Puerto Rico Holidays

In Puerto Rico, you don’t need to do anything except find a patch of sand and lie back as you listen to the waves until dinner each night. If you’re looking for luxury holidays, Puerto Rico offers pampering in paradise at incredible hotels like Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve and St Regis Bahia Beach. If you prefer to dive in and discover the full destination, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Puerto Rico.

In San Juan, the island’s capital, you can explore the local cuisine on a food tour to find freshly baked empanadas, pintos, and tasty fried plantain. Or spend the afternoon immersed in the past at the San Juan Gate, the citadel of El Morro, and Castillo de San Cristóbal in Old San Juan. Alternatively, embrace nature in the tropical surroundings of El Yunque National Forest with hiking, zip-lining, or a cooling dip in a natural pool with birdsong as your soundtrack.

On a map, follow the Greater Antilles southeast into the ocean from Miami and the tip of Florida. Pass Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and stop before you get to the British Virgin Islands. On the line where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, that’s where your Puerto Rico Caribbean holidays begin.

Nationally speaking, this paradise island is a territory of the USA and can be visited on the same ESTA without any additional paperwork. This, combined with direct flights from several mainland cities, means Puerto Rico America holidays are a great way to add a historic island castaway escape to your USA multi-centre trip.

Whether you settle in one spot or take the time to try a few, there is plenty of choice for your Puerto Rico beach holiday. Close to San Juan, Condado is a small beach packed with watersports, seafront bars, and an array of luxurious dining and shopping outlets. Crash Boat Beach is perfect for divers and snorkelers or dipping toes in clear waters from the pier. Isla Verde is home to a calm sea beside palm-lined all-inclusive resorts.

Luquillo takes you away from the high-rise and into tranquillity. For family-friendly relaxation with safe swimming and boats to hire, drive a short distance to Seven Seas or hop across to Sun Bay on the island of Vieques, where lifeguards keep little ones safe as they paddle in gentle waves. More offshore beaches include the beautiful Flamenco Beach on Culebra and the untouched sand of Cayo Icacos in the La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve.

Anytime from December to May is a great time to visit Puerto Rico. Hurricane season and high humidity make June to November less popular, but September and October are often mild if you’re looking for great value and quieter beaches. Peak season temperatures tend to hover between 26°C and 30°C with occasional showers to cool the balmy days.

Many of Puerto Rico’s top attractions are found on the northeast coast close to San Juan, but if you’re keen to maximise beach time and avoid the rain as much as possible, it’s worth remembering the north coast gets twice as many showers as the south and the island’s southwest corner is its driest area.

Visa: You’ll need to apply online for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before travelling
Language: Spanish, but English is widely spoken
Currency: US Dollars
Time difference: GMT -4 hours
Flight duration from London: A direct flight to Puerto Rico takes just over eight hours, or you could fly via New York or Florida – perfect for a multi-centre holiday
Capital city: San Juan