3 Best Sights in Puerto Rico

This Spanish-built lighthouse above the ferry dock in Isabel Segunda dates from 1895. It was built to guide vessels into the harbor, which is surrounded by a chain of dangerous reefs. Its red light is rumored to be visible from as far away as St. Croix and St. Thomas. In 1992, the elegant structure was carefully restored and transformed into a maritime museum that traces much of the island's history, including the visit by South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar. The tiny museum is open weekdays, but the lighthouse itself is worth a look any day.

A beautiful example of Spanish-colonial architecture, the Faro de Arecibo is one of the loveliest lighthouses on the island. Dating from 1897, it sits on a bluff high above Arecibo. Although the museum inside the lighthouse has maritime treasures that will interest everyone in your group, the rest of the park is strictly kid stuff. There are scaled-down replicas of Christopher Columbus's Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, as well as replicas of the huts used by the island's original inhabitants, the Taíno Indians. On weekends, groups in traditional costumes play live music; you can watch the revelry from the sitting area of the café.

The area's most popular attraction is this neoclassical lighthouse, dating from 1881. The magnificent structure, built on a limestone cliff, has amazing views of the Caribbean Sea. It is open to the public, and you are free to hike around the rugged terrain or relax on La Playuela or one of the other pink-sand beaches nearby.

There are no facilities here, so bring water, food, and sunscreen.