For 3 short days in October 1950, Puerto Rico was declared an independent nation called La Republica de Puerto Rico by Blanca Canales and a band of Independentistas. Today, the Canales Museum houses a collection of memorabilia that provides a glimpse of the revolution of that time.

The Tibes Indian Ceremonial Center is a window into the history of Puerto Rico. At this site, archaeologists have uncovered ball fields, burial sites and ceremonial plazas associated with the pre-Taino and Taino Indian cultures. You can spend an afternoon visiting and learning about one of the most important archaeological sites in the Caribbean.

A French coffee hacienda in Puerto Rico – what a surprise! The Old Labadie House (aka the Palacete los Moreau) is located in the town of Moca, in the north-west part of Puerto Rico. This lovely, old house has been turned into a museum, and they offer great, informative tours about the house and the people who lived there. What a wonderful piece of Puerto Rican history and a local treasure. It’s really worth a visit.

El Portal Rain Forest Center is the main visitor center in El Yunque National Forest. It features an elevated walkway through the tree tops, educational displays, a short interpretive walking trail, a deli/restaurant and a small gift shop. Though completely optional, the Forest Center is an informative stop for first-time visitors to El Yunque.

The Cemi Museum (Museo El Cemi, in Spanish) in Jayuya is a visitor center for the area and a showcase of Taino artifacts. The leaders of Jayuya wanted to preserve and educate about the Taino culture, so they opened this odd-shaped museum in 1989.

If you can tear yourself away from the beautiful beaches on Vieques, you should make a quick stop at the wonderfully restored Count Mirasol Fort (or Fortin Conde de Mirasol in Spanish) high above the town of Isabel II. In addition to the view, it offers art exhibits and a nice museum of Vieques artifacts. The view alone is well worth the admission price!

The Luis A. Ferré Science Park in Bayamón houses an eclectic collection of attractions — a Planetarium, a Zoo, an Observation Tower and museums ranging from Natural History, to Transportation, to Telecommunication, to Archeology, among others. It’s an enjoyable way to spend a few hours of your vacation.

Fort San Cristobal is often considered the other fort in Old San Juan. For reasons that I can’t fathom, people flock to El Morro and rarely visit Fort San Cristobal. But they don’t know what they’re missing – it is a definitely worth a visit!

The Arecibo Lighthouse & Historical Park is a cultural theme park based on the history of Puerto Rico. Within the park, you’ll find the lighthouse, the Pirates’ Hideout cave, Taino village recreation, aquarium, mini-zoo, replica sailing ships, and kids’ playground.

El Morro Fort, or officially Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, stands guard at the entrance to San Juan harbor as a reminder of a by-gone era when invading countries would attempt sea attacks to take this prized city and harbor. No trip to Old San Juan is complete without a visit to this UN World Heritage Site.