Your Questions About Puerto Rico Answered

Wel­come to Puer­to Rico

It’s final­ly here! The mega post where we answer 45 of your most press­ing ques­tions about Puer­to Rico has final­ly arrived! We went through the hun­dreds of emails ask­ing about the Island and iden­ti­fied the most frequent.

These are ques­tions that come to mind if you’re com­ing to Puer­to Rico for a week or if you’re plan­ning an extend­ed stay. They’re ques­tions about vis­it­ing Puer­to Rico and about liv­ing here altogether.

Some are more sen­si­tive than oth­ers, so you will find sub­jects in this post that many oth­er trav­el blogs might skirt around.

How­ev­er, like all things we do at Puer­to Rico By GPS we’ve strived to keep it real and hon­est. Remem­ber, we don’t sug­ar coat real­i­ty. We tell it like it is.

So sit back, relax, grab a cup of Puer­to Rican cof­fee, or of your favorite bev­er­age for that mat­ter, and let’s dig in to “your ques­tions about Puer­to Rico answered.

Is It Easy To Travel To Puerto Rico?

Yes, it is easy to trav­el to Puer­to Rico. It is a US ter­ri­to­ry, so US cit­i­zens do not need a pass­port to trav­el there. There are sev­er­al dai­ly flights from major US cities to San Juan, Puer­to Rico’s cap­i­tal. Once you arrive, trans­porta­tion options include rental cars, taxis, and pub­lic transportation.

Is Puerto Rico Safe?

Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered safe for tourists, but as with any des­ti­na­tion, it is impor­tant to exer­cise cau­tion and be aware of your sur­round­ings. Some areas of the island may have high­er crime rates than oth­ers, so it is a good idea to research the spe­cif­ic areas you plan to vis­it and take any nec­es­sary pre­cau­tions. Addi­tion­al­ly, it is always a good idea to be aware of local laws and cus­toms, and to respect the cul­ture of the place you are visiting.

Do I Need To Know Spanish To Visit Puerto Rico?

While it is not nec­es­sary to know Span­ish to vis­it Puer­to Rico, it can cer­tain­ly be help­ful. Eng­lish is wide­ly spo­ken on the island, par­tic­u­lar­ly in the tourism indus­try, so many peo­ple in the ser­vice indus­try such as hotel staff, tour guides and restau­rants will be able to com­mu­ni­cate with you in Eng­lish. How­ev­er, Span­ish is still the pri­ma­ry lan­guage spo­ken on the island, and you may find it use­ful to know some basic phras­es if you plan to explore more rur­al or less touristy areas. Know­ing Span­ish can also be help­ful when com­mu­ni­cat­ing with locals or nav­i­gat­ing pub­lic transportation.

Do I Need A Passport To Visit Puerto Rico?

No, you do not need a pass­port to vis­it Puer­to Rico. Puer­to Rico is a U.S. ter­ri­to­ry, so U.S. cit­i­zens can trav­el to the island with just a gov­ern­ment-issued ID, such as a dri­ver’s license. How­ev­er, it is always a good idea to check the expi­ra­tion date on your ID and make sure it will be valid for the dura­tion of your trip. Non U.S cit­i­zens will need a valid pass­port and oth­er pos­si­ble visa require­ments to enter Puer­to Rico.

I’m Coming From South America. Do I Need A Visa To Visit Puerto Rico?

Cit­i­zens of South Amer­i­can coun­tries may not need a visa to vis­it Puer­to Rico as it is a U.S. ter­ri­to­ry. How­ev­er, it’s always best to check with the U.S. Embassy or Con­sulate in your coun­try or the Puer­to Rican gov­ern­ment for any updates or changes in the entry require­ments. Gen­er­al­ly, a valid pass­port and a return or onward tick­et are required to enter Puer­to Rico.

Some coun­tries may also require a Tourist Card or ESTA (Elec­tron­ic Sys­tem for Trav­el Autho­riza­tion) depend­ing on the cit­i­zen’s nation­al­i­ty and the length of stay. Keep in mind that even though Puer­to Rico is a U.S. ter­ri­to­ry, it has a sep­a­rate immi­gra­tion sys­tem and the rules may be dif­fer­ent than trav­el­ing with­in the main­land US.

When Is The Best Time Of The Year To Visit Puerto Rico?

The best time to vis­it Puer­to Rico depends on per­son­al pref­er­ences and trav­el goals. The island expe­ri­ences a trop­i­cal cli­mate, with tem­per­a­tures rang­ing from the mid-70s to mid-80s year-round.

For those seek­ing warm weath­er and beach activ­i­ties, the peak tourist sea­son is from Decem­ber to April, when the weath­er is dri­er and less humid. This is also the time when most tourists vis­it, so prices and crowds are higher.

For those inter­est­ed in out­door activ­i­ties such as hik­ing and explor­ing the island’s nat­ur­al beau­ty, the sum­mer months (May to Novem­ber) are ide­al, as the weath­er is warmer and more humid. This is also the time when Puer­to Rico expe­ri­ences the most rain­fall, but the rain is often brief and trop­i­cal in nature.

For those look­ing for low­er prices and few­er crowds, the shoul­der sea­son from May to Novem­ber is a good option. In gen­er­al, vis­i­tors can expect good weath­er and a relaxed atmos­phere, with the added bonus of few­er tourists and low­er prices for hotels and activities.

Regard­less of the time of year, vis­i­tors to Puer­to Rico can expect plen­ty of sun­shine, warm tem­per­a­tures, and a wide range of activ­i­ties and attrac­tions to enjoy.

Tell Me About The Weather. How Does It Vary Throughout The Year?

Puer­to Rico has a trop­i­cal cli­mate, with warm tem­per­a­tures and high humid­i­ty year-round. The island expe­ri­ences two main sea­sons: a rainy sea­son and a dry sea­son. The rainy sea­son typ­i­cal­ly runs from April to Novem­ber, with the heav­i­est rain­fall typ­i­cal­ly occur­ring in Sep­tem­ber and Octo­ber. The dry sea­son runs from Decem­ber to March, with the low­est rain­fall dur­ing this time.

The aver­age tem­per­a­ture in Puer­to Rico is around 27–29 degrees Cel­sius (80–85 degrees Fahren­heit) through­out the year, with the hottest months being June, July and August. It can get hot and humid dur­ing the day, but usu­al­ly, there’s a sea breeze that makes it more com­fort­able. The island also expe­ri­ences occa­sion­al hur­ri­canes, espe­cial­ly dur­ing the months of June to Novem­ber, so it’s impor­tant to check the weath­er fore­cast and take nec­es­sary pre­cau­tions if you are trav­el­ing dur­ing this time.

Over­all, the weath­er in Puer­to Rico is warm and pleas­ant, mak­ing it a great des­ti­na­tion for a beach vaca­tion or out­door activ­i­ties, but it’s impor­tant to be aware of the dif­fer­ent sea­sons and their poten­tial impact on your trip.

There’s a weath­er app on the top right cor­ner of our web­site for your con­ve­nience. Right blow there’s a small ban­ner that con­nects to the Nation­al Weath­er Ser­vice. Make sure to con­sult their site BEFORE leav­ing for the beach. The infor­ma­tion about surf, under­wa­ter cur­rents and rip­tides can save your life.

How About Driving. Is It As Crazy As They Say?

Dri­ving in Puer­to Rico can be chal­leng­ing for vis­i­tors, espe­cial­ly if they are not famil­iar with the local dri­ving cus­toms and road con­di­tions. The traf­fic in the larg­er cities such as San Juan can be heavy, and dri­vers may not always fol­low the rules of the road or obey traf­fic signals.

Dri­vers in Puer­to Rico tend to dri­ve aggres­sive­ly and are known for mak­ing sud­den lane changes and pass­ing on the shoul­der. This can be dan­ger­ous for vis­i­tors who are not used to these dri­ving habits. Addi­tion­al­ly, many roads are in poor con­di­tion, with pot­holes and uneven surfaces.

It’s impor­tant to be aware of the local dri­ving laws and cus­toms, and to exer­cise cau­tion when dri­ving on the island. It’s also a good idea to rent a car with a GPS, as some roads can be poor­ly marked and it’s easy to get lost.

Alter­na­tive­ly, you can opt to use pub­lic trans­porta­tion, such as bus­es, Taxis or Ubers, which can be a safer and more con­ve­nient option if you’re not com­fort­able driving.

For more infor­ma­tion on this sub­ject watch our video: “Dri­ving In Puer­to Rico”.

Are Traffic Fines Stiff?

Fines for traf­fic vio­la­tions in Puer­to Rico can be sig­nif­i­cant, and can increase if not paid with­in a cer­tain peri­od of time. Some exam­ples of fines for com­mon traf­fic vio­la­tions include:

• Speed­ing: fines can range from $50 to $200
• Run­ning a red light or stop sign: fines can range from $100 to $200
• Dri­ving under the influ­ence (DUI): fines can range from $500 to $1,000, and may also include jail time
• Using a cell­phone while dri­ving: fines can range from $50 to $200
• Not hav­ing lia­bil­i­ty insur­ance: fines can range from $500 to $1,000

It’s impor­tant to note that fines can vary depend­ing on the spe­cif­ic vio­la­tion and the dis­cre­tion of the court. Addi­tion­al­ly, it’s impor­tant to note that dri­ving with­out a valid dri­ver’s license can result in arrest and fines. I wrote an arti­cle titled: “46 Things To Know Before Dri­ving In Puer­to Rico”. I urge you to read it.

Are Roads Ok In Puerto Rico?

The qual­i­ty of roads in Puer­to Rico varies depend­ing on the loca­tion and type of road. The island has a good net­work of high­ways and main roads that are gen­er­al­ly well-main­tained, how­ev­er, some of the sec­ondary roads and rur­al roads may be in poor condition.

The island has been affect­ed by nat­ur­al dis­as­ters such as hur­ri­canes, which can cause dam­age to roads and infra­struc­ture. After a severe storm, it may take some time for roads to be repaired and cleared.

Dri­ving in Puer­to Rico can be chal­leng­ing, espe­cial­ly if you’re not used to dri­ving on the left side of the road. The island’s roads can be quite nar­row and wind­ing, and the traf­fic can be heavy in some areas. Addi­tion­al­ly, in some areas, roads may be poor­ly lit and lack clear sig­nage, mak­ing it dif­fi­cult to navigate.

How­ev­er, the gov­ern­ment and pri­vate com­pa­nies have been work­ing to improve the road infra­struc­ture, and many major roads have been ren­o­vat­ed and repaved.

If you’re plan­ning to dri­ve in Puer­to Rico, it’s a good idea to famil­iar­ize your­self with the local traf­fic laws and reg­u­la­tions, and to take extra care when dri­ving on unfa­mil­iar roads. It’s also advis­able to be pre­pared for unex­pect­ed road clo­sures or detours, and to have a map or GPS nav­i­ga­tion sys­tem to help you navigate.

Will My GPS Work In Puerto Rico?

In gen­er­al, GPS nav­i­ga­tion sys­tems should work in Puer­to Rico as long as they are able to con­nect to a satel­lite sig­nal. The island is locat­ed with­in the cov­er­age area of the GPS satel­lite net­work, so most GPS devices should be able to func­tion as normal.
How­ev­er, it’s always a good idea to check the cov­er­age area and avail­abil­i­ty of your spe­cif­ic device before leav­ing for your trip, and bring a paper map as a backup.

It’s also impor­tant to note that in some rur­al and remote areas of the island, the GPS sig­nal may be weak­er or unavail­able. There­fore, it’s best to down­load offline maps to your device, or bring a paper map as a back­up in case you lose GPS signal.

Addi­tion­al­ly, some areas of the island may have poor cel­lu­lar cov­er­age, so it’s a good idea to check with your cel­lu­lar provider about cov­er­age and roam­ing options before your trip.  I made an entire video about this sub­ject titled: “Does GPS Work In Puer­to Rico”.  Watch it.

Is It Hard Or Expensive To Rent A Car On The Island?

Rent­ing a car in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly not dif­fi­cult or over­ly expen­sive, but prices can vary depend­ing on fac­tors such as the type of vehi­cle and the rental agency.

There are sev­er­al inter­na­tion­al and local rental car com­pa­nies with loca­tions at the main air­ports and in major cities through­out the island, so you should have no prob­lem find­ing a rental car that suits your needs and budget.

Prices can vary depend­ing on fac­tors such as the type of vehi­cle, the length of the rental peri­od, and the time of year. Gen­er­al­ly, prices will be high­er dur­ing peak tourist sea­son and for lux­u­ry or larg­er vehi­cles. In gen­er­al, you can expect to pay any­where from around $30 to $80 per day for a basic econ­o­my car, and prices can go up to $150+ per day for a lux­u­ry car.

It’s always best to com­pare prices and check for any spe­cial deals or dis­counts that may be avail­able before you book. It’s also impor­tant to check the rental com­pa­ny’s pol­i­cy regard­ing addi­tion­al charges, such as tax­es, insur­ance, and oth­er fees.

Keep in mind that dri­ving in Puer­to Rico can be chal­leng­ing, and it’s a good idea to famil­iar­ize your­self with local traf­fic laws and cus­toms before you hit the road.

Are Tolls Expensive In Puerto Rico When Compared With The United States?

Toll prices in Puer­to Rico are gen­er­al­ly less expen­sive when com­pared to tolls in the Unit­ed States. The toll prices for cars vary depend­ing on the road and loca­tion, and it can cost any­where from around $0.50 to $3.00 for a one-way trip. Some of the main toll roads in Puer­to Rico include the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge and the José de Diego Express­way. There are also some toll-free roads on the island.

It’s also worth not­ing that in Puer­to Rico, tolls are typ­i­cal­ly paid in cash, although some toll plazas are now accept­ing cred­it and deb­it cards. Some rental car agen­cies also offer an option to include a transpon­der or Toll­Pass in their rental pack­age, which allows the renter to pay the tolls electronically.

It’s always a good idea to check the spe­cif­ic toll prices and pay­ment meth­ods for the roads you plan to trav­el on before your trip, and to bring enough cash or a credit/debit card with you to pay the tolls.

Is Gas Expensive In Puerto Rico When Compared To The United States?

Gas prices in Puer­to Rico are gen­er­al­ly more expen­sive when com­pared to the main­land Unit­ed States. The cost of gaso­line can vary depend­ing on sev­er­al fac­tors, such as the loca­tion, the type of gaso­line, and the mar­ket con­di­tions. How­ev­er, in gen­er­al, you can expect to pay around 20–30 cents more per gal­lon than the aver­age prices in the Unit­ed States.

As of 2021, the aver­age price for a gal­lon of reg­u­lar gaso­line in Puer­to Rico is around $3.00, while the aver­age price in the Unit­ed States is around $2.50. Prices may fluc­tu­ate depend­ing on the time of year, demand, and oth­er mar­ket conditions.

It’s also worth not­ing that gaso­line in Puer­to Rico is sold in liters, not gal­lons, so you may need to make some con­ver­sions when fill­ing up your tank.

It’s always a good idea to check the cur­rent gas prices before your trip and to fill up your tank before head­ing out on longer dri­ves to avoid hav­ing to pay high­er prices at remote locations.

How Good Is Public Transportation In Puerto Rico?

Pub­lic trans­porta­tion in Puer­to Rico is not as devel­oped as in oth­er places, but it is still pos­si­ble to get around the island using bus­es and trains. The main mode of pub­lic trans­porta­tion on the island is the bus sys­tem, which is oper­at­ed by the gov­ern­ment-run Trans­porta­tion Author­i­ty (Autori­dad de Trans­porte Urbano or ATU). The bus sys­tem is exten­sive, but it can be slow and unre­li­able at times. The train sys­tem is lim­it­ed, with only one line con­nect­ing San Juan and Bayamón.

Addi­tion­al­ly, taxis and ride-shar­ing ser­vices such as Uber and Lyft are wide­ly avail­able in the main cities and tourist areas. There is also a fer­ry ser­vice that con­nects San Juan with Cataño and Fajar­do, but it is main­ly used by com­muters. Over­all, while pub­lic trans­porta­tion in Puer­to Rico is not as con­ve­nient or effi­cient as in some oth­er places, it is still a viable option for get­ting around the island.

Is The Food In Puerto Rico Any Good?

Puer­to Rican cui­sine is a deli­cious blend of Span­ish, African, and Taíno influ­ences. The island is known for its fla­vor­ful dish­es, many of which are based on local­ly grown ingre­di­ents. Some pop­u­lar dish­es include:

• Lechon Asa­do: Roast­ed pig, often served at spe­cial occa­sions or parties.
• Mofon­go: A dish made from mashed plan­tains and often filled with meat or seafood.
• Asopao: A thick soup made with chick­en or seafood and rice.
• Tostones: Fried plan­tain slices that are a pop­u­lar side dish.
• Arroz con Gan­d­ules: Rice with pigeon peas, a sta­ple of Puer­to Rican cuisine.

Puer­to Rico is also known for its seafood, and it’s a great place to try fish and shell­fish dish­es. The island is also famous for its rum and cof­fee, both of which are pro­duced local­ly and can be found in many restau­rants and bars.

Puer­to Rico is also home to a vari­ety of restau­rants that offer dif­fer­ent types of cui­sine, from local and inter­na­tion­al, to veg­e­tar­i­an and veg­an options.

In sum­ma­ry, Puer­to Rican cui­sine is deli­cious and diverse, with a lot of vari­ety and options to choose from. Whether you’re look­ing for tra­di­tion­al dish­es or some­thing more exot­ic, you’re sure to find some­thing you’ll love.

For more infor­ma­tion about this sub­ject watch or video “Is Puer­to Rican Food Any Good?” in the video sec­tion of this site.

How Safe Is The Water In Puerto Rico?

The water in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered safe to drink and use, how­ev­er, it is always a good idea to check the local water qual­i­ty reports for the spe­cif­ic area you will be visiting.

The water sup­ply in Puer­to Rico is man­aged by the Puer­to Rico Aque­ducts and Sew­ers Author­i­ty (PRASA) and they have infor­ma­tion on their web­site about the water qual­i­ty in dif­fer­ent regions of the island. If you are trav­el­ing to a more rur­al or less devel­oped area, it may be best to drink bot­tled water or boil the water before con­sum­ing it.

Addi­tion­al­ly, swim­ming in ocean water can be dan­ger­ous due to strong cur­rents, so it is impor­tant to be aware of local swim­ming con­di­tions and to always obey post­ed warn­ing signs.

Which Are The Most Important Places To Visit In Puerto Rico?

• Old San Juan: The his­toric dis­trict of San Juan is a must-see for its colo­nial-era archi­tec­ture, cob­ble­stone streets, and live­ly atmosphere. 
  • Castil­lo San Felipe del Mor­ro: This 16th-cen­tu­ry fort offers breath­tak­ing views of the ocean and the city, and it’s a must-see for his­to­ry buffs.
  • El Mor­ro: This 16th-cen­tu­ry fort offers a glimpse into Puer­to Rico’s rich his­to­ry and stun­ning views of the ocean.
  • The San Juan Cathe­dral: The old­est cathe­dral in the Amer­i­c­as, it’s a beau­ti­ful exam­ple of Span­ish colo­nial archi­tec­ture, and it’s a must-see for his­to­ry buffs.
• El Yunque Nation­al For­est: This lush trop­i­cal rain­for­est is home to a vari­ety of plant and ani­mal life and offers hik­ing trails, water­falls and beau­ti­ful views.
• Bio­lu­mi­nes­cent Bays at “La Par­guera”, “Mos­qui­to Bay” and “Lagu­na Grande”: One of the most unique expe­ri­ences in Puer­to Rico, a vis­it to one of the island’s bio­lu­mi­nes­cent bays allows you to see the water glow at night.
• The Beach­es: Puer­to Rico has some of the best beach­es in the Caribbean, such as Fla­men­co Beach in Cule­bra, Luquil­lo Beach and Playuela Beach.
• Ponce: The sec­ond-largest city in Puer­to Rico, Ponce is known for its colo­nial-era archi­tec­ture, muse­ums, and live­ly arts scene. 
  • The Ponce Art Muse­um: The Ponce Art Muse­um has an impres­sive col­lec­tion of Euro­pean and Puer­to Rican art, it’s a great place to learn more about the island’s artis­tic heritage.
  • The Ponce Fire­fight­ers Muse­um: This muse­um is ded­i­cat­ed to the his­to­ry and cul­ture of fire­fight­ing in Puer­to Rico, it’s a unique and inter­est­ing place to visit.
• The Bac­ar­di Rum Dis­tillery: Take a tour of the famous Bac­ar­di rum dis­tillery and learn about the his­to­ry and pro­duc­tion of the world-renowned brand.
• El Con­quis­ta­dor Resort, Palomi­no Island: This lux­u­ri­ous resort offers a vari­ety of activ­i­ties, such as swim­ming with dol­phins, snor­kel­ing, and kayaking.

These are just a few of the many amaz­ing places to vis­it in Puer­to Rico, as the island offers a vari­ety of options for dif­fer­ent inter­ests and tastes, from his­to­ry, cul­ture, adven­ture, and nature.  Here are a few pho­tos to whet your appetite. Click on any of them to see them larger.

Is There A Crime Problem In Puerto Rico?

Puer­to Rico, like many oth­er places, does have a crime prob­lem. How­ev­er, crime rates have been decreas­ing in recent years. The island has seen a decrease in over­all crime, includ­ing vio­lent crime, prop­er­ty crime, and drug offens­es. How­ev­er, tourists should still take pre­cau­tions to ensure their safe­ty, such as avoid­ing desert­ed or poor­ly lit areas, stay­ing in groups, and not leav­ing valu­ables in plain sight.

It is also impor­tant to note that cer­tain areas of Puer­to Rico may be more dan­ger­ous than oth­ers, and it’s always good to check with locals or touris­tic office to get a sense of which areas are best avoid­ed. Also, it is impor­tant to note that the island is cur­rent­ly fac­ing an eco­nom­ic cri­sis that has led to an increase in pover­ty, which can lead to more crime as well. It’s always good to stay informed and take the nec­es­sary precautions.

Why Are Young People Leaving The Island?

There are sev­er­al rea­sons why young peo­ple in Puer­to Rico are leav­ing the island. One of the main rea­sons is the island’s strug­gling econ­o­my. Puer­to Rico has been in a state of eco­nom­ic cri­sis for sev­er­al years, with high lev­els of unem­ploy­ment, gov­ern­ment debt, and pover­ty. This has made it dif­fi­cult for young peo­ple to find good jobs and secure a sta­ble future on the island.

Anoth­er rea­son is the lack of oppor­tu­ni­ties and resources in Puer­to Rico. The island has a lim­it­ed num­ber of high­er edu­ca­tion insti­tu­tions, and many young peo­ple feel that they need to leave the island to pur­sue their edu­ca­tion and career goals. Also, many young peo­ple feel that there are lim­it­ed oppor­tu­ni­ties for pro­fes­sion­al devel­op­ment and career growth in Puer­to Rico, par­tic­u­lar­ly in fields such as tech­nol­o­gy, health­care, and finance.

Addi­tion­al­ly, the island has been hit by sev­er­al nat­ur­al dis­as­ters in recent years, such as Hur­ri­cane Maria in 2017, which has fur­ther dam­aged the econ­o­my and infra­struc­ture of the island and made it dif­fi­cult for peo­ple to rebuild their lives.

Final­ly, many young peo­ple want to expe­ri­ence dif­fer­ent cul­tures, lan­guages and oppor­tu­ni­ties, and leav­ing the island is one way to do that.

How about healthcare? What happens if I get sick?

Health­care in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered to be of good qual­i­ty, how­ev­er, like in many places, it has its own set of chal­lenges. The island has a pub­lic health­care sys­tem, which is fund­ed by the gov­ern­ment and is avail­able to all res­i­dents, regard­less of their income lev­el. The pub­lic sys­tem offers a wide range of ser­vices, includ­ing pri­ma­ry care, spe­cial­ist care, and hos­pi­tal services.

How­ev­er, the pub­lic health­care sys­tem has been fac­ing finan­cial dif­fi­cul­ties in recent years, which has led to short­ages of med­ical sup­plies, long wait times for appoint­ments, and lim­it­ed access to cer­tain services.

Addi­tion­al­ly, many pri­vate hos­pi­tals and clin­ics are avail­able in the main cities and tourist areas, which can pro­vide a high­er lev­el of care and short­er wait times. How­ev­er, these pri­vate facil­i­ties may be more expen­sive and may not accept cer­tain types of insurance.

If you are a tourist vis­it­ing Puer­to Rico and you get sick, it is impor­tant to have ade­quate trav­el insur­ance that cov­ers med­ical expens­es. You should also keep your pass­port and insur­ance infor­ma­tion with you at all times, in case you need to vis­it a hos­pi­tal or clinic.

In case of emer­gency, you can dial 911 to con­tact emer­gency ser­vices. It’s also impor­tant to know that most hos­pi­tals and clin­ics in Puer­to Rico speak Span­ish, so it’s good to have a trans­la­tor or a bilin­gual per­son with you if you do not speak the language.

Why Are Puerto Ricans U.S. Citizens? How Did That Happen?

Puer­to Ricans are Amer­i­can cit­i­zens because Puer­to Rico is an unin­cor­po­rat­ed ter­ri­to­ry of the Unit­ed States. This means that the island is under the juris­dic­tion of the Unit­ed States, but it is not part of the coun­try in the same way that states are.

Puer­to Rico became a ter­ri­to­ry of the Unit­ed States in 1898, as a result of the Span­ish-Amer­i­can War. The island was ced­ed to the Unit­ed States by Spain in the Treaty of Paris. Since then, Puer­to Rico has been gov­erned by the Unit­ed States through a series of laws and poli­cies, includ­ing the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917 which grant­ed Amer­i­can cit­i­zen­ship to Puer­to Ricans.

Puer­to Rico has been a U.S. ter­ri­to­ry for over a cen­tu­ry, but it still main­tains its own gov­ern­ment and cul­ture. Puer­to Ricans have been grant­ed cer­tain rights as Amer­i­can cit­i­zens, such as the right to vote in pres­i­den­tial pri­ma­ry elec­tions, but they do not have the same rights as cit­i­zens liv­ing in the 50 states, such as the right to vote in pres­i­den­tial elec­tions or to have vot­ing rep­re­sen­ta­tion in Congress.

In recent years, there have been ongo­ing debates and dis­cus­sions about the sta­tus of Puer­to Rico and whether it should become the 51st state, become inde­pen­dent, or main­tain its cur­rent sta­tus. It remains a com­plex and nuanced issue with dif­fer­ent opinions.

Are Puerto Ricans Friendly?

Puer­to Ricans are gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered to be friend­ly and wel­com­ing peo­ple. The island has a rich cul­ture and his­to­ry, and the peo­ple are proud of their her­itage. They are known for their warmth and hos­pi­tal­i­ty and are often eager to share their cul­ture and tra­di­tions with visitors.

Puer­to Ricans are known for being out­go­ing and socia­ble, and they enjoy spend­ing time with friends and fam­i­ly. They often gath­er togeth­er to cel­e­brate spe­cial occa­sions and hol­i­days, and they are known for their love of music, dance, and good food.

Puer­to Ricans are also known for their kind­ness and gen­eros­i­ty, and they are often will­ing to help oth­ers in need. They have a strong sense of com­mu­ni­ty and many peo­ple vol­un­teer their time and resources to help their neigh­bors and those less fortunate.

It’s impor­tant to note that like any place, the friend­li­ness and hos­pi­tal­i­ty of peo­ple can vary depend­ing on indi­vid­ual and sit­u­a­tion. How­ev­er, in gen­er­al, tourists can expect to be wel­comed warm­ly and find friend­ly peo­ple in Puer­to Rico. I made a video about this very sub­ject titled: “7 Facts About Puer­to Rico and the Puer­to Ricans”.  For more infor­ma­tion click on the link or vis­it the video sec­tion of this blog.

Is Racism An Issue In Puerto Rico?

Like in any oth­er place, racism can be an issue in Puer­to Rico, although it’s not as preva­lent as in some oth­er countries.

Puer­to Rico is a cul­tur­al­ly diverse soci­ety, with a mix of dif­fer­ent eth­nic­i­ties and races. The pop­u­la­tion is pri­mar­i­ly of African and Taíno descent, with a sig­nif­i­cant por­tion of Euro­pean and Asian ances­try. His­tor­i­cal­ly, there have been instances of dis­crim­i­na­tion and prej­u­dice towards cer­tain groups, but over time, Puer­to Rico has become a more inclu­sive and accept­ing society.

How­ev­er, it’s impor­tant to note that racism can take dif­fer­ent forms and it’s not always vis­i­ble. It can take the form of microag­gres­sions, stereo­types, and dis­crim­i­na­tion in the work­place, hous­ing and education.

Puer­to Rico has laws and poli­cies in place to com­bat dis­crim­i­na­tion and racism. The gov­ern­ment has also imple­ment­ed pro­grams to pro­mote diver­si­ty and inclu­sion, and to edu­cate peo­ple about the impor­tance of treat­ing every­one with respect and kindness.

It’s also impor­tant to note that, as a tourist, you should be aware of and respect­ful of local cus­toms and tra­di­tions. It’s always a good idea to edu­cate your­self about the cul­ture and his­to­ry of the place you’re vis­it­ing, and to be mind­ful of your actions and words, to avoid any unin­ten­tion­al offense.

Is Electrical Power Reliable In Puerto Rico?

The reli­a­bil­i­ty of elec­tri­cal pow­er in Puer­to Rico has been a con­cern in recent years. The island’s elec­tri­cal grid has been plagued by a num­ber of issues, includ­ing aging infra­struc­ture, lack of main­te­nance, and a lack of invest­ment in new pow­er gen­er­a­tion. These issues have been com­pound­ed by nat­ur­al dis­as­ters, such as hur­ri­canes, which have caused wide­spread pow­er outages.

In the past, pow­er out­ages were a com­mon occur­rence in Puer­to Rico, with some areas expe­ri­enc­ing fre­quent black­outs. How­ev­er, in recent years, the gov­ern­ment and pri­vate com­pa­nies have been work­ing to improve the reli­a­bil­i­ty of the elec­tri­cal pow­er sys­tem. They have been upgrad­ing infra­struc­ture, increas­ing the use of renew­able ener­gy sources, and improv­ing emer­gency response plans to help mit­i­gate the impact of future storms.

Despite these efforts, it’s impor­tant to note that the pow­er sys­tem is still frag­ile and pow­er out­ages can still hap­pen, par­tic­u­lar­ly in the after­math of nat­ur­al dis­as­ters such as hurricanes.

If you’re plan­ning to vis­it Puer­to Rico, it’s advis­able to have a plan in case of pow­er out­ages, such as hav­ing a back­up source of pow­er for your elec­tron­ics, and hav­ing con­tact infor­ma­tion for local emer­gency ser­vices. Also, it’s a good idea to check the weath­er fore­cast and any trav­el warn­ings before your trip, as severe weath­er con­di­tions can affect pow­er reliability.

Is Camping Safe In Puerto Rico?

Camp­ing in Puer­to Rico can be a safe and enjoy­able expe­ri­ence, how­ev­er, as with any out­door activ­i­ty, it’s impor­tant to take nec­es­sary pre­cau­tions to ensure your safety.

Puer­to Rico has a wide vari­ety of camp­ing options, includ­ing devel­oped camp­grounds with ameni­ties such as toi­lets and show­ers, as well as back­coun­try camp­ing in more remote areas.

When camp­ing in Puer­to Rico, it’s impor­tant to be aware of the local weath­er con­di­tions and to be pre­pared for any severe weath­er that may occur. The island is locat­ed in the Caribbean, so it’s vul­ner­a­ble to trop­i­cal storms and hur­ri­canes, espe­cial­ly dur­ing the hur­ri­cane sea­son which runs from June to Novem­ber. It’s impor­tant to check the weath­er fore­cast and any trav­el warn­ings before your trip, and to have a plan in case of severe weather.

Campers should also be aware of their sur­round­ings and be pre­pared for the local wildlife and insects, such as mos­qui­toes and ants. Campers should take nec­es­sary pre­cau­tions to pro­tect them­selves from insect bites and oth­er hazards.

Addi­tion­al­ly, it’s impor­tant to be aware of local laws and reg­u­la­tions regard­ing camp­ing and to obtain any nec­es­sary per­mits or per­mis­sions before set­ting up camp. It’s also impor­tant to prop­er­ly store food and trash to avoid attract­ing wild animals.

Final­ly, It’s a good idea to let some­one know your camp­ing plans and to have a means of com­mu­ni­ca­tion with you at all times in case of an emergency.

Are Mosquitos An Issue In Puerto Rico?

Mos­qui­toes can be an issue in Puer­to Rico, espe­cial­ly dur­ing cer­tain times of the year. The island is locat­ed in the Caribbean, which has a warm and humid cli­mate that is con­ducive to the breed­ing of mosquitoes.

The most com­mon species of mos­qui­toes in Puer­to Rico are the Aedes aegyp­ti and Aedes albopic­tus, which can car­ry dis­eases such as dengue fever, chikun­gun­ya, and Zika virus. These dis­eases are more preva­lent dur­ing the rainy sea­son, which runs from May to November.

To pro­tect your­self from mos­qui­to bites, it is rec­om­mend­ed to use insect repel­lent, wear long sleeves and pants, and use air con­di­tion­ing or screens on win­dows and doors to keep mos­qui­toes out of your liv­ing space.

The gov­ern­ment also has pro­grams to con­trol the mos­qui­to pop­u­la­tion, such as fumi­ga­tion, and pub­lic edu­ca­tion cam­paigns to pre­vent the breed­ing of mosquitoes.

It is impor­tant to be aware of the risk of mos­qui­toes and to take appro­pri­ate pre­cau­tions when trav­el­ing or liv­ing in Puer­to Rico. It is also impor­tant to take note of any trav­el alerts or warn­ings regard­ing mos­qui­to-borne dis­eases before your trip.

What About Restrictions? Am I Required To Have Proof Of Covid-19 Vaccination?

As of my train­ing data (2021), there were no spe­cif­ic trav­el restric­tions for Puer­to Rico relat­ed to Covid-19, but trav­el­ers may be required to present proof of a neg­a­tive COVID-19 test tak­en with­in 72 hours pri­or to arrival or proof of recov­ery from COVID-19. It is advis­able to check with local author­i­ties and air­lines for up-to-date infor­ma­tion and require­ments, as this can change frequently.

I Hear That There Are Alligators, Snakes And Other Predators On The Island. Is That True?

Puer­to Rico is home to a diverse range of wildlife, but alli­ga­tors and oth­er preda­to­ry ani­mals are not com­mon­ly found on the island.

While there are no wild alli­ga­tors in Puer­to Rico, there are some in cap­tiv­i­ty, such as in zoos, wildlife parks and some pri­vate collections.

The island does have a small pop­u­la­tion of croc­o­diles, which are found in the wet­lands and coastal areas of the island, but they are con­sid­ered a endan­gered species and are pro­tect­ed by law, and not con­sid­ered a threat to the public.

There are also some oth­er ani­mals that can be con­sid­ered preda­tors in Puer­to Rico, such as snakes and some birds of prey, but they are not com­mon­ly found and do not present a sig­nif­i­cant threat to humans.

How­ev­er, if you are plan­ning to go hik­ing or camp­ing in more remote or wilder­ness areas of the island, it’s always a good idea to be aware of your sur­round­ings and take nec­es­sary pre­cau­tions to ensure your safe­ty, such as car­ry­ing a first-aid kit and a means of communication.

Can I Fly My Drone In Puerto Rico?

Yes, you can fly your drone in Puer­to Rico, but you need to fol­low the reg­u­la­tions set by the Fed­er­al Avi­a­tion Admin­is­tra­tion (FAA) and the local laws.

The FAA has des­ig­nat­ed air­space in Puer­to Rico as Class B, C, D, E and G, which means that drone pilots must fol­low the rules for fly­ing in con­trolled air­space. You are also required to obtain a Remote Pilot Cer­tifi­cate from the FAA, and to reg­is­ter your drone if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds.

It is also impor­tant to note that fly­ing your drone over cer­tain places is pro­hib­it­ed, such as over peo­ple, air­ports, and mil­i­tary bases. You should also check if there are any spe­cif­ic reg­u­la­tions in the area where you plan to fly your drone, such as nation­al parks or pro­tect­ed wildlife areas.

In addi­tion, it’s always impor­tant to be aware of your sur­round­ings and to fly your drone respon­si­bly and safe­ly, in a way that respects the pri­va­cy of oth­ers and does not cause any harm or dis­rup­tion to peo­ple or property.

What About Photography? Do The Same Rules Apply As In The United States?

The rules for pho­tog­ra­phy in Puer­to Rico are gen­er­al­ly sim­i­lar to those in the Unit­ed States. In gen­er­al, pho­tog­ra­phy is allowed in pub­lic spaces, and you do not need per­mis­sion to take pho­tographs of peo­ple, build­ings, and land­marks in pub­lic areas. How­ev­er, you should always be respect­ful of peo­ple’s pri­va­cy, and avoid pho­tograph­ing peo­ple in a way that makes them feel uncom­fort­able or with­out their consent.

It’s also impor­tant to note that there are some restric­tions on pho­tog­ra­phy in cer­tain areas such as gov­ern­ment build­ings, mil­i­tary bases, and air­ports, where pho­tog­ra­phy may be pro­hib­it­ed or require per­mis­sion. It’s always a good idea to check the rules and reg­u­la­tions of a spe­cif­ic loca­tion before tak­ing pho­tographs there.

Addi­tion­al­ly, you should also be aware of any cul­tur­al or social cus­toms that might restrict or reg­u­late pho­tog­ra­phy in cer­tain areas. For exam­ple, it’s gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered dis­re­spect­ful to take pho­tographs of reli­gious or sacred sites with­out permission.

It’s also impor­tant to men­tion that it’s ille­gal to use a drone to pho­to­graph or record some­one in a pri­vate place where they have a rea­son­able expec­ta­tion of privacy.

Final­ly, it’s always a good idea to be respect­ful of the envi­ron­ment and to avoid dis­turb­ing wildlife or caus­ing dam­age to nat­ur­al areas when tak­ing photographs.

Are Museums In Puerto Rico Any Good?

Puer­to Rico has a num­ber of muse­ums that high­light its rich his­to­ry, cul­ture, and art. Whether you’re inter­est­ed in art, his­to­ry, or sci­ence, there are sev­er­al muse­ums in Puer­to Rico that are worth vis­it­ing. Some of the most pop­u­lar muse­ums in Puer­to Rico include:

• Museo de Arte de Ponce: This muse­um has a large col­lec­tion of Euro­pean art, includ­ing works by El Gre­co, Rubens, and Tit­ian, as well as Puer­to Rican art.
• Museo de Arte Con­tem­porá­neo de Puer­to Rico: This muse­um is ded­i­cat­ed to con­tem­po­rary art and fea­tures works by artists from Puer­to Rico and the Caribbean.
• Museo del Niño: This muse­um is designed for chil­dren and fea­tures inter­ac­tive exhibits that teach chil­dren about sci­ence and technology.
• Museo de las Améri­c­as: This muse­um explores the his­to­ry and cul­ture of the Amer­i­c­as, with an empha­sis on Puer­to Rican cul­ture and history.
• Casa Blan­ca: This is the old­est Span­ish colo­nial res­i­dence in San Juan and is now a muse­um that tells the sto­ry of the island’s his­to­ry and culture.
• Castil­lo San Felipe del Mor­ro: This is a 16th-cen­tu­ry fortress that sits on a rocky promon­to­ry and offers great views of the ocean and the city.
• Museo de Arte de San Juan: This muse­um is ded­i­cat­ed to con­tem­po­rary art and fea­tures works by Puer­to Rican and Caribbean artists.
• Museo de His­to­ria, Antropología e His­to­ria: This muse­um offers a glimpse into the island’s past, from the Taíno Indi­ans to the arrival of the Spanish.
• Museo de Arte de la Uni­ver­si­dad de Puer­to Rico: This muse­um fea­tures a col­lec­tion of Puer­to Rican and Caribbean art and is locat­ed on the cam­pus of the Uni­ver­si­ty of Puer­to Rico in Río Piedras.
• Museo de Arte de Puer­to Rico: this muse­um has a col­lec­tion of con­tem­po­rary art, includ­ing works by Puer­to Rican and Caribbean artists, as well as inter­na­tion­al artists.

These are just a few exam­ples of the many muse­ums in Puer­to Rico that you can vis­it. Each of these muse­ums offers a unique per­spec­tive on the island’s cul­ture and his­to­ry, and can be a great way to learn more about Puer­to Rico.

What Is The General Education Level Of Puerto Ricans

The gen­er­al edu­ca­tion lev­el of Puer­to Ricans varies. Accord­ing to data from the U.S. Cen­sus Bureau, about 89% of the pop­u­la­tion aged 25 and old­er have com­plet­ed high school, and about 25% have a bach­e­lor’s degree or high­er. These num­bers are sim­i­lar to the nation­al aver­ages for the Unit­ed States.

How­ev­er, edu­ca­tion­al attain­ment in Puer­to Rico tends to be low­er in cer­tain areas, par­tic­u­lar­ly in rur­al and low-income com­mu­ni­ties. Addi­tion­al­ly, the qual­i­ty of edu­ca­tion in Puer­to Rico has been a top­ic of con­cern in recent years. There have been reports of inad­e­quate fund­ing, out­dat­ed cur­ricu­lum, and a short­age of qual­i­fied teach­ers. Efforts have been made to improve edu­ca­tion in the island, such as edu­ca­tion­al reform and invest­ment in infra­struc­ture and technology.

Are Puerto Ricans Bilingual?

Puer­to Rico has a unique lin­guis­tic land­scape, with Span­ish as the dom­i­nant lan­guage, but Eng­lish also wide­ly spo­ken, espe­cial­ly in the busi­ness and tourism sec­tors. This is a result of the island’s his­to­ry, which has seen it come under Span­ish, Amer­i­can, and even British rule.

The Span­ish lan­guage in Puer­to Rico is heav­i­ly influ­enced by local dialects, which can vary depend­ing on the region. Addi­tion­al­ly, the island has a sig­nif­i­cant Afro-Puer­to Rican com­mu­ni­ty, which has con­tributed to a cre­ole lan­guage known as “Neo-African,” which is spo­ken by some people.

While Span­ish is the pri­ma­ry lan­guage spo­ken in Puer­to Rico, many peo­ple, espe­cial­ly in urban areas, are flu­ent in Eng­lish, as it is taught in schools and wide­ly used in the media and offi­cial com­mu­ni­ca­tions. In fact, Eng­lish pro­fi­cien­cy is con­sid­ered to be a key asset for young Puer­to Ricans when seek­ing jobs in the US main­land or in the inter­na­tion­al marketplace.

In sum­ma­ry, many Puer­to Ricans are bilin­gual and able to speak and under­stand both Span­ish and Eng­lish, but the pro­fi­cien­cy lev­el in Eng­lish varies among peo­ple. Addi­tion­al­ly, some peo­ple speak oth­er lan­guages, but it’s less common.

What About Cellular Coverage? Is It Any Good?

Cel­lu­lar cov­er­age in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered to be good, with all of the major US car­ri­ers (AT&T, Ver­i­zon, T‑Mobile, and Sprint) pro­vid­ing ser­vice on the island. Most of the island is cov­ered by 3G and 4G net­works, although cov­er­age can be spot­ty in some rur­al or moun­tain­ous areas.

Puer­to Rico’s telecom­mu­ni­ca­tions infra­struc­ture was severe­ly dam­aged by Hur­ri­cane Maria in 2017, which caused wide­spread pow­er out­ages and dam­age to cell tow­ers. The recov­ery and repair efforts have been ongo­ing since then, and most of the island now has sta­ble cel­lu­lar coverage.

How­ev­er, if you’re plan­ning to trav­el to remote areas of the island, it’s a good idea to check with your car­ri­er about cov­er­age in those spe­cif­ic loca­tions. Addi­tion­al­ly, if you’re using a phone or oth­er device that is locked to a spe­cif­ic car­ri­er, you should check with that car­ri­er to ensure that your device will work in Puer­to Rico.

In sum­ma­ry, cel­lu­lar cov­er­age in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly good, but it can vary depend­ing on loca­tion and carrier.

Are Hotels Any Good? Are They Expensive?

Puer­to Rico offers a wide vari­ety of hotel options, from bud­get-friend­ly inns and guest­hous­es to lux­u­ri­ous resorts. The cost of hotels can vary depend­ing on loca­tion, time of year, and ameni­ties offered. In gen­er­al, hotels in the major tourist areas such as San Juan and the sur­round­ing areas tend to be more expen­sive than those in oth­er parts of the island.

San Juan, the cap­i­tal city of Puer­to Rico, offers a wide vari­ety of hotels, from bud­get-friend­ly inns and guest­hous­es to lux­u­ri­ous resorts. Many of the hotels in San Juan are locat­ed in his­toric build­ings, such as for­mer Span­ish forts and colo­nial man­sions, which adds to the city’s charm.

If you’re look­ing for a more seclud­ed and relax­ing vaca­tion, there are also many hotels and resorts locat­ed in the island’s beau­ti­ful beach­es, such as Isla Verde, Con­da­do, and Rincón. These hotels tend to be more expen­sive than those in the city but offer spec­tac­u­lar ocean views and easy access to the beach.

Rates for hotels can vary depend­ing on the time of year and the type of room you choose. dur­ing peak trav­el sea­sons such as Christ­mas, New Year’s and sum­mer, rates are high­er than dur­ing the low season.

In sum­ma­ry, there are many hotel options avail­able in Puer­to Rico, with prices vary­ing depend­ing on loca­tion and ameni­ties. San Juan and the sur­round­ing areas tend to be more expen­sive than oth­er parts of the island, but there are bud­get-friend­ly options available.

I Hear That Puerto Ricans Are Very Physical People. Is That True?

Puer­to Ricans are known for being an active and phys­i­cal peo­ple, many enjoy sports and out­door activ­i­ties such as hik­ing, swim­ming, and play­ing bas­ket­ball and base­ball. Fit­ness is also a pop­u­lar activ­i­ty, with many gyms and fit­ness cen­ters avail­able on the island. Addi­tion­al­ly, tra­di­tion­al dance and music, such as sal­sa and reg­gae­ton, are an impor­tant part of Puer­to Rican cul­ture and many peo­ple par­tic­i­pate in dance class­es or attend dance events. Over­all, it’s true that phys­i­cal activ­i­ty and sports are an impor­tant aspect of Puer­to Rican cul­ture, many peo­ple are active and engage in phys­i­cal activ­i­ties regularly.

How About In Terms Of Space? Is It True That They Tend To Touch And Hug A Lot?

Puer­to Ricans are known for being a friend­ly and warm cul­ture, and phys­i­cal touch is often used as a way to express affec­tion and cama­raderie. It is com­mon for peo­ple to hug and touch each oth­er when greet­ing or say­ing good­bye. This phys­i­cal­i­ty is seen as a sign of warmth and close­ness, rather than an inva­sion of per­son­al space. So it is true that Puer­to Ricans tend to touch and hug a lot and it is a nor­mal and nat­ur­al behav­ior for them.

Are Drinking And Smoking Frowned Upon?

Drink­ing and smok­ing are not frowned upon in Puer­to Rico and are wide­ly accept­ed in social set­tings. How­ev­er, as in any oth­er place, it is impor­tant to know that exces­sive drink­ing and smok­ing can have neg­a­tive con­se­quences and is not encour­aged. Pub­lic drunk­en­ness and smok­ing in non-smok­ing areas is not allowed, and there are laws and penal­ties in place to enforce this. But in gen­er­al, drink­ing and smok­ing are not stig­ma­tized in Puer­to Rico and peo­ple can drink and smoke in social places like bars, clubs, and restau­rants, and also in some pri­vate events.

How About Weed And Drugs?

The use and pos­ses­sion of mar­i­jua­na, also known as grass, is ille­gal in Puer­to Rico. Penal­ties for pos­ses­sion of small amounts of mar­i­jua­na can include fines and jail time. The use and pos­ses­sion of oth­er ille­gal drugs is also pro­hib­it­ed in Puer­to Rico and can result in severe penal­ties, includ­ing fines and impris­on­ment. The use and pos­ses­sion of ille­gal drugs is tak­en seri­ous­ly by law enforce­ment and is strict­ly enforced.

It is impor­tant to note that drug-relat­ed crime is a prob­lem in Puer­to Rico, so being caught with drugs can put you in dan­ger and is not advisable.
It is impor­tant to be aware of the laws and risks asso­ci­at­ed with drug use when vis­it­ing Puer­to Rico.

 

What Are The Main Differences Between The American And Puerto Rican Cultures?

Puer­to Rico is a unique blend of cul­tures, with strong Taíno, African, and Span­ish influ­ences. The island has its own dis­tinct lan­guage, cui­sine, music, and cus­toms. Puer­to Ricans are very proud of their cul­ture and are known for their hos­pi­tal­i­ty and friend­li­ness. They often have a strong sense of fam­i­ly and com­mu­ni­ty, and place a high val­ue on tra­di­tion and his­to­ry. In terms of lan­guage, Span­ish is the most wide­ly spo­ken lan­guage on the island, but most peo­ple also speak English.

In terms of lifestyle, Puer­to Rico is known for its laid-back and relaxed atmos­phere, which is reflect­ed in the island’s famous “island time” men­tal­i­ty. Peo­ple tend to move at a slow­er pace and place a high val­ue on enjoy­ing life.

Puer­to Rico is known for its trop­i­cal cli­mate, beau­ti­ful beach­es, and diverse land­scapes. The island is home to a rich vari­ety of flo­ra and fau­na, as well as a vibrant arts and music scene.

In terms of cui­sine, Puer­to Rican food is a deli­cious blend of Span­ish, African, and Taíno influ­ences. It is known for its use of spices, fresh seafood, and trop­i­cal fruits.

On the oth­er hand, Amer­i­can cul­ture is more indi­vid­u­al­is­tic, fast-paced and more focused on tech­nol­o­gy. The Amer­i­can cul­ture is also known to be more for­mal, and peo­ple tend to be more reserved and less phys­i­cal­ly demon­stra­tive. The Unit­ed States also places a high val­ue on inno­va­tion, progress, and indi­vid­ual achievement.

Is Spanish In Puerto Rico Heavily Influenced By Slang?

Puer­to Rico has its own vari­ant of Span­ish, known as “Puer­to Rican Span­ish,” which is influ­enced by the island’s his­to­ry and cul­ture. It is sim­i­lar to oth­er Span­ish dialects spo­ken in the Caribbean and Cen­tral Amer­i­ca, and it has some influ­ences from indige­nous lan­guages, African lan­guages, and Eng­lish. It may also con­tain words and phras­es that are spe­cif­ic to Puer­to Rico and the Caribbean. Some peo­ple might use more slang than oth­ers, but it is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered to be more infor­mal and casu­al than the Span­ish spo­ken in Spain.

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Puer­to Rican Span­ish, also known as “Puer­to Rican Cre­ole,” is a unique blend that has been heav­i­ly influ­enced by the island’s his­to­ry and cul­ture. It is sim­i­lar to oth­er Caribbean Span­ish dialects, and incor­po­rates ele­ments of African and Taíno lan­guages, as well as Eng­lish. Some of the most notable fea­tures of Puer­to Rican Span­ish include the use of “ust­edes” instead of “vosotros,” and the use of “b” and “v” inter­change­ably. Addi­tion­al­ly, there is a lot of slang used in every­day con­ver­sa­tion, known as “Spang­lish” and “Pachu­co” lan­guage, which is a mix of Span­ish and Eng­lish, and it is also heav­i­ly influ­enced by local slang, it can be hard to under­stand for non-native speakers.

What Do People That Have Visited Puerto Rico Usually Say About It?

While over­all, many peo­ple have pos­i­tive expe­ri­ences in Puer­to Rico, there are some com­mon com­plaints as well. Some tourists men­tion that the infra­struc­ture, par­tic­u­lar­ly roads and high­ways, can be in poor con­di­tion and con­gest­ed, mak­ing trav­el and trans­porta­tion more dif­fi­cult. They also say that some areas of the island can be unsafe, with high­er crime rates in some urban areas, lead­ing some vis­i­tors to be wary and to take extra pre­cau­tions when traveling.

Addi­tion­al­ly, some vis­i­tors are dis­ap­point­ed by the lev­el of pover­ty and pover­ty-relat­ed issues, such as home­less­ness and lit­ter, that they see in some parts of the island, which can detract from the over­all expe­ri­ence. The eco­nom­ic and finan­cial cri­sis that Puer­to Rico has faced in recent years has con­tributed to these issues, and tourists may be unpre­pared for the extent of these problems.

Final­ly, some tourists find the prices for goods and ser­vices to be high­er than they expect­ed, par­tic­u­lar­ly in tourist areas. This is due to the fact that tourism is a sig­nif­i­cant part of the local econ­o­my, and prices are often set accord­ing­ly. These high prices can be a shock for vis­i­tors who are not expect­ing it, espe­cial­ly if they are trav­el­ing on a budget.

It is impor­tant to note that these com­plaints are not rep­re­sen­ta­tive of the entire island and many vis­i­tors still have a great time in Puer­to Rico despite these issues. By research­ing their des­ti­na­tion and being aware of any poten­tial chal­lenges, trav­el­ers can have a pos­i­tive and mem­o­rable expe­ri­ence in Puer­to Rico.
Vis­i­tors to Puer­to Rico often say that it is a beau­ti­ful and cul­tur­al­ly rich des­ti­na­tion, with gor­geous beach­es, lush rain­forests, and his­toric sites. They also men­tion the friend­ly and hos­pitable peo­ple, and the deli­cious local cui­sine. Some peo­ple say that Puer­to Rico has a vibrant nightlife and a thriv­ing arts scene, with a mix of Span­ish, African, and indige­nous influ­ences. Oth­ers high­light the island’s nat­ur­al beau­ty and abun­dance of out­door activ­i­ties, such as hik­ing, snor­kel­ing, and wildlife watch­ing. Over­all, many vis­i­tors have pos­i­tive things to say about their expe­ri­ences in Puer­to Rico.

What Do They Say About The Service?

Vis­i­tors to Puer­to Rico often praise the ser­vice they receive from locals, par­tic­u­lar­ly in the hos­pi­tal­i­ty and tourism indus­tries. Many tourists men­tion the friend­ly and wel­com­ing nature of the peo­ple they encounter, with many going out of their way to make vis­i­tors feel at home. This is a reflec­tion of the strong cul­tur­al empha­sis on hos­pi­tal­i­ty and warmth that is a hall­mark of Puer­to Rican society.

Some vis­i­tors also high­light the high qual­i­ty of ser­vice they receive at hotels, restau­rants, and oth­er tourist-relat­ed busi­ness­es. Many estab­lish­ments take pride in their rep­u­ta­tion for good ser­vice, and make an effort to ensure that vis­i­tors have a pos­i­tive experience.

That being said, ser­vice can vary and some tourists report incon­sis­tent or slow ser­vice at some busi­ness­es. This can be due to under­staffing or sim­ply a lack of expe­ri­ence in serv­ing tourists. How­ev­er, over­all, the lev­el of ser­vice in Puer­to Rico is gen­er­al­ly regard­ed as good by visitors.

Conclusion

Sum­ma­riz­ing 500+ years of his­to­ry and cul­ture into a blog arti­cle, no mat­ter how long, is a tall order.  There are obvi­ous­ly aspects that we’ve left out, albeit inad­ver­tent­ly.  I you have spe­cif­ic ques­tions about any sub­ject please con­tact us and we’ll address them in a future post.

©2023,Orlando Mer­gal, MA
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Bilin­gual Con­tent Cre­ator, Blog­ger, Pod­cast­er,
Author, Pho­tog­ra­ph­er and New Media Expert
Tel. 787–750-0000, Mobile 787–306-1590