Ready for a vacation? Not ready for the hassle of renewing your passport and brushing up on your high school foreign language lessons? Understood. Consider Puerto Rico for your next
Caribbean adventure. What makes Puerto Rico so great? The island is an unincorporated territory of the U.S., which means you can leave your passport behind. In addition, most Puertoricans are bilingual, so you should be able to communicate relatively easily in English. So forget those dusty Spanish text books, leave your passport in that file cabinet you lost the keys to, and start dreaming of sunny Puerto Rico. And don’t assume that just because it is not a hassle to get there that the Rich Port isn’t a promising vacation destination—read on to learn a bit about what this island has to offer.
Despite the relative newness of the gay scene in PR, the island already boasts a good number of gay-friendly clubs, restaurants, hotels, and bars. For up-to-date local info on gay and lesbian
events on the island, find a copy of the local gay information and travel newspaper, Puerto Rico Breeze, when you get off the plane. As for nightlife, two districts in the capital city, San Juan, are your best bets for unforgettable nights out: Condado and Santurce. Condado ranks first overall in nightlife fun and Santurce is where you will find the most gay and gay-friendly discotecas and bars. Our vote? Give each district a go and let us know which you prefer. San
Juan is also a great place for daytime activities including historic fort tours, the Bacardi Rum Distillery, historic cathedrals, and a myriad markets and plazas.
If it’s swimming and dancing that you’re looking for, place both San Juan and Ponce at the top of your “to do” list; if you’re looking to spend some serious time outdoors, consider the entire island your playground. Don’t forget to prioritize some quality time with the sun and the sand! The islands of Puerto Rico offer a variety of beaches for all of your sun soaking needs: from deserted island beaches for just you and your loved one to highly crowded beaches with plenty to look at and plenty to do—including snorkeling, scubadiving, water skiing, and more—select the beach for you. If you are looking for total seclusion, get off the mainland and head for the satellite island of Culebra; there let your flip flops take you to Flamenco Beach—just recognized the “Best Escape Beach” by the Travel Channel.
Don’t be mislead by the size of Puerto Rico—though only 100 miles long, this island boasts an incredible bio-diversity and an abundance of outdoor adventure opportunities. The best part? All these adventures are only a short drive from your hotel or resort, no matter where you’re headed! Such activities as hiking, climbing, spelunking, kayaking, canoeing, golfing, horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, and camping are available throughout the island. At the end of the day you can watch the sun disappear over the bay while whales breach in the distance. Don’t forget your camera!
On par with the island’s vast bio-diversity, the cultural diversity of Puerto Rico is rich and intriguing. Puerto Rican culture today is a rich combination of the three different cultural groups—African, Taino (Amerindian), and Spanish—that have historically come into contact on the island. Both cultural festivals and a variety of museums are available throughout the year to facilitate your learning about the unique political and cultural history of this island.
If you are interested in investigating other warm spots for your
gay vacation—or travel for everybody, think about some of these other options:
CharmingMadrid
Disneyland
Houston
Sinful Las Vegas
Palm Springs
However you choose to spend your time in PR, don’t forget to relax while enjoying the beauty, adventure, and romance of this diverse island!
Greg Scott writes for WorldwideGayTravel.com, where you can arrange
gay travel to Puerto Rico or anywhere. The web site welcomes all accepting travelers.
