50 Things You MUST Know BEFORE Traveling To Puerto Rico
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I’ve divided these 50 travel tips into 10 subjects that include extremely important information if you’re planning to visit Puerto Rico, such as what’s the best way to get around the island. If you want to be adequately prepared for your visit to Puerto Rico and not run into any surprises, you’re gonna want to read this travel guide all the way through.
Airport & Arrival
If it’s the first time you’re visiting Puerto Rico, you might be surprised to learn that if you’re a US citizen, you won’t need a passport or visa to travel to Puerto Rico. However, you’ll need to show an official form of personal identification such as an enhanced driver’s license, also known as Real ID, at the airport. If you’re traveling from outside of the US, make sure to check the official government websites for travel requirements. Additionally, as of June 2022, domestic travelers are not required to provide proof of COVID vaccination or negative test prior to arriving on the Island. However, all travelers arriving on international flights must present a negative COVID test (either antigen or PCR) taken within one day prior to departure before traveling by air to Puerto Rico from a foreign country. If you want to see the latest travel updates for tests and restrictions, make sure to see Discover Puerto Rico’s travel guidelines.
Now, when it comes to airports, it’s very likely that you’ll be arriving at the Luis Muños MarÃn International Airport in Carolina which is the closest airport to San Juan and the metro area of Puerto Rico. However, Puerto Rico has several airports that are currently operating commercial flights such as the Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, which is best if you’re looking to explore the west side of the island, and the Mercedita International Airport in Ponce, which is best if you’re looking to explore the south side of Puerto Rico.
Weather
Although most people associate Puerto Rico with year-round warm and sunny weather that is perfect to go to the beach, they fail to prepare for the sporadic and oftentimes intense rain showers that may happen at any moment of the day, especially during spring and fall and that create a very humid environment. During the summer months, the sun is extremely intense and the temperature is often reaching more than 90 degrees so please make sure to wear sunscreen even if you’re just walking around, because getting sunburn will happen quicker than you can imagine, especially if you’re not from a sunny environment like Puerto Rico. During Christmas time the temperature can get as low as 80 to 70 degrees at night, which we do consider being cold, so don’t be surprised to see people wearing hoodies and jackets while walking around during Christmas time.
And last, but definitely not least, please keep in mind that hurricane season in Puerto Rico is from the beginning of June till the end of November, so if you’re planning to visit during these months, make sure to keep an eye out for any potential atmospheric formations that might interrupt or even cancel your trip to Puerto Rico.
Communications
If you’re traveling to Puerto Rico from the United States, you’ll be relieved to know that most, if not all, US based cell phone companies such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile connect automatically to local phone towers, meaning that you won’t have to buy a SIM card with a temporary plan during your trip. However, if you’re an international traveler, you will most likely need to purchase a SIM card from a local cell phone provider such as Liberty, Claro or T-Mobile. If you’re just planning to use Wi-Fi during your trip, just know that public Wi-Fi is available in certain places, mostly at coffee shops, malls, hotels, and sometimes at fast food restaurants.
Transportation & Transit
Like many cities in the United States, most, if not all of Puerto Rico, is car dependent. Public transportation is available in the metro area, but unfortunately it is oftentimes unreliable, takes a significant amount of time, and even the closest bus stop to your destination might actually be several miles away from where you actually want to go, which means you’ll have to walk several minutes under the blazing sun through pedestrian unfriendly infrastructure.
If you want to safely and efficiently get around in the metro area of Puerto Rico, your best bet is to use Uber or taxis which can both pick you up at the airport and take you to most places in the metro area, though taxis might be more expensive. For those of you who prefer Lyft, I’m afraid to say it is currently not available in Puerto Rico.
If you’re traveling short distances between touristy areas in San Juan such as Santurce, Condado and even Old San Juan, you might want to try using one of the several electric scooter options available such as Skootel or Kick, but always be extremely careful with traffic and potholes on the streets. Walking within touristy areas is pretty easy, but keep in mind that some sidewalks might be damaged and most pedestrian crosswalk lights don’t work and thus are ignored by local pedestrians.
Now, if you want to go anywhere outside of the metro area, like to Rio Grande to visit El Yunque or enjoy the beautiful beaches on the west side of Puerto Rico in Rincon, you will definitely need to rent a car. Though renting a car in Puerto Rico is very expensive, it does allow you the most freedom for moving around the island and controlling how you use your precious and limited time during your visit.
Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze work great to give you directions around the island, even providing information about the heavy traffic that is common in the metro area of Puerto Rico, though they do fail to warn you about how intense and intimidating it can be to actually drive in Puerto Rico. Though you might find that many drivers ignore common traffic laws such as using signal lights to switch lanes and stopping at stop signs, I would highly recommend that you follow all of the traffic laws and be fully aware of your surroundings to prevent any accidents.
And lastly, keep in mind that gas prices in Puerto Rico are actually measured in liters, not gallons, so don’t get excited when you see gas prices at $1.30 cents at a gas station, because it’s actually the same price if not more expensive than what you would find in the US.
Shopping & Payments
Even though in Puerto Rico we use the US Dollar as our currency, we also have a huge sales tax of 11.5% for most goods and services except for prepared foods at restaurants and other dining places which charge a 7% sales tax. Most large and small businesses accept debit or credit cards as payment methods, though some might have a minimum spending requirement for one or both of these payment methods.
Visa and Mastercard are the most commonly accepted payment processing networks though American Express is also accepted, but to a lesser degree, with Discover being the least accepted processing network. However, make sure to carry some cash with you since some small businesses such as food trucks or street vendors may only accept cash.
Lastly, businesses in the metro area are generally open relatively late even during weekdays, but most businesses outside of the metro area, including restaurants and other food places, close relatively early so make sure to account for this if you’re visiting the rest of the island.
Food & Beverage
Although in Puerto Rico you will find many of the fast food and restaurant chains popular in the US such as Burger King, Starbucks and Chili’s, you didn’t come all the way to the Caribbean to eat a Big Mac at McDonalds, so I suggest you try all of Puerto Rico’s delicious traditional criollo cuisine. If you want to learn all about the amazing dishes and foods you should try in Puerto Rico, make sure to click on the card above to watch my travel guide on the top 10 foods you must try in Puerto Rico.
TOP 10 Foods You MUST Eat In Puerto Rico! | AND Exactly Where To Get Authentic Puerto Rican Food!
Now, when you’re eating out at restaurants, keep in mind that it is customary to leave at least a 15% tip. At more casual places where you’re not being served by a waiter, you might be prompted by the cashier to choose whether to leave a tip or not, and although at these places it’s not considered rude to not leave a tip, the employees of these small and medium businesses will definitely appreciate the kind gesture for their great service.
If you’re getting hungry at your Airbnb or hotel room, but don’t want to go out to get food, you’ll be delighted to know that there are several food delivery services available in the metro area of Puerto Rico including UberEats, DoorDash and the local food delivery app called UVA. If you do decide to hang out and go get drinks at a bar, you’ll be surprised to learn that the legal drinking age in Puerto Rico is actually 18, not 21 like in the US. And finally, yes, the tap water in Puerto Rico is safe to drink, so make sure to fill up your reusable bottle before starting your adventure in Puerto Rico.
Book a Flight to Puerto Rico!
Language
You might be surprised to learn that a good portion of puertorricans are fluent in both spanish and english, especially in the metro area. Outside of the metro area you’ll likely be able to have conversations in english, especially in touristic areas and with younger individuals, but to a lesser degree than in the metro area. In fact, puertorricans are notorious for speaking in spanglish by mixing english and spanish words in their conversations.
However, learning some basic Spanish will definitely get you a long way in Puerto Rico, especially if you learn some of the local slang. Some local slang that you might hear and use include janguear which means to hang out, corillo which means a group of friends or a group of people, and wepa! which is a lively expression of joy. Now, there are many more puertorrican slang words that you should know, so if you want me to make a whole guide about it, make sure to leave a comment below!
Infrastructure
As I mentioned before, Puerto Rico is largely car dependent, meaning there are paved streets and highways that take you all around the island. However, many of these paved streets, especially in the metro area, suffer from significantly large and numerous potholes, so make sure to keep an eye out on the ground to avoid blowing up your tires and damaging the rims on your rental car.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that Puerto Rico’s electrical system is still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and from exceedingly aging infrastructure, so do not be surprised if the power goes out in certain areas for a couple of hours to possibly days during your trip to Puerto Rico. However, many businesses are aware of this fact, so many of them have gas power plants that can help them operate for short periods of time while electricity is restored, but those who don’t are forced to close during this time.
And lastly, thanks to increasing global temperatures, Puerto Rico is prone to suffer from water droughts during the summer months, so keep this in mind and be conscious of your use of water during your visit.
Safety
In my opinion, Puerto Rico is a relatively safe place to travel to, especially if you stick to the touristy areas. Like all places around the world, there are some places that are safer than others, and there are actions you can take to keep yourself safe.
One mistake I see many people make when traveling to Puerto Rico is leaving backpacks and other personal belongings visible inside a parked car while they’re at the beach, for example. This attracts the attention of people with bad intentions that usually break into the car by smashing the window and taking your belongings.
I’ve also gotten questions about La Perla, which is safe to visit as long as you stick to the areas that are obviously meant for people to visit, don’t take photographs of things that you shouldn’t like people’s houses, and show as much respect as you can to the community that lives there.
Also, I know that you’re excited to put on your swimsuit and jump into the beach as soon as possible, but keep in mind that beaches have currents that can pull you away into the open sea which can lead to drowning. One of the beaches that is notorious for being dangerous and unfortunately having many incidents of tourists drowning is the beach right behind La Concha and the San Juan Marriott in Condado, so if you visit that beach or any other beach in Puerto Rico, make sure to stay near the coast in a shallow area where you can walk back to safety in case of strong currents.
And finally, visiting rivers and waterfalls has become an increasingly popular activity in Puerto Rico. I personally love visiting rivers so much that I made a whole travel guide of the top rivers and waterfalls you should visit near El Yunque that you can watch here.
Top 5 Rivers & Waterfalls Near El Yunque Rainforest Puerto Rico
However, when you visit a river you need to check the weather. If by any chance it is raining, do not visit the rivers. Powerful flash floods can come out of nowhere and drag anyone that gets in its way. Visiting rivers can also be dangerous because they might be hidden and require you to hike through treacherous terrain for several minutes to even hours just to get to them.
One of these river spots that is EXTREMELY dangerous yet very popular is the Infinity Pool in the Naguabo side of El Yunque. Guys, take it from me. If you’re planning to go to the Infinity Pool, DO NOT GO. It is EXTREMELY dangerous and we often see news of people, specifically tourists, being rescued because they either got lost or severely injured during their hike, so PLEASE, DO NOT GO to the Infinity Pool, unless you go with the select group of extremely prepared and experienced tour guides that occasionally take people to see it.
So, when it comes to safety in general, use common sense and try to avoid placing yourself in a dangerous and unfortunate situation when visiting Puerto Rico.
100x35
And last, but not least on this list is 100 x 35. 100 x 35 is a rough estimate of what Puerto Rico measures in miles across and from top to bottom, and although this measurement is not exactly accurate, it is used as a way to express how even though Puerto Rico is a relatively small island, it still has countless things to see and do beyond just the metro area and the cliche tourist attractions.
Though popular places like Old San Juan and El Yunque and popular activities like going to beaches are a must if you visit Puerto Rico, I highly suggest you also explore other places such as the other-worldly Cabo Rojo on the south west side of the island, the beautiful mountainous municipality of Adjuntas in the center of the island and the breathtaking island municipality of Vieques located just to the east of the main island of Puerto Rico.
Luckily, I have travel guides of all of these places and more on my YouTube channel so make sure to check them out!
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