Puerto Rico

This is the Central Mountains chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guide-book.

Those who explore these winding roads gain a dramatically different perspective on the island and chances to commune with Puerto Rico’s old soul. Best approached with a flexible agenda, this is a place of Taíno legends and sugarcane moonshine, muddy hillside towns and misty after-noons.

• study the stunning retablos of Edwin Báez Carrasquillo in the art museums of Caguas
• maps
• join a spontaneous street party hosted by lechoneras besides Bosque Estatal de Carite in Guavate
• transport
• descend into the gaping gorges and crashing waterfalls in the Cañón de San Cristóbal
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Caguas, Bosque Estatal de Carite, Aibonito & Around, Barranquitas & Around, Reserva Forestal Toro Negro, Jayuya, Adjuntas & Around, Maricao, San Sebastián & Around, When to Go, Best Places to Sleep.

This is the Culebra & Vieques chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guide-book.

Separated from mainland Puerto Rico by an 13km stretch of choppy blue water, the two be-jeweled Caribbean havens of Culebra and Vieques have an irresistible charm thanks to mellow locals, laid-back expats and itinerant sailors.

• Revel in some of the best beaches in the Caribbean in the Vieques National Wildlife Ref-uge, where you can find a patch of sand ideal for you
• maps
• Bar-hop with sailors between the trio of popular nightspots in Culebra’s town, Dewey
• transport
• Wandering the long crescent of sand at paradisial Playa Flamenco, where memories of a military past dissolve in the beautiful waters
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Culebra, Vieques, When to Go, Best Places to Sleep.

This is the El Yunque & East Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guidebook.

The east coast is Puerto Rico shrink-wrapped; a tantalizing taste of almost everything the is-land has to offer squeezed into an area you can drive across in a couple of hours. Rainforest teeming with wildlife, beach lovers basking on the icing-sugar sand, watersports heaven and home to stunning bioluminescent bays.

• Hike on lush rainforest trails with views of the ocean beyond in the El Yunque National Forest
• maps
• explore the seven ecosystems of Cabezas de San Juan Reserva Natural with expert guides and naturalists
• transport
• surf the local break and swimming at one of the island’s best beaches at Playa Luquillo
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Best Places to Sleep, El Yunque, Luquillo & Around, Fajardo & Around, Naguabo & Around, Yabucoa & Around, When to Go.

This is the North Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guidebook.

Veering from a manicured coast of plush golf resorts and posh surf spots, this region rears up into the less-visited vine-tangled crags of karst country, where landscapes seem positively prehis-toric with yawning cave systems, steep-sided hills and undulating spreads of forest.

• gawk at the gargantuan Birth of the New World statue that put Arecibo on the tourist map
• maps
• immerse yourself in the heavens with an ascent to the world’s largest radio telescope in the Observatorio de Arecibo
• transport
• swooping, paddle or gallop through the forests and rivers of Karst country with Batey Zi-pline Adventures adventure outfit
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Dorado, Arecibo, Around Arecibo, Isabela & Around, Aguadilla, When to Go, Best Places to Sleep.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Puerto Rico, Need to Know, First Time Puerto Rico If You Like…, Month by Month, Itineraries, Eat & Drink Like a Local Puerto Rico Outdoors Travel with Children, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guidebook.

Your journey to Puerto Rico starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on driving the Karst country.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• Puerto Rican cuisine and native wildlife
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Puerto Rico, Need to Know, First Time Puerto Rico If You Like, Month by Month, Itineraries, Eat & Drink Like a Local Puerto Rico Out-doors Travel with Children, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the Ponce & South Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guide-book.

The Caribbean-facing south coast offers the opportunity to unplug, escape the cruise-ship crowds and take a DIY journey into Puerto Rico’s tempestuous, rough-and-tumble piratical past, with ethereal forests and some of the Caribbean’s best dive spots.

• fall in love with Flaming June in the cultural hot spot the Museo de Arte de Ponce
• maps
• connect with the mysterious Taíno past at the island’s largest archaeological site, Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes
• transport
• sway on a hammock while lunching on golden, octopus-stuffed pastries at la Casa de Los Pastelillos in Pozuelo
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Ponce, Guayama & Pozuelo, Bahía de Jobos, Playa Salinas, Coamo, Yauco & Around, Guánica & Around, La Parguera, When to Go, Best Places to Sleep.

This is the Rincón & West Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guide-book.

West is best – at least as far as those quintessential snapshots of Puerto Rico go. Here the azure ocean assumes a visceral palpability because this is the place to get in it: paddling to catch a ride on one perfect wave after another, or swimming off sandy strands that regularly grace ‘world’s best beach’ lists.

• surf beside beach bums and vacationing businessmen on the legendary breaks here in Rincón
• maps
• get giddy on Sangria de Fido, the local punch of Mayagüez at the Sangria Garden
• transport
• hire a bike at the west’s best bike shop in Boquerón, then pedal the beach-hugging byways of the Cabo Rojo area
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Rincón, Mayagüez, Cabo Rojo Area, Playa de Joyuda, Boquerón, El Combate, Refugio Nacional Cabo Rojo, San Germán, Isla Mona, When to Go, Best Places to Sleep.

This is the San Juan chapter from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guidebook.

San Juan is the second-oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas and the oldest under US jurisdiction. Today it is a mosaic of ever-evolving neighborhoods full of street art, superb restaurants, and of course, perfect beaches.

• transport yourself back in time Exploring 16th-century forts in El Morro
• maps
• Feel the rhythm during a late-night salsa session at Nuyorican Café
• transport
• hit Balneario Escambrón for some of the best urban beaches you’ll find anywhere
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: San Juan History, Sights, Beaches, Activities, Cours-es, Tours, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Around San Juan

This chapter contains the Puerto Rico Today, History, Life in Puerto Rico, Sounds of Puerto Rico, Arts, Puerto Rico Landscapes, Wildlife of Puerto Rico, Directory A–Z, Transportation, and Behind the Scenes chapters from Lonely Planet’s Puerto Rico guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history [add 2-3 extra topics relevant to chapter] to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and lesbian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the native wildlife of Puerto Rico and how to find it
• info on traditional and new arts culture in Puerto Rico
• full coverage of Puerto Rican music
• details on traversing the myriad landscapes of the area

Coverage includes: Puerto Rico Today, History, Life in Puerto Rico, Sounds of Puerto Rico, Arts, Puerto Rico Landscapes, Wildlife of Puerto Rico, Directory A–Z, Transportation, and Behind the Scenes.