Puerto Rico Travel

Now sailing to Vieques and Culebra Islands: a new passenger ferry that seats 600 people. It's the largest passenger boat to date making the run from Fajardo to the islands, and was put in place to ramp up service to the islands and meet the growing demand of travelers and tourists.

With the added service, ferries will now run eight times a day to between the islands. That means more access to Culebra and Vieques than ever before. And this is a good thing. Not only do are there plenty of things to do in Culebra and Vieques, but both islands are wonderful places to do absolutely nothing ... once you get to the beach, of course.

The often-maligned ferry service has taken its beatings and had its share of detractors over the years. Spotty service and "Puerto Rican time" scheduling hasn't helped its cause. I have to say, in all the years I've taken it I've never had an issue. But the new boat certainly should help make it more efficient and accommodating.

I have to admit it. After speaking to Juan Carlos Morales, I'm dying to go Kiteboarding. The man behind 15 Knots was once the youngest kiteboarder on the island, not to mention just the third to take up the sport in Puerto Rico. He's made it a personal mission to promote the sport he loves.

And he's got some pretty cool ways to do so. Like a free introductory lesson; or tandem rides for people with disabilities; or a free air compressor if you want to rent equipment and strike out on your own.

Kiteboarding is gaining legions of fans every week ... find out why some of them come straight from the school of 15 Knots.

If you were watching the Super Bowl yesterday (and judging by the TV ratings, there were only about three people who weren't, and one of those people was actually a mailbox), you saw a thrilling conclusion with Eli Manning leading an all-time drive to once again triumph over Brady & Co. You saw one of the most awkward, butt-first touchdowns you'll ever see from Ahmad Bradshaw.

And you also saw the first Puerto Rican duo to play in a Super Bowl: Victor Cruz (he of the smooth salsa touchdown dance) and Aaron Hernandez. Not only did both perform well, they both scored a touchdown in the big game. But there can be only one Puerto Rican Super Bowl champ, and this year the spoils go to the Victor.

Puerto Rico has a long sports tradition, with everything from baseball to scuba diving drawing plenty of local and international interest. After watching Victor Cruz six-step his way into the record books, I may have to add football to the mix!

Telling you there are five things to do in San Juan is a bit like saying you'll find a few grains of sand on the beach. There is enough to see and do in Puerto Rico's bustling capital to keep you busy for years. But ... since I'm giving each of Puerto Rico's regions its five-reason due, I'll treat Metropolitan San Juan just the same.

It's no surprise that the capital is a tourist region unto itself. This is the heart of Puerto Rico, as well as its nerve center and its wallet. It boasts an impressive list of accolades ... like the largest mall in the Caribbean, two of the oldest churches in the western hemisphere, and the largest fortress ever built by the Spanish in the New World, to name just a few.

Can I think of five reasons to visit San Juan? Can you count five grains of sand on a beach?

The Road Less Traveled, thy name is the Central Region. Tourists on the hunt for Caribbean beaches, colonial capitals or Caribbean islets bypass this vast expanse of land, and thereby miss out on some of the island's most striking natural vistas. This is a land of mountains and valleys, lakes and waterfalls, and patchwork quilts of green.

It's a destination for adventure, even if it's just an adventurous flavor of ice cream that you seek; and a destination for road trips, whether you're trying to reach the perfect morself of roast suckling pig or simply looking for a leisurely drive through Puerto Rico's heartland.

Take a look at five great reasons to visit Puerto Rico's Central Region.

February is here, and with it comes Saint Valentine, a marauding (and I mean that in the nicest way) band of vejigantes, a squad of must-be-nuts freefall divers, and army of food trucks, Luis Fonsi and ... Air Supply? Yup, Air Supply.

You'll also have the chance to watch a pro golf tournament, the world's best 10K race (or at least, that's how they bill it), and some of the world's finest classical musicians at the annual Casals Festival. It's a very busy month on the island, with the Ponce Carnival taking center stage as the biggest event of the year.

Check out the full calendar of events.

Puerto Rico's East Region has three ridiculously unfair advantages over its fellow regions: They're called Vieques, Culebra and El Yunque. Each one of these destinations, on its own, is enough to vault this part of Puerto Rico into must-visit status. Taken together, they present a formidable (and truly spectacular) trio of destinations. Within them you'll find waterfalls, bioluminescent bays, beaches that make you feel like moving to Puerto Rico, tiny islands scattered like pearls across the sea, and much, much more.

So consider my five things to do in the East Region as the briefest of primers, a guide's version of an amuse-bouche. For me, the more I visit Puerto Rico's East, the more I discover to love about it.

You may never have heard of Porta Caribe,  but you've certainly heard of some its attractions. There's Ponce, a city so elegant it's known as the Pearl of the South. Ponce alone makes Porta Caribe a must-visit destination. After all, no other city on the island boasts the mansion of a rum dynasty, the most impressive collection of European art in the Caribbean, and a a fire station that looks like it once housed Dr. Seuss.

And then there's what's around Ponce: an ancient indigenous ceremonial center; a working 19th century coffee plantation that runs on water power; and, further beyond, miles of sun-splashed beaches facing the Caribbean, a dry forest that's been declared a United Nations Biosphere, and a colonial town that recalls Puerto Rico's aristocratic roots.

With all that, it was a bit difficult to boil my list down to only five reasons to visit Porta Caribe.

Porta Atlántico is Puerto Rico's new tourist region ... but how many of you know the remaining five? Not to worry ... I'm going to cover each of them this week and next. While "Gateway to the Atlantic" may be the newest destination, Porta del Sol, or "Gateway to the Sun," is among its most diverse and beautiful, especially if you love being outdoors.

Think of it this way; my 5 things to do in Porta del Sol includes diving, hiking, dry forests, surfing and whale watching! And all of these experiences are either unique to Puerto Rico or among the best of their kind on the island. In fact, there was so much I liked about this region that I had to break it down into lists of 5 things to do in Cabo Rojo, Rincón and  even Isabela.

If you love the beach, the water and a laid back, surfer-and-seafood vibe, you'll love the west coast of Puerto Rico ... also known as Porta del Sol.

Last week I teased about the launch of Porta Atlántico. This week I thought I'd introduce it properly with my list of five things to do in the region.

It's a pretty cool list, too. The Camuy Caves,  Arecibo Telescope, awesome beaches and what might be the best golf course in Puerto Rico, if not the Caribbean, are a pretty outstanding combination for a tourist region. There are whole islands that don't offer as much.

And the truth is, these five headliners only scratch the surface of what to see and do in Porta Atlántico. There's the small fort in Toa Baja that used to be El Morro's partner in the defense of San Juan against enemy ships; the colorful Festival of Masks in Hatillo, celebrated every year since 1823; the Blue-Flag beach at Punta Salinas; surfing at Jobos Beach; and the outlet mall at Barceloneta -- to name just a few things.

And pretty soon, there will be a cluster of shiny new hotels to welcome you when you head out of San Juan to explore Puerto Rico's newest destination. I'll announce those as they come along. For now, I'll leave you with this: when one destination gives you the third-largest subterranean river in the world; the largest single-dish radio telescope in the world; one of only a handful of beaches to receive international accreditation for environmental awareness and conservation; and what will soon be Puerto Rico's only 6-star hotel ... if one destination gave you all that, wouldn't you want to get out and explore it?