I really love visiting the small out-islands around Puerto Rico. They are so pretty – just spits of white sand and palm trees surrounded by clear blue water. But with a name like Isla Ratones (Rat Island), this one kind of scared me. But then I finally got to go, and it’s a cute little island. It’s a nice place to visit for a couple hours (or a day) if you are in the area.

Parasailing is one of those things that, once you see someone doing it, you just want to do yourself. It is amazingly calm and quiet up there, and takes almost no effort on the part of the passenger, so just about anyone can do it. It is an activity that is available all around Puerto Rico, so you’ve come to the right place if you want to give it a try.

MLB Winter League Baseball in Puerto Rico is starting on 08 November 2012! Get out to one of the stadiums in Carolina, Caguas, Ponce or Mayaguez and support your favorite team. The action is non-stop, and it is a great family-friendly atmosphere!

As you may know, I enjoy looking at ruins. So the ruins of the Ermita Espinar church in Aguada was on my list to see. But, as we explored the area looking for ruins in a field, we couldn’t find it. As it turns out, these ruins have been enclosed inside of a new church. It was a very neat thing to see, and I am so happy they have been able to rebuild this parish while preserving the past.

While growing up in the north-eastern part of the States, every winter, we would strap on skates a go out onto any frozen body of water for fun. As it turns out, anyone in Puerto Rico can try ice skating too! This is a great way to spend some time while you’re on the west coast. The Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena is a cool (literally!) place to spend an hour or more of your vacation.

I don’t mean to state the obvious, but you have to look to the west if you want to see great sunsets. Weather permitting, almost every evening somewhere in Puerto Rico you can see an amazing sunset. We’ll tell you some of our favorite places in Puerto Rico to watch the sun set. Where are you favorite Puerto Rico sunset spots?

There are few thing more fun on a hot day then spending some time splashing around in a waterpark. We have visited a number of waterparks in the States, but had never been to any in Puerto Rico. Recently, we enjoyed a day at Las Cascadas Waterpark in Aguadilla. Though not a huge park, it has a little bit of something for all the members of your family to enjoy — pools, slides, lazy rivers, and a kiddie area.

We consider the cliffs of Cabo Rojo, near the lighthouse, to be one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico. We have found that, as you explore the area around the lighthouse and head northwest, you will see how these rugged cliffs have been worn and sculpted by the ocean waves over time. There are all sorts of arches, little caves, and other amazing rock formations along this coastline. The photo opportunities are endless!

The oceans and seas around Puerto Rico are full of amazing creatures. And every winter, humpback whales join us for a 2-3 month period to rest, mate, and care for their young before heading back up north. You will have the best chance of spotting them from mid-January though mid-March in the west coast regions.

To make the most of the Parguera area, you need to get out on the water and visit the mangrove islands and/or the biobay. In order to do this, you obviously need to have access to a kayak or a boat of some kind. One option is to rent a little skiff. It is a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to get around to see the mangrove cays and maybe do a little snorkeling.

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.

When people come to Puerto Rico, they are often bummed to find that fresh seafood is not all that readily available. It really is kind of shocking, being that we’re on an island surround by vast oceans. But there is one area in Puerto Rico that should be known as the seafood heaven — the seaside community of Joyuda, in Cabo Rojo. We stopped in for lunch recently, and were pleasantly surprised.

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!