Sunday, March 25, 2012

Mountain Region Of Puerto Rico

In order to attract more tourist to the Mountain Region area of Puerto Rico, which is becoming a favorite among nature lovers, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company will invest $57 million in a number of projects.  Some of the projects, in the Mountain Region area of Puerto Rico, will place special emphasis on ecotourism and agritourism.


The towns of the Mountain Region of Puerto Rico are: Aguas Buenas, Cidra, Cayey, Comerío, Aibonito, Naranjito, Barranquitas, Corozal, Orocovis, Morovis, Ciales, Jayuya, Florida, Utuado, Adjuntas and Lares.  The following are some of the projects that will begin this year: Hacienda Lealtad, a $2 million agritourism 7-room hotel in Lares; Hotel Media Luna, a $2 million, 18-room hotel in Comerío; and Hacienda Negrón, a 60-room, $4 million hotel proposed for Ciales.  Once the new hotels begin operating, the area will have nearly 550 rooms.


The Mountain Region of Puerto Rico is home to the Toro Verde Nature Adventure Park, in Orocovis, and has become one of the most visited ecotourism parks in the region.  Adventure seekers flock to the park, which welcomes an average of 400 to 500 people a day.



Other projects planned for the Mountain Region of Puerto Rico are: Hacienda Brisas Frescas in Corozal - 16 rooms, $5.5 million investment; Hacienda Verde in Utuado - 30 rooms, $2 million investment; Eco-Parque del Tanamá in Utuado - 68 rooms, $5 million investment; Club Caribe in Cidra - 104 rooms, $20 million investment; and Los Aviones in Barranquitasa - 15 rooms, $1.7 million investment.


                                                                  
 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Top Five Things To Do For Your Trip To Puerto Rico

Planning your trip to Puerto Rico?  Is this your first trip to the island?  Here are five ideas to help you plan your trip to Puerto Rico:


Bring sunscreen and sunglasses

The sun is strong in Puerto Rico.  Make sure you bring sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and apply it every 2 hours.  Having a hat is also good idea. 


Learn a little Spanish


People in Puerto Rico understand English, but it would be fun to try to communicate in Spanish with the locals.  A few words in Spanish, will go a long way.


Prepare your taste buds


Puerto Rico has great tasting food.  Be open minded and try some traditional cuisine, like mofongo (plantain dish), arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas), or arroz con pollo (Chicken and rice).


Bring some dressier clothing

Puerto Ricans like to dress up in the evenings whether going to restaurants or clubs.  Actually, some clubs have a dress code, no tennis shoes or shorts, and most hotels do not allow beach attire or shorts in the lobby, during evening hours.  You do not need anything fancy, just a nice pair of pants and a shirt.  


Prepare to stay up late


Puerto Ricans like to enjoy life and are always ready to party.  Nightlife begins after 10:00 P.M. and goes until the early hours of the morning.  Get ready to dance, play at the casino, or listen to music, at a favorite bar, all night long!



Remember that life on the island runs slower than the mainland.  Take your time to explore the sights and take in the scenery.  Welcome to Puerto Rico and have a wonderful time!


                                                                    

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Top Five Beaches Of Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques, an island off the east coast of Puerto Rico has great beaches to enjoy.  Here are the top five  beaches of Vieques, Puerto Rico:


Red Beach

Red beach, with white sand and crystal clear waters, Red beach is located on the southern side of Vieques, and is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife reserve.


Esperanza Beach


Esperanza beach is located in the main town of Esperanza, and close to restaurant and bars.  Esperanza means hope.


Blue Beach

Blue beach, a long and blue isolated beach on the east side of Vieques.  Blue beach is great for snorkeling and scuba diving. 


Secret Beach


Secret beach is located in the center of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife reserve.  Secret beach is small and hard to find, but people love this beach.  


Sun Bay Beach


Sun Bay beach, is a favorite among the locals.  It is easy to get to and has picnic tables, restrooms, and a camp ground.


Have fun exploring these great beaches of Vieques, Puerto Rico.  Take a look at Secret beach:




                                                                      
  

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Arecibo Observatory In Puerto Rico To Get Planetarium

A planetarium and a hotel will be built at the Arecibo Observatory, the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope located in Puerto Rico.  Plans for a hotel and planetarium, are part of a project at a cost of $50 million, that is expected to bring more visitors to the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.  The planetarium will help promote the Arecibo Observatory as an educational tourism place in the Caribbean.



An onsite cafeteria and a building that provides housing for the staff at the Arecibo Observatory, will be converted into a hotel and restaurant.  The planetarium will be built in two years, and the hotel in five years.  Funding will come from several government agencies and public universities.



Part of the project, is to create a doctoral program in astronomy, and to welcome more than 50,000 students a year.  The Metropolitan University of Puerto Rico, helps run the Arecibo Observatory with California-based SRI International, a nonprofit research group, and the Universities Space Research Association, a Maryland-based nonprofit founded under the National Academy of Sciences. 



The radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, is located on the island’s north coast, and opened in 1963.  The radio telescope is 1,000-foot-wide (305-meter-wide) and the radio telescope identified the first planets beyond the solar system.  The Arecibo Observatory currently gets about 100,000 visitors a year, and it was featured in the movies “Contact” and “GoldenEye."

Day video of the Arecibo Observatory:




Night video of the Arecibo Observatory: