San Juan Travel Information

Puerto Rico may be a self-governing commonwealth of the United States, but visting there in many ways is like going to a foreign country for vacation.

San Juan is a major cruise port for trips to the southern and western Caribbean, so tourism is heavy.

But numerous attractions, vibrant shopping and the same white beaches and aqua water makes it attractive as a destination. Our time at a resort in San Juan was as pleasant as any other we have experienced.

Although Spanish is the preferred language, English was spoken by about 90 percent of the people with whom we had contact.

This island is an easy one to visit and especially to tour because of the language, culture, economy and size.

PR is the fourth most popular island in the Caribbean.


Unique attractions include Old San Juan for a taste of New World history and architecture and especially for the parks and plazas; Montoso Gardens, a 90-acre botanical garden. Noteworthy regular attractions include 23 golf courses, hiking through natural rain forests and probably the most shopping opportunities of the Caribbean.


More people visit Puerto Rico for stopovers than cruises, but the truth is that many people fly into the territory to spend one or two nights there before leaving on a cruise, especially for the Southern or Western Caribbean.

Spending one extra day in San Juan is certainly worthwhile in order to visit Old San Juan. March is by far the most popular month followed by February and April; September is easily the least popular month due to hurricanes.


The climate is tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation. Depending on the source, the average temperature -- both night and day -- is in the mid 70s year round.

The average daytime high is in the mid 80s and ranges from the low 80s in winter to the high 80s in summer.


U.S. currency is standard for Puerto Rico. Some restaurants place a 10-15 percent service charge on bills. Hotels also sometimes put a service charge on a bill.

Although 10-15 percent seems common for restaurant tipping at other Caribbean destinations, the more standard U.S. practice of 15-20 percent seems common. Hotels have a room tax ranging from 7 to 11 percent.


Spanish is the dominant language and English is widely spoken, but do expect to meet people who don't speak English at all, despite the close territorial ties to the U.S.

Unlike most Caribbean nations, Puerto Rico has a thriving industrial economy and is far less dependent on tourism than most. The geography is mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas.

• CIA Factbook
  
• Caribbean Tourism Organization
  
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration