I added this “YOUTUBE” video because I felt that it brought across that old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so this video speaks volumes about Puerto Rico. But just in case you get stuck on some of the words, I added a brief article at the end.

In order to speak of Puerto Rico it is not enough with speaking of white beaches, blue sea, palms, mountains, forests, dusk orange afternoons with a fresh breeze. To also say  Puerto Rico that is to say, congas and salsa, castles and walls, color, joy, celebration, rum and hospitable and beautiful people.

Puerto Rico, Ia Island of Encanto, as  its name indicates, to fascinate and enchant with the innumerable natural, gastronomic, architectural attractions  that it has to offer to  those who visit it.

Located  about 2.000 kilometres off  the coast of Florida, the Associated Free State of Puerto Rico is a territory nonincorporated of the United States, with status of self-government and whose archippielago includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of islands and keys of which but biggest ones are Mona, Vieques and Culebra.

Thanks to its 161 kolometers of length by 56 of width,  makes it possible crossing the island  in only two or three hours, which facilitates visits to all the sites of interest.  Which the Rain Forest of El Yunque stands out, only tropical rain forest in the National System of the United States. El Yunque is  about 45 minutes of the capital, San Juan and in the  ascent to the mountain, we were within the rain that persistent throughout accompanies you to this forest . In its slopes there is hundreds of species of trees and animals, brooks and natural crystalline swimming pools. The rythmic song of the coqui, the frog of the region, is present all along accompanying us in the humid crossing of the forest.

Another one of the natural but visited riches of  the island is the Caverns of Camuy, artisanal work of the river that takes its same name, and that during million of years went carving to its step a system of caves and caverns that just  in 1960 started  being studied by scientific and geologists. The visit to the caverns is a guided tour and offers complete information on the wonders of this ecosystem.

The many cities are worthy of a mention each  with its own unique characteristics that make them desirable for the tourist, but is possible to emphasize  the city of Ponce, famous by its fire station , that is constructed in Wood and painted red and black takes the mark of architectural  Spain of end of the 19th century  attracts thousands of tourists who arrive to visit the fire station that now is a museum .

San Juan, capital of the island, is the largest and heavely populated city  and whose tourist activity this concentrated in Old San Juan, historical district, recognized like patrimony of the island, Old San Juan locks up in its paving stone streets, the spirit of centuries XVI and XVII when Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. The wealth and architectural originality found in narrow streets, buildings of colors, museums, restaurants, richly decorated facades, streetlamps, fountains, Churches, castles and walls, that appear to enchant the  travellers of all  nationalities that cross the island daily.

The imposing fort of  San Felipe del Morro, icon of Puerto Rico and legacy of the Spaniards, was constructed between centuries XVI and XVII to protect the island of the enemy maritime attacks. From this fort (Castle) the attack of Sir Francis Drake in 1595,  and the invasion of the Dutch in 1625 was defended. The Fort receives its name, the Morro, due to its location on a hill in the bay of San Juan in front of the Atlantic Ocean.

Of equal magnificencia and importance  is the Castle of San Cristobal, who was seriously constructed to repel the enemy attacks and as an auxiliary to the “Morro” in defense of the coast and the Port. This monumental  structure constructed in 18th century  and its main mission, unlike the Castilo of the Morro, consisted in the defense of the attacks received by land.

On an obligated visit, for being one of the most beautiful sites of Old San Juan and in it lies the true essence of the island, the breath of romance and the vibrant spirit on the Caribbean, an ample parallel way to the walls of the city and the sea, that goes from the piers of the cruise ships to the entrance of the Castle  El Morro. Between bougainvilleas, walls, sentry boxes, streetlamps, craftsmen and cantors, half of this long walk is marked by spectacular fountains, bronze sculpture of the artist  Luis Sanguino who was inaugurated to commemorate the 500 years of the discovery of America, and  in the dusk the rays of the sun from the west dye their waters  orange and yellow.

In Puerto Rico you drink rum and eat casava, tostones and mofongo, the air smells of salt and  sugar cane, and the hearts beat to the rythm of the Salsa music.  In Puerto Rico there are fluorescent bays inhabited by microorganisms that ” illuminan ” lights the sea in nights without moon nor stars, and have cemeteries to borders of the ocean, in whose walls the spirit of the sea precipitates the eternal fury rest of its inhabitants.