mm
Part of Caribbean →
By season
Spring (Mar–May)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Mar is among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Apr and May also work well.

Summer (Jun–Aug)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 29°C with overnight lows near 19°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Peak heat and the biggest crowds — many travellers prefer spring or autumn.

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C.

What's best — A quieter, less in-demand window than the shoulder months.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 7°C with overnight lows near -3°C.

What's best — Dec and Jan are among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Feb also works well.

A little context

A little history

To read what you're looking at — the empires and eras that shaped Puerto Rico's food, art and streets.

The Taíno called the island Boriken, still alive in the identity 'Boricua'
Columbus claimed it for Spain in 1493, leaving the language, Catholicism and Old San Juan's forts
Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the US in 1898, and a 1917 act made Puerto Ricans US citizens
now an unincorporated US territory whose residents can't vote for president; Hurricane Maria devastated it in 2017
Before you book

Know before you go

The practical back-matter — safety, drones and the essentials, in one place.

Safety

Low risk FCDO advice →

Official UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance is the definitive source — check it close to your travel dates.

Drone rules (sub-250g)

  • Puerto Rico
    As a US territory, FAA rules apply: register drones over 250g, pass the TRUST test (or hold a Part 107 certificate), fly below 400ft in sight, and use LAANC authorisation near San Juan's airport. ⚠ Flying is banned over the San Juan National Historic Site (El Morro and San Cristóbal) under Park Service rules, and most of El Yunque National Forest is a no-drone zone under Forest Service policy — avoid these heritage and nature sites. Rules checked: Jul 2026

National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.

The essentials

Plug & voltage Type A/B · 120V
Daily budget Mid-range to expensive
Region Caribbean