Puerto Rico has over 270 miles of beaches. That’s a LOT of sand! But, it's not just the number of beaches that make Puerto Rico a favorite vacation destination, it’s the quality and variety. Puerto Rico has beaches with black sand and beaches with rusted military tanks left as a memorial. Whether it’s a surfing haven or tranquil waters, Puerto Rico has everything from the secluded and idyllic to glitzy resorts – in other words, just what you’re looking for!! Your most difficult decision when you think of a Puerto Rico beach destination is how you’re going to decide which beach to go to!
We’ve
already talked about some of the best beaches, but, there’s a lot more you
might not know about Puerto Rico – for example –
Yo Ho Ho and
a bottle of Bacardi Rum ... France has its wine. Germany has its beer. And
Puerto Rico has its rum. Puerto Rico
may be an island, but it’s the rum capital of the world. 70% of the rum sold in
the United States is made in Puerto Rico.
In fact, it’s the island's chief export. Puerto Rico and rum go way back
... about 400 years, give or take a decade. Ponce de Leon first brought Creole
sugar cane rootstocks from La Española (Dominican Republic) in 1506. The first
sugar mill was established in Añasco in 1517. Rum production began in the
1650's, a byproduct of the sugar cane industry. Bacardi and Don Q are the largest
producers on the island and Puerto Rico is the only rum-producer in the world
that maintains a minimum aging law for its rum. There are three main categories of rum: light,
dark, and añejo, or aged.
Puerto Rico
has a long history - According to archaeologists, the island's first
inhabitants were the Ortoiroid people, dating to around 2000 BC. They were
followed by the Igneri people from South America around 120 AD. The pre-Columbian Taino culture began to
develop on the island in the late 7th century. It is thought that the seafaring
Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America. During the mid-17th century the Spanish
successfully fought off numerous attempts by the Dutch, English and French to
take control of their (now prized) colony.
Puerto Rico
has its own "Galapagos Island."
Off the eastern shore of mainland Puerto Rico, (roughly 50 miles away
from Mayagüez) lies Mona Island, which has been compared to the Galapagos
island for its unspoiled-by-man natural beauty and its colony of iguanas, which
practically overrun the place. The Mona Iguana, found nowhere else on the
planet, is the star of the show here.
Are you an
architecture buff? Well, two of the
oldest churches in the Americas are located in Old San Juan. Built in the 1530s, the Iglesia de San José
(or "Church of San José") in Old San Juan is the second oldest church
in the western hemisphere, and a wonderful example of Spanish gothic
architecture. More famous (and beautiful) is the Catedral de San Juan (or
"San Juan Cathedral"), which is merely steps away on Cristo Street.
The most important religious landmark in Puerto Rico, the cathedral was
originally built in the 1520s but fell victim to two hurricanes, attacks, and
lootings. The Cathedral also has an interesting tour which includes the remains
of Ponce de León (which were removed from the Iglesia de San José in 1908 and
relocated here) and a wax-covered, glass-encased mummy of a saint.
San Juan is
the second largest cruise port. Just how
popular is San Juan among cruise lovers? It's the largest hub in the Caribbean,
and a major port of call for almost every cruise ship heading this way.
Bond, James
Bond…. Nestled in the forested hills of Arecibo is the Arecibo
Radio Telescope The dish measures a thousand feet in diameter (the Eifel Tower
is only 986 feet tall so you could lay it across the dish with room to
spare!!!), takes up about 20 acres, and it’s the most sensitive radio telescope
in the world. In the James Bond movie Goldeneye, the showdown
between 007 and 006 (the bad guy) takes place there and it was used in the
movie Contact (with Jodie Foster but that’s not nearly as cool as Bond, James
Bond!).
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