Things You May Not Know About Puerto Rico

Many may know that Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean.  A great place to vacation and enjoy great weather, beaches, music and food, but here are a few things you may not know about Puerto Rico:


Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States


You do not need a passport if you are an American Citizen.  If you will be visiting other Caribbean islands, then you will need to bring a passport.  The currency is U.S. Dollars and the official languages are English and Spanish.


Fort San Felipe del Morro

El Morro Fort was built in 1600 by Spain, to guard the entrance to the San Juan Bay, and defend the city of Old San Juan from foreign enemies.  El Morro is a World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site in the U.S. National Park Service.  El Morro Fort gets over two million visitors a year.


El Yunque National Forest

Puerto Rico is home to the only tropical rainforest in North America.  El Yunque is 45 minutes from San Juan and is well-known for its incredible biodiversity.  The 28,000 acres includes four forest types and has 240 species of trees, more than 50 kinds of orchids, 150 different ferns, and hundreds of small animal and bird species call it home.  El Yunque is home to the endangered Puerto Rican parrot.


Camuy Caves

The Camuy Caves is one of the largest cave systems in the world.  The caverns are part of a group of limestone caves and underground waterways shaped by The Camuy River, the third-largest underground river in the world.  The caves are located between the towns of Camuy, Hatillo and Lares, in northwestern Puerto Rico. 


Bioluminescent Bays

Puerto Rico has three Bioluminescent Bays.  The three are: Vieques, Fajardo, and La Parguera.
These bays glow with a bluish light when the microorganisms in the water are agitated at night.


Arecibo Observatory

The world’s largest single-dish radio telescope The Arecibo Observatory is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  More than 100,000 visitors stop in each year to enjoy interactive exhibits, audiovisual displays and to learn about basic astronomy.


Bacardi Rum

Bacardi Rum has been a registered brand in Puerto Rico since 1909.  Bacardi is known for its Bacardi White, Gold, Select, 8, 151 Rums, and mixed blends such as Bacardi Limón, Bacardi Dragon Berry, and Bacardi Peach.  Bacardi is the largest premium rum brand in the world.  The Cataño, Puerto Rico, production facility is the largest premium rum distillery in the world, producing more than 80% of the Bacardi rum sold globally.


Piña Colada

The popular cocktail was invented in Puerto Rico.  The Piña Colada was created on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Piña Colada is made of pineapple Juice, coconut cream, and rum. 


Take a look at this video of El Morro and Old San Juan in Puerto Rico:




                                                             

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