You will see many neat things in Puerto Rico, but wild animals are not usually one of them – except if you visit Monkey Island. Monkey Island is a small island off of the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, that is home to about 1200 free-roaming Rhesus monkeys. The island is not open to tourists, but you can get an up close view of the monkeys from the water.

Though it feels like worlds away, Pinones is only a sort distance from the San Juan area. If you enjoy kayaking, you can rent kayaks at COPI, which is just over the bridge from Isla Verde. You can spend one, or many, hours paddling around Torrecilla Lagoon watching birds and iguanas going about their business.

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.

For the horse lovers in our audience, have we got a show for you. The Puerto Rican Equestrian Art School (Escuela Puertorriqueña del Arte Ecuestre) puts on a beautiful Paso Fino horse show a few times a year called Gala Ecuestre.

Traveling with kids changes everything. You need to find a place where there are things that everyone in the family can enjoy. Luckily, you are planning to visit Puerto Rico where there are many activities for every member of your family. We’ve put together this list with families and convenience in mind. All of these activities are within about a 1-hour drive of the San Juan area.

What could be more refreshing than taking a swim in a crystal clear river on a hot day? If you are in El Yunque and want to do some swimming, you may want to try Angelito Trail. The trail leads to Las Damas pool in the Mameyes River.

There are plenty of things to do with kids in Old San Juan. Whether you explore an ancient fort, fly a kite, feed 100s of pigeons, taste some local ice cream, or just enjoy one of the many family-friendly activities on the weekend, you’ll be sure to keep busy.

Take a snorkel/kayak trip with Kayaking Puerto Rico and learn all about the different ecosystems in the northeast corner of Puerto Rico, both above and below the water. They offer trips for all levels of experience, from beginner to experienced kayakers and snorkelers. I think it’s a great way to spend a half-day getting close to nature on your vacation.

Experiencing new things is part of what makes traveling fun. This includes tasting local flavors of fruit and foods. To get to try local flavors, and eat ice cream at the same time, now that is a vacation! El Rinconcito Dulce is a small, local ice cream store in Canovanas that has some unusual flavor [...]

East Island Excursions offers trips from Fajardo to Vieques so you can experience the bioluminescence in Mosquito Bay.

Fly from tree to tree on a zip line with La Marquesa Canopy Tours, only 30 minutes from San Juan.

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 [...]

Take a refreshing dip in clear rain forest water. Swim under a waterfall. It sounds like a dream. But it is actually a very popular and fun thing to do during a trip to El Yunque National Forest. The waterfall is called La Mina Falls, and it can be accessed by either of two trails: [...]

If you have always dreamed about swimming in a waterfall, having the water cascade onto your back, massaging you, then you are in luck. Many people have that experience at La Mina Falls in the El Yunque National Forest. This beautiful 35 foot waterfall is one of the most popular places to visit while in [...]