I know that when you see this cute, little church, you assume it is somewhere in Europe. But this lovely place is actually right here in Puerto Rico! The church is a replica of a church in Germany. The grounds are very beautiful, and they welcome all visitors who want to come and enjoy this peaceful place.

La Parguera offers natural beauty above and below the water. Going out in the afternoon and into the evening gives you some of the best of both worlds — clear blue water, green mangrove islands, colorful sunsets, and later, after dark, the sparkling Parguera Biobay lagoon water and thousands of stars above. We recently did a sunset snorkel and biobay tour with Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling and it was an enjoyable end to a great day.

Located on the southwest coast of the island, La Parguera boasts about 30 tiny mangrove islands just 1 to 5 miles off the shore. Once you get to those mangrove cays, you can swim, snorkel, and ride the currents in the crystal-clear, warm water. We went kayaking there recently with Excursions Ecoboriken. It was a great experience, that was both fun and educational.

What does a town do when they have a beautiful waterfront area, but no natural beaches there? Enclose the ocean, build decks around it, and make an ocean pool. That’s just what the town of Lajas did to create Playa Rosada — it boasts a nice ocean swimming area without the sandy beach, and without the risk of any "big critters" to bother you while swimming!

On a recent, sunny Sunday, we decided to take a drive down the east coast of Puerto Rico. It is a nice drive if you go along the coast, with some great views along the way. At the south-east corner if the island is the town of Maunabo, in which you can find the Punta Tuna Lighthouse (Faro Punta Tuna) and beach. While you can’t enter the lighthouse itself, the park and beach area are worth a stop.

I had heard that Isla Caja de Muertos (or Coffin Island) was lovely, but I think it has been kept a secret just how fantastic it is! Visiting the island has been on my "to do" list for 6 years now, but we never really made the effort to go. We finally made it out there, and I can kick myself for waiting so long. It is a beautiful island and it is too nice to be missed, especially since it is an easy day trip.

The Ponce Art Musuem (Museo de Arte de Ponce) recently reopened its doors after more than 2 years and LOTS of money in renovations and acquisitions. It is larger and it now has more than 800 art objects on display. I think it is the nicest art museum on the island, that I have visited, and it is a must-visit for anyone who has even a remote interest in the arts.

MLB Winter League Baseball in Puerto Rico has started! Get out to one of the stadiums in San Juan, Carolina, Caguas, Ponce or Aguadilla and support your favorite team. The action is non-stop and it is a great family-friendly atmosphere!

Almost everyone that visits Puerto Rico makes the trip to El Yunque National Forest to see some waterfalls and get some great views. But there are other forests in Puerto Rico that offer all that, too. We had hiked in the Toro Negro Forest a number of years ago. I remembered it was very nice and parts of the forest looked very much like El Yunque. So we decided to go back again recently to take notes and write about it for anyone who wants an alternative to hiking in El Yunque.

Once you decide to venture away from the San Juan metropolitan area, your best bet (and the cheapest way to get around) is to rent a car. You may have heard horror stories about Puerto Rican drivers, but, in reality, it is not that bad! Here are some tips to make your experience driving in Puerto Rico as painless as possible.

What do you get when you cross scavenger hunts with GPS technology? The "sport" called Geocaching. You can grab your GPS unit and try to find one of the 350 treasures hidden around Puerto Rico. You may be pleasantly surprised by what else you discover about the island during your hunt.

Guánica encompasses a large area with lots of shoreline — which, in turn, means lots of beaches. However, most of the area beaches are not protected coves, so you have to be careful of the water conditions. On a recent visit to the area, we stopped in to see a few of the beaches and, while we didn’t find any hidden gems, we did find some that might appeal to the outdoor enthusiast.

The Cabo Rojo area, in the south-west part of Puerto Rico, offers many opportunities for nature and beach-lovers. Combate Beach and Balneario Boquerón are two of the beaches in the area that provide the backdrop for a great day at the beach.

The Salinas de Cabo Rojo, or salt flats, is an active salt-mining operation in Cabo Rojo. This operation is part of the 1800-acre National Wildlife Refuge, which is a mecca for bird-watching along the many walking and biking trails. And it’s right down the road from the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse.

Waterfalls are always beautiful, whether you pick the right day to go or not. Salto Curet in Maricao is another example of an off-the-beaten-path waterfall that is not easy to get to. Besides being about ½-hour drive along a small, twisty, turning mountain road, once you actually get to the river there is a hike in and then a walk up stream. But it is very pretty.