The center of the island is full of mountains, and the views from these peaks can be breathtaking. If you want to get to a these views, and not get out of breath doing it, consider going on horseback at Hacienda Madrigal in Cidra. Not only do you get to enjoy a horseback ride, you enjoy the cool fresh air of the Puerto Rican countryside.

The mangrove cayos in La Parguera are really something to see. They are tiny specks of green in middle of the blue ocean. Most are nothing more than clumps of mangroves and broken coral. However, there is one in particular – Mata de Gata – that has the facilities that you need to make a perfect setting for a picnic. Being an island, you will need a kayak, boat or another type of watercraft out to it. But once there, you may never want to leave

The Ponce Carnival is an annual week-long celebration. There are parades with wildly decorated floats, crazy costumed people, lots of music, loads of spectators, and merriment. Similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it is derived from the old world tradition of a final celebration before the beginning of Lent. But over time, it has transformed into a week-long party! This year, the Carnaval de Ponce will be from February 15 to 21, 2012.

When you hear about the Guanica area, you probably hear all about how hot and dry it is. But, actually, Guanica also boasts some great swimming beaches – like Playa Santa. This lovely beach is a free, public beach, so it is open all the time, and it is a great place to cool down and relax.

The central mountain range of Puerto Rico offers some amazing views. Of course, that is if you can get to the top of the mountains. Hacienda Madrigal in Cidra offers a fun and easy way to get to there — on an ATV. We enjoyed an hour-long ride through this beautiful hacienda, with pretty nature all around us, and a view at the top to stop and admire!

I have to say that I was always surprised that there were not any cooking classes offered for tourists here in Puerto Rico. But now there is! Flavors of San Juan has an intimate cooking class experience, where you can learn how to make all sorts of delicious dishes in Old San Juan.

There are a number of wonderful sights and places to visit in the Arecibo area. If you are doing something else in the area, and you have kids, consider a stop at Fun Valley Park. This small amusement park (think permanent carnival) will keep the kids entertained while not breaking your bank account, or your vacation schedule.

The Cambalache State Forest (Bosque Estatal de Cambalache) offers a lovely oasis for picnics and gatherings, and it has several miles of trails designed for enjoying nature via mountain bike or walking. This is one of the few places in Puerto Rico where you can mountain bike along cool and shaded forest trails.

Amazing … That about sums up my feelings about the new Museo del Nino (Children’s Museum) in Carolina. The museum is a fun, hands-on place full of interactive, passive-learning activities. It has over 100 exhibits, each with something to play on, with, in, or around. Kids of all ages are sure to find something interesting and fun to do. I know we did!

The Condado Lagoon is a nice, calm body of water in the tourist area of Condado in San Juan. It is a perfect place to spend a few hours enjoying different types of water sports. One that the whole family can enjoy inexpensively is pedal boating. We went pedal boating there recently. It was easy and fun!

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!

If you are a fisherman you know how enjoyable it is to spend time out on the water, especially when you catch something. While no captain can gaurentee a catch, Captain Marcos of Light Tackle Paradise in Fajardo is known to have lots of luck. Our friends Wally and Anton recently had a productive morning of fishing, that included tarpon, king mackerel, grouper, and snapper.

MLB Winter League Baseball in Puerto Rico is starting! 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!