Puerto Rico’s Return as a Tourist Haven

Emerging from a devastating Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is still one of the most vibrant, beautiful destinations to visit.

By: Soumya Jain

After being badgered with Hurricane Maria in 2017, the island of Puerto Rico (‘rich port’ in Spanish) was nearly destroyed, with many families broken. A lot of residents moved to greener pastures in USA, while some stuck on to rebuild life on their beloved land.

It wasn’t easy, but Puerto Ricans have emerged like a phoenix, giving their island an ever better sheen. Hotels have renovated and reopened. Streets have been cleared. Forests have been snipped up in shape. It’s an even better time to visit Puerto Rico.

Where to Stay

The island has a bevy of hotels to consider staying in. If you are flying into San Juan, which you most probably are, some of the best hotels to consider are InterContinental San Juan, Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, El San Juan Hotel, Hotel El Convento, The Ritz Carlton San Juan, and many more.

My particular favorite was InterContinental San Juan. With its curvaceous swimming pool flanked by palm trees, shrubs and mini-falls; its private beach; clean, renovated rooms with balconies; exemplary service; and a well-thought of scrumptious breakfast, InterContinental San Juan is indeed one of the best resorts in town.

Things to Do

There is much to do and explore in Puerto Rico. Stroll the streets of old San Juan, trek through the enchanting El Yunque National Rainforest, relax at the most gorgeous Flamenco Beach in Culebra, soar up high at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro fort, eat Mofongo at one of the many restaurants there, and stuff yourself with fried cheese – another local dish.

But one thing that you should definitely not miss is the bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico. It’s a soulful experience that you will remember for your entire life…something which is not available everywhere else in the world – unlike forests, forts and beaches. Book a tour, reach the middle of the water through the boat, wave your hand under the water and watch as the water glows! It’s a surreal experience which is not easy to be captured on camera (unless you have a professional one), but will always be imprinted in your mind…

Experiencing the locality

Being close to the equator, Puerto Rico mostly has warm weather throughout the year, with some months being highly humid. Keep light airy clothing. And make sure you include some of the best micellar water and mists in hand. My favorite mist is from Forest Essentials, while the best micellar waters include those from Kiehl’s, Vichy, Eau Thermale Avene, Dior, Darphin, La Mer and Lancome.

Being abundant in tropical flora and fauna, the local food is much diverse, and extremely tasteful! Mofongo, their most famous local dish, is made with fried plantain, stuffed with seafood, vegetarian or non-vegetarian fillings. It is another one of those things which is not available anywhere but here.

The people are very friendly and you will enjoy their tales of love, despair and family. While their mind is still reeling from the hurricane, they will happily talk of better times. But then, there is no better time to be in Puerto Rico than now.

Soumya Jain is the Chief Editor & Ceo of LuxuryFacts.com. She is also the Co-Editor of ‘The Luxury Market in India: Maharajas to Masses’, published by Palgrave Macmillan and launched in September 2012.