 Puerto
Rico is an island in the Caribbean commonwealth
of the United States. Whether you’re planning
a wedding or a honeymoon, a getaway for the entire family or just
yourself, are young or old, Puerto Rico offers you the
excitement of overseas travel with the convenience and
comfort of a domestic trip.
Puerto Rico is where four centuries of
Spanish Caribbean culture comes face to face with the
American convenience store. This leads to some
strange juxtapositions - parking lots and plazas,
freeways and fountains, skyscrapers and shanties - but it's all
a piece with the Caribbean's hybrid history.
Come and discover Puerto Rico!
Here are some facts:
Full country name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Area: 9,100 sq km
Population: 3.91 million
People: Hispanic 88.5%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian
0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%
Language: Spanish, English
Religion: Roman Catholic (85%), Protestant
Government: commonwealth of the United States
Head of State: Chief Of State (US President)
George W Bush
Head of Government: Governor Acevedo Vilá
Money: US currency
GDP: US$35 billion
GDP per capita: US$9,000
Inflation: 5.7%
Major Industries: pharmaceuticals, clothing,
food products, electronics, tourism
Major Trading Partners: USA, Netherlands Antilles,
Trinidad & Tobago
 Puerto
Rico is 100 long by 35 miles wide—but don’t let these
measurements fool you. Close to 4 million people live on the “Island
of Enchantment,” with more than a million in the greater
San Juan metropolitan area alone. It is a vibrant, modern, bilingual,
multicultural society, one that has been molded by Spanish, African,
Indian and U.S. influences. Residents of Puerto Rico have much
in common with their fellow Americans in the continental United
States, yet they retain a decidedly Hispanic heritage.
Both Spanish and English are the official languages,
the local currency is the U.S. dollar, and no visas or passports
are required to enter Puerto Rico from the United States. Mail
is sent through the US Postal Service at the same rates as on
the mainland.
The climate is as close to perfect as it can
get, averaging 83°F (22.7°C) in the winter and 85°F
(29.4°C) in the summer. In other words, it’s always
summer! The trade winds cool the coastal towns and the temperature
decreases as you go up into the higher mountains.
Puerto Rico is in the Atlantic Time Zone, but does not observe
Daylight Savings Time. The island uses standard U.S. electric
current. European appliances require an adapter.
There are no customs duties on articles bought in Puerto Rico
and taken to the U.S. mainland. Major credit cards are accepted
at most businesses, and ATMs connected to major US and international
networks are easy to find.
Business hours are similar to those on the mainland, 6:00 AM
to 6:00 PM weekdays (the siesta has pretty much disappeared).
Most stores are open Saturdays, and all of the larger towns have
shopping malls that are open evenings and Sundays.
Getting To Puerto Rico
Getting to Puerto Rico almost always means flying to Luis Muñoz
Marín (LMM) International Airport. The gleaming white terminal
located just outside of San Juan is ranked 34th among passenger
airports in the United States.
Most U.S. and many international airlines offer direct flights
to Puerto Rico, and making connecting flights is easy. LMM is
one of the largest airports in the Caribbean and is a popular
place for hopping over to the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean
destinations.
Transferring from the airport to your hotel usually requires
taking a taxi, although some hotels provide complimentary transportation
to their properties in special buses. Puerto Rico Tourism Company
representatives at the airport will assist you in finding the
right transportation. Major car rental agencies are located at
the airport, and others offer free transportation to their off-airport
sites.
Although there is no regular passenger service to Puerto Rico
by sea, more than a million passengers visit the island on cruise
ships every year, whether on one of the many cruise lines whose
homeport is San Juan, or on one of the visiting lines.
From North America
2 ½ hours from Miami
3 ¼ hours from Atlanta
3 ¼ hours from New York
3 ½ hours from Washington, DC
4 ¼ hours from Toronto
4 ½ hours from Chicago and Dallas
7 ½ hours from Los Angeles
From Latin America
2 ½ hours from Caracas
5 ¾ hours from Mexico City
11 hours from Sao Paolo
From Europe
7 ¾ hours from Madrid
10 hours from Paris
10 ¼ hours from Brussels
12 hours from London
Getting Around The Island
Ground transportation in Puerto Rico can mean a taxi, a tour
bus, a rental car, a ferry, a small plane, a charter boat, a Metrobus,
or a público. In the near future, you will also be able
to get around part of greater San Juan in a shiny new Urban Train.
BY GROUND
Most of the major car rental companies have offices at the airport,
in San Juan and in the larger cities and towns. Roads are clearly
marked and maps are available. Note that speed limits are indicated
in miles per hour, but distances are shown in kilometers.
Taxis are available at the airport, hotels and major tourist
points. In the tourism zones, rates are fixed and posted. Outside
the zones, taxis are metered and can be hired by the hour.
Fixed rates - Tourist zones:
Airport / Isla Verde - $8.00
Airport / Condado / Miramar - $12.00
Airport / Pier Area in Old San Juan - $16.00
Piers / Old San Juan - $6.00
Piers / Condado / Miramar - $10.00
Piers / Isla Verde - $16.00
Piers / Plaza Las Américas Shopping Mall - $12.00
Piers / Plaza Carolina Shopping Mall - $20.00
Piers 1, 4, 6 & Navy Frontier / El Morro - $6.00
Panamerican Piers / El Morro - $10.00
Public transportation in the metropolitan San Juan area is convenient
and practical, with regular bus service on established routes.
BY AIR
You can fly to many of the cities and towns within Puerto Rico,
including Vieques and Culebra, by chartering a small plane or
taking one of the regularly scheduled commuter-type flights from
the Ribas Dominicci Airport in Isla Grande, San Juan, or other
local airports. If you are staying in the west of the island,
look into direct flights to and from the Aguadilla airport.
BY PUBLICO
Among the most interesting—and adventurous—ways of
traveling in Puerto Rico is by público. Públicos
are independently owned and operated vans that service hard to
reach urban areas. They also travel between island towns; if you
have the time and inclination, they can be an inexpensive and
fascinating way to learn about the island. You may find yourself
riding with a family on its way to see a grandmother on the other
side of the island, or a half dozen ballplayers on their way to
a game. All in all, públicos offer visitors a terrific
opportunity to meet Puerto Rico and its people.
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