169 Best Sights in Puerto Rico

This huge boulder with a handful of highly visible Taíno petroglyphs is located in a stream among several other large rocks. There are several viewing areas and a shady spot for a picnic lunch. Don't worry: the boulder in the parking lot painted a lurid shade of blue is not La Piedra Escrita. Also remember wet rocks are slippery, so for your own safety do not jump from the stones or climb them after dark.

Along Route 107—an unmarked road crossing through Punta Borinquen Golf Club—you'll find the ruins of La Ponderosa, an old Spanish lighthouse, as well as its replacement, Punta Borinquen, at Puerto Rico's northwesternmost point. The original lighthouse was built in 1889, destroyed by an earthquake in 1918, and rebuilt in 1920 by the U.S. Coast Guard. Just beyond the ruins is a local surf spot, Playa Wilderness.

A few miles north of Fajardo is this fishing area, where seafood is sold in open-air restaurants along the ocean. A small park in the middle of town has a lovely waterfront walk, and it's easy to find outfitters for any kind of ocean adventure, from kayak excursions to sailing trips.

Las Paylas is a series of natural rock slides and pools accessed through a path near a local's home. You can park at the home for a fee, and it's a short five-minute hike into the rainforest. People come with coolers, picnic baskets, and music to set up and relax by the water. There are bathrooms available for those who park at the home as well. If you're going to ride down the rock slides, make sure to tuck in your elbows. 

Signs refer to this gentle beach off Route 3 as "Balneario La Monserrate," but everyone simply calls it Luquillo Beach. Lined with lifeguard stations and shaded by soaring palm trees, it's a magnet for families and has picnic areas and more than 60 kiosks serving fritters and drinks—making it a local hangout. Lounge chairs and umbrellas are available to rent, as are kayaks and Jet Skis. One very distinctive feature here is the Mar Sin Barreras (Sea Without Barriers), a gradual ramp into the water that allows wheelchair users to take a dip. On busy days, the beach can be crowded and characterized by a party atmosphere. There is a nominal fee for using the shower facilities, so bring small bills for this purpose. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Housed in a gorgeous, pastel-pink, 20th-century structure that was once the home of famous Puerto Rican artists, MADMI opened its doors in 2018. It's an interactive museum that hosts rotating exhibits, workshops, and pop-ups. The on-site shop sells items made by local artists. Grab a coffee next door at La Hacienda, which has a shady outdoor terrace.

In the evening, there's no better way to enjoy the sunset than a stroll along Esperanza's 200-yard-long Malecón, a waterfront walkway running the length of the beach.

This surf spot, south of Domes, can get crowded when the waves are high. When waves are small, it serves as a schoolhouse for surf lessons. It's popular with locals, as much for its breaks as for its proximity to the Calypso Café. To get here, look for the street sign reading "Surfer crossing." Amenities: none. Best for: sunsets; surfing.

This lively marina off Route 987 is home to a cadre of glistening fishing boats and the offices of Kayaking Puerto Rico.

Home to 1,000 slips, Puerto del Rey claims to be the Caribbean's largest marina. This is the place to hook up with a scuba-diving group, arrange an excursion to one of the bioluminescent bays, or charter a fishing boat. The marina, located south of Fajardo, also has several restaurants and boating-supply stores.

Playa Medio Mundo used to be part of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base and is now open to the public. It is the largest area managed by the island's environmental nonprofit Para La Naturaleza. To get there, head to Playa Los Machos and park at the end of the parking lot. You’ll see a clearing in the mangroves. Walk through the mangroves on the path for about 15--20 minutes to reach this seldom visited spot. There is a concrete blue building with a marlin statue on top that is open to the public and known for its acoustics.

Degetau Lookout Rock is a scenic point near Aibonito. From the tower, use the telescope to get a closer look at the surrounding mountains. You'll find picnic tables under gazebos and a playground nearby. The tower is currently closed for renovation and safety concerns, so views are limited to those in the surrounding hill area. 

About 80 km (50 miles) off the Morrillos Peninsula, at the island's very southwestern tip, Mona Island sits brooding in the ocean. Known as the "Galápagos of the Caribbean," the 14,000-acre island has long been a destination for adventurous travelers. It's said to have been settled by the Taíno Indians and visited by both Christopher Columbus and Juan Ponce de León. Pirates were known to have used it as a hideout, and legend has it that there is still buried treasure to be found there. Today, however, Mona's biggest lure is its distinctive ecosystem. It is home to a number of endangered species, such as the Mona iguana and the leatherback sea turtle, as well as a number of seabirds, including the red-footed booby. Off its coast are reefs filled with 270 species of tropical fish, black coral, and purple sea fans. On land, you can explore 200-foot cliffs on the island's north side or an abandoned lighthouse to the south. The only way to get here is by boat—planes aren't permitted to land. Several tour operators in Joyuda, Boquerón, Mayagüez, and Rincón offer camping trips and will help arrange permits from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Keep in mind this is a difficult stay, several hours away from civilization—including medical care and additional resources.

You need to reserve at least a few weeks ahead for an overnight stay.

This early-20th-century home—built in a criollo style with some obvious neoclassical influences—has been turned into a museum. Displays include colonial furnishings, religious art, and artifacts of indigenous peoples; there are also rotating exhibits by local artists.

This Georgian-style structure, once a public school, displays a dynamic range of works by established and up-and-coming Latin American artists. Many works have strong political messages, including pointed commentaries on Puerto Rico's status as a commonwealth. Only part of the permanent collection's more than 900 works is on display at a time, but it might be anything from ceramics to videos.

The Universidad de Puerto Rico's small Museum of History, Anthropology and Art offers rotating exhibitions in three areas. Its archaeological and historical collection covers the Native American influence on the island and the Caribbean, the colonial era, and the history of slavery. There's also a small collection of Egyptian antiquities. Art holdings include a range of Puerto Rican popular, graphic, folk, and fine art; the museum's prize exhibit is the painting El Velorio (The Wake), by the 19th-century artist Francisco Oller. If you're looking to see something in particular, call before you go, as only a small portion of the collection is on display at a time. Guided tours in English are available; call for reservations.

Housed in two adjoining neoclassical mansions, this museum includes 10 rooms with exhibits covering the city's residents, from the indigenous Taíno people to Spanish settlers to the mix of the present. Guided tours in English and Spanish give an overview of the city's history. Although descriptions are mostly in Spanish, displays of clothing from different eras are interesting.

At this museum you'll learn how Puerto Rican music has been influenced by African, Spanish, and Native American cultures. On display are dozens of instruments, such as the tres (a small string instrument resembling a banjo), as well as memorabilia of local composers and musicians. The small museum takes up several rooms of a neoclassical former residence, which alone is worth the trip.

On the second floor of the imposing former military barracks, Cuartel de Ballajá, this museum houses four permanent exhibits covering folk art, African and Native American heritage, and colonization. You'll also find temporary exhibitions of works by regional and international artists. A wide range of handicrafts is available in the gift shop. Before visiting, it's best to check the website for current hours.

A bustling marketplace in 1857, this handsome building now houses the small San Juan Museum. You'll find rotating exhibits of Puerto Rican art, plus tableaux and audiovisual shows that present the island's history. Concerts and other cultural events take place in the huge interior courtyard.

This could be the most unique building in Puerto Rico. Named for a Taíno artifact with religious significance, the tiny structure resembles the snail-like cemí—you enter through its mouth. The collection, however, is only interesting if you like history; it consists of religious and ceremonial objects of the Taíno found on the island.

Off the main square, the Museo Histórico de Coamo is appropriately housed in the former residence of one of the city's illustrious citizens, Clotilde Santiago, a wealthy farmer and merchant born in 1826. The museum is on the second floor of this sprawling, tangerine-color building, which dates from 1863. Several rooms are decorated with colonial-style furnishings; photographs of the town and the Santiago family line the walls.

Dedicated to the artistry of the printed word, this museum counts among its holdings approximately 400 books printed before the 15th century—one of the larger such collections in the western hemisphere. It also owns two royal decrees from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that date from 1493, the year Columbus first reached Puerto Rico. Because the museum is in a temporary location while long-term restorations to the permanent building are underway, only a small portion of the 6,000-piece collection is on display. Highlights include a page from the Gutenberg Bible and a 12th-century lunar-cycle calendar. The gift shop has a terrific collection of posters that draws customers from all over the world.

In the heart of Cabo Rojo, you can find this museum dedicated to important figures native to the town. Displays include art, sculptures, and indigenous artifacts across the nine exhibit rooms. There's ample parking, and no entry fee.

This scientific haven was once attached to the world's largest radio telescope, which has sadly been pronounced defunct recently. However, over 100,000 visitors check out the science center every year, with information about the radio telescope's history, accomplishment, and ultimate ending. Besides all the valuable information here, the way up to the center is a steep climb with some of the most beautiful views Arecibo has to offer. This is a must-do for folks in STEM and for families with children interested in the field!

This outlet mall and entertainment center features activities that are fun for families, including a bowling alley, movie theater, arcade, and go-karts. They also have an indoor obstacle course and NASCAR simulator as part of the Sector Sixty6 complex with a reloadable card you can use to purchase admission to each of the games and attractions.

In the fields south of Isabela toward the town of Moca, a French family settled on a coffee and sugar plantation in the 1800s. The grand two-story house was immortalized in the novel La Llamarada, written in 1935 by Puerto Rican novelist Enrique A. Laguerre. In the novel, about conditions in the sugarcane industry, the house belonged to his fictional family, the Moreaus. Although it doesn't have many furnishings, you can walk through the house and also visit Laguerre's personal library in the mansion's basement.

Surrounding the Faro de Punta Higuero (Rincón's lighthouse), Parque Pasivo El Faro has small kiosks at the water's edge. If you're lucky, you may spot a whale in the distance. (Have patience, though, as it could take days to see one.) You can also glimpse the rusty, mint-color dome of the defunct Bonus Thermonuclear Energy Plant from here; it has been closed since 1968. The park—complete with benches and a refreshment stand—is a nice place to take in sunsets. The lighthouse is closed to the public, but it's hard to walk away without taking a photo of the stately white structure.