Travel Tips For Visiting Puerto Rico

I’m on my way to visit Puerto Rico right now. It’s one of those cute little islands I can’t wait to visit! Since it’s part of the United States it’s one of the places I want to visit in my quest to visit all states and commonwealths. Spring break in Puerto Rico sounds like the most exciting possible way to spend a week, right?

Since I’ve read a ton of information about visiting Puerto Rico, I wanted to share my favorite tips for visiting the island.

Skip the special travel prep

Since Puerto Rico is currently a commonwealth of the USA, you don’t need a passport to travel their as an American. You also don’t need to exchange money or do anything special for currency because Puerto Rico uses the U.S. Dollar as their currency. Your cash, debit, and credit will work fine there so no need to worry about special preparations.

Brush up on Spanish

Most Puerto Ricans speak Spanish so it can’t hurt you to brush up on your Spanish skills if you already have some knowledge of the language. English and Spanish are both official languages and most people speak English so this isn’t mandatory. You’ll be fine trying to get around with just English and some basic Spanish.

Visit San Juan

Visiting San Juan is one of the highlights of visiting Puerto Rico so definitely take time to explore and soak up the culture there. There are lots of opportunities in the city to experience Puerto Rican music and dance and learn about the history. Old San Juan is great with lots of historical monuments and tours.

Book excursions

Spending time on the beach is great but Puerto Rico has lots to offer. There are plenty of companies there that book excursions for snorkeling, rain forest hiking, waterfall visits, visiting rum factories, tours of Old San Juan and more! We’re planning several hikes and a tour of one of Old San Juan’s forts!

Go for a party

Puerto Ricans like to party and dance so if you want to get the most of visiting you should try to go during a festival or holiday that is celebrated there. Do some research when planning and try to align your trip during a festival, event, or holiday for a really fun experience.

Wear sun block

This is one of my personal travel tips and it definitely applies for visiting Puerto Rico. The sun is strong there and while it’s great to soak up the gorgeous sun on a beach, it’s very important to use sun block during the day. You’ll get burned in just a couple of hours so make sure you apply and reapply during the day!

Be careful with souvenirs

Like a lot of other places, you have to be careful when buying souvenirs to bring back. Many souvenirs for sale aren’t authentic and some are even made in China or Taiwan. Study items closely to see where they were made and browse carefully. To get something super authentic you might have to go off the beaten path a bit.

Enjoy the experience

I’m off to make the most of Puerto Rico now that I have all these great tips in my pocket! I’m going to meet two friends and then we plan on exploring Puerto Rico’s cities and forests and beaches! It’s going to be a really fun week. I love traveling and exploring new places so spending a week on the beach with 80 degree weather won’t be too much of a struggle.

In anticipation for visiting such a gorgeous island, I’m sharing some of my favorite creative commons photos from Flickr below. Enjoy!

Photo: Kevin Dinkel