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 baseball game in Puerto Rico is an economical and fun evening. Every winter, baseball heats up on the island. Not only do we have local players on the teams, but some of the US league players come down to keep in shape and play in their off-season. So, if you are having baseball withdrawal, you can catch a game while you’re here — it can be a lot of fun.

Being an island, Puerto Rico has more than 300 miles of beaches, including the out-islands and cays. That’s one beach to explore and enjoy for each day of the year. There is a perfect beach for everyone – it all depends your idea of the perfect beach. Luckily, almost all the beaches in Puerto Rico are open to the general public.

Casa Pueblo is a community-based organization focused on, among other things, the protection and management of natural resources. On a visit to their headquarters in Adjuntas, you’ll learn about their on-going eco-friendly endeavors and educational programs, and you’ll have the chance to buy some local artisan goods in their gift shop.

The Guánica State Forest & Bioshpere Reserve is a dry forest that receives only 30" of rain annually. It covers almost 1000 acres and is home to many endangered plants and wildlife. There are a number of hiking trails throughout the forest, and it is a bird-watcher’s paradise.

There are lots of waterfalls that can be found throughout the island. Most are in obscure locations and can only be found with the help of a local. We knew about Las Garzas Falls in Adjuntas, but we didn’t really know where it was located. So, one day, we decided to try to find it.

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.

During a trip to the south-west part of the island, we found some diving that I would highly recommend. That region is home to "the Wall" and the diving was great! We went wall diving at La Parguera and I thought it was the best diving we have seen on PR.

We were at the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse a couple weeks ago and the panoramic views were simply magnificent. I was surprised to see one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in Puerto Rico. We asked the lighthouse ranger about the beach and, he said lovingly, “Oh – the jacuzzi? That is La Playuela”.

Located on top of 200-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marks the south-west tip of Puerto Rico. Though the lighthouse is interesting, the big attractions are the dramatic views of the ocean and cliffs.

Waterfalls are facinating — they are beautiful, powerful and natural. With the Cordillera Central that runs through the middle of the Puerto Rico, we get a lot of rain that falls on those peaks, resulting in a number of waterfalls across the island. Many of them require hiking in forests and wading rivers to get to see them. But Dona Juana Waterfall is right along the road. Can it get any easier?

Gilligan’s Island is a tiny island about a mile off the coast of Guánica. You can get to the island by kayak or ferry. We found some decent snorkeling, picnic pavilions and lots of privacy … at least for us during low season. I’d guess it gets pretty crazy on a July weekend!

We recently had the opportunity to re-visit the biobay in La Parguera, after having visited it for the first time 18 years ago. The health of this biobay has declined immensely, to the point of the biobay glow being hardly noticeable. But they still take people out into the biobay nightly. If nothing else, it’s a cheap nighttime boat ride.

The Tropical Agricultural Research Station (TARS) in Mayaguez is the tropical research center of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Crops under study there include dry bean, sorghum, banana, plantain, cacao, papaya, and tropical exotic fruits such as rambutan, carambola, mamey sapote, lychee, longan, sapodilla and mangosteen.

If you enjoy animals and are in the Mayaguez area, you might consider spending a few hours at the Mayaguez Zoo. Formally, this little zoo is called the "Parque Nacional Zoologico de Puerto Rico Dr. Juan A. Rivero" (or the Dr. Juan A. Rivero National Zoological Park of Puerto Rico). Wow! That’s a long name [...]