TAKE A DRIVE OUTSIDE THE METRO AREA AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF.
Even though it’s 100 x 35 miles most locals speak of two Puerto Ricos; the San Juan Metro Area and “la Isla” or the island. It’s a curious custom but it hints at the differences you’ll find between the two. San Juan is more metropolitan, with the benefits and problems that accompany urban life.
Outside the metro area things are more traditional.History, culture and geography have made each region of the island different. Based on this you can roughly divide the area into: north, south, central, west, and east (which includes the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra). We use this division to present the best each region has to offer.
QUICK FACTS
Puerto Rico is composed of 78 municipalities with their unique history and places to discover. There are 4 main climates; tropical marine in the north and east, tropical rainforest in the central mountain range, and semi-arid in the south.There are three main cultures who have created the modern day Puerto Rican. For thousands of years the Island was populated by the Indians that came up from South America, then the Spanish arrived in 1492 and finally taken over by the U.S. in the Spanish American War of 1898.The center of the island is a long mountain range called La Cordillera Central. Here the roads become small, two lane twisting, up and down adventure routes where each turn can provide an amazing view, destination or culinary surprise. You’ll find coffee and chocolate farm tours, tropical forests and Taíno Indian archaeological sites. The North is more urban with beaches exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and its waves. Take a seaside route so you can admire the beauty. Check out the North Section for more details. Eastern Puerto Rico includes the El Yunque Rainforest and coastal towns where seafood is king. The southeast is a lot less developed and unique. The South is influenced by the more tranquil Caribbean Sea. It’s more arid and agricultural. Ponce is the main town and during the coffee boom of the 1800’s was more important than San Juan. The architecture reflects this. The West, including the Southwest is more laidback and coastal. Rincón has become a surfing town of its own with a lot of northerners moving in. Seafood restaurants along the coast between Mayagüez and Cabo Rojo are where the locals savor their delicacies.
