Puerto Rico. 1405361018, 9781405361019

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EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

TOP 10 PUERTO RICO

CA

Pablo Casals

SAN JOSÉ

EBAS SAN S

CRIS

n

Parque de las Palomas

La Princesa

10 10 10 10

PLAZA DE ARMAS R AFAEL

RO CORDE

F O R TA

LEZA

TO

La Fortaleza

JOSÉ

O OESTE RECINT

Museo del Niño

S

LU

O

AS L AS MON J

DEL

LA ROGATIVA

Catedral de San Juan Bautista

SAN

RD CO PLAZUELA DE

TIAN

CRUZ

SOL

O ER

LE

RO

ENC IA

L

La Muralla

BE NE FI C

PLAZA DE LA BENEFICENCIA

Casa Blanca

JUST

DE

OR

CAL

PO M

ITA HOSP

M L

SAN

de Cultura Puertorriqueña

TETU

AN

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Fabulous beaches Unspoiled nature trails Colourful festivals & national holidays Best outdoor activities Fascinating museums & art galleries Most fun places for children Best hotels for every budget Liveliest bars Top restaurants in each area Insider tips for every visitor

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 10 BEST OF EVERYTHING

TOP 10

PUERTO RICO

CHRISTOPHER P BAKER

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

Contents

Left Old San Juan Centre Bacardi Rum’s logo Right Parque Ceremonial Indígena Caguana

Contents Puerto Rico’s Top 10 Design, Editorial and Picture Research by Quadrum Solutions, Krishnamai, 33B, Sir Pochkanwala Road, Worli, Mumbai, India Reproduced by Colourscan, Singapore Printed and bound in China by Leo Paper Products Ltd First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Dorling Kindersley Limited, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, A Penguin Company 11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Reprinted with revisions 2011 Copyright 2009, 2011 © Dorling Kindersley Limited, London All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. A CIP catalogue record is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 4053 6101 9 Within each Top 10 list in this book, no hierarchy of quality or popularity is implied. All 10 are, in the editor’s opinion, of roughly equal merit. Floors are referred to throughout in accordance with American usage, ie the “first floor” is at ground level.

Old San Juan

8

Castillo de San Cristóbal

10

Condado

12

El Yunque

14

Vieques

16

Culebra

18

Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy

20

Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes

22

San Germán

24

Museo de Arte de Ponce 26 Moments in History

30

Museums

32

Musicians

34

Outdoor Activities

36

Beaches

38

Festivals and Holidays

42

The information in this DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly. Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of going to press. Some details, however, such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices, gallery hanging arrangements and travel information are liable to change. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book, nor for any material on third party websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this book will be a suitable source of travel information. We value the views and suggestions of our readers very highly. Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, or email: [email protected]. Cover: Front - Alamy Images: Mark Bacon bl; Photolibrary: age fotostock/S Murphy-Larronde main. Spine - DK Images: Linda Whitwam b. Back - DK Images: Linda Whitwam tc, tl, tr.

2

Children’s Attractions

44

Arriving in Puerto Rico

104

Places to Shop

46

Getting Around

105

Restaurants

48

Sources of Information

106

Puerto Rican Dishes

50

Trees and Flowers

52

Animal Life

54

Around Puerto Rico San Juan

58

North Coast

66

West Coast

72

South Coast

Banking and Communications

107

Security and Health

108

Things to Avoid

109

Tours and Special Interests

110

82

Budget Tips

111

The Cordillera

88

Eating and

East Coast & Islands

94

Accommodation Tips

112

Places to Stay

113

Streetsmart

Contents

Left Arecibo Observatory Centre Museo Indígena Cemí Right Castillo de San Cristóbal’s entrance

Planning Your Trip

102

General Index

118

General Information

103

Phrase Book

126

Left Scenic Playa Flamenco Right Vejigantes, Carnaval Ponceño Key to abbreviations Adm admission charge

3

PUERTO RICO’S TOP 10

Old San Juan 8–9 Castillo de San Cristóbal 10–11 Condado 12–13 El Yunque 14–15 Vieques 16–17 Culebra 18–19 Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy 20–21 Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes 22–23 San Germán 24–25 Museo de Arte de Ponce 26–27 Top Ten of Everything 30–55

PUERTO RICO’S TOP 10

Puerto Rico’s Highlights 6–7

Puerto Rico’s Top 10

Puerto Rico’s Highlights Puerto Rico packs tremendous diversity into a relatively small space. From exquisite coral reefs and white-sand beaches to lush rain forests, desert-dry coastal plains, and a rugged mountain spine, this isle enraptures with physical beauty. Past and present intertwine too, as pre-Columbian sites, massive castles, and charming colonial buildings contrast with hip restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs. Spanish-speaking yet inarguably American in style, the people are equally diverse, reflecting a potpourri of bloodlines – indigenous, African, and European – and a creativity expressed in colorful culture and arts. San Juan ! Old This blue-cobbled historic district of restored colonial buildings is the jewel in the capital city’s crown. Its delightful plazas, centuries-old cathedrals, and dramatic castles are wellpreserved reminders of a bygone era (see pp8–9). ,VDEHOD

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