Las joyas inolvidables del Caribe PUERTO RICO
Jewels of the Caribbean
Puerto Rico is often called the Island of Enchantment because anyone who visits this captivating destination will fall in love with its culture, natural formations, white-sand beaches, rainforests, delicious food and wholehearted warmth that characterizes the whole of the Caribbean. After the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria by the end of 2017, the island has progressively recovered thanks to tourism as visitors from all over the world arrive at the capital city of San Juan to get a taste of this fiery island.
Over 7,000 islands comprise the 26 countries in the Caribbean, and while all of them share a history of European conquest, each of them has its individual history, roots and cultural identity. Puerto Rico’s earliest inhabitants can be traced back to 1,000 years before the Spanish conquest. The Taino, a peaceful tribe, and the Carib, fierce cannibals, were the island’s residents when Christopher Columbus discovered the territory on November 19, 1493. Columbus named this discovery San Juan Bautista, but due to the land’s richness in gold, silver, copper, marble, etc., traders began calling Puerto Rico “rich port”, while the actual port and the capital city retained the name of San Juan.
The colonial period was difficult for the island. European diseases decimated the Taino population; African and Indian slaves were brought in to work at the sugar and ginger plantations, plus the neighboring Carib tribes, and French, British, and Dutch pirates raided the settlements often. In the second half the 16th century, Spain began turning the island into a military outpost due to its strategic location, events that culminated in the construction of the San Felipe del Morro and San Cristóbal forts.
By 1868, Puerto Rico began its journey towards independence from Spain, and accomplished it, gaining autonomy, a constitution and right to vote. However, what could have been a historic moment for the Caribbean island, proved a short lived victory when the Spanish-American war of 1898 resulted in the United States’ acquisition of several territories, such as Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines through the Treaty of Paris.
Now, as a Commonwealth of the US, Puerto Rico shares a strange relationship with the North American country. Puerto Ricans are considered US citizens, and travel between the island and the mainland is domestic, but Puerto Ricans who live in the island cannot vote on presidential elections and such. The island also has its own olympic team and people don’t pay taxes the way US-born citizens do, but they can serve in the US Army. This dual identity can be both a good thing and a bad thing, because this can create blurry line between what it means to be American and what it means to be Puerto Rican. Most Puerto Ricans embrace the island’s status as Commonwealth, and they also embrace their identity as Caribbeans and Latin Americans.
For visitors is fascinating to watch their mixture of heritage, which ranges from modernity and luxury to tradition, culture and history. Every single person you’ll encounter will have a smile on their face and will welcome you warmly into their land; they will offer advise on places you can visit and will go to great lengths to make you feel safe and comfortable.
One of the best qualities about Puerto Rico, besides its friendly population, is the amount of new things and activities you can discover. You will find the most luxurious stores from brands like Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, and other chic designers at the Mall of San Juan, which will undoubtedly provide an elegant and luxurious experience. Or you can go bigger and visit Plaza Las Américas, the largest mall in the Caribbean and the second largest in all of Latin America—a single afternoon won’t be enough to explore the whole of it! A good thing about San Juan is that parking lots are mostly free of charge and traffic is light to moderate, which makes car rental the best choice to get around the city and explore locations that could be out of reach otherwise.
That way you can travel to the best beaches on the island, which are usually found outside of San Juan. For that, you will have to go southwest, where you will have the perfect snorkeling experience and perhaps a sip of the legendary Caribbean rum
