Welcome to SpinRider Destination Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is an amazing place with an incredible diversity of plants, animals, geography and people who live on this tropical island paradise. From the 3,526 ft peak in the El Yunque rain forest, the dry coastal plains, endless assortment of beaches and the marine sanctuaries, to the exciting nightlife featuring the coolnative sounds of salsa and reggeaton, you're sure to find what you're looking for. The people and culture of Puerto Rico are so rich in history, diversity, and all the arts, you will find Puerto Ricans to be incredibly proud, helpful, and enjoyable.
Thanks to Puerto Rico's climate and geography there are vast options for outdoor activities & adventures. This island has so many beautiful beaches that it's not an issue, you are never far from a beach that suites you. Almost as common are great snorkeling and scuba spots. For the pristine spots you are best served hiring a guide, but you can enjoy good snorkeling on your own just about anywhere. Sailing and windsurfing is another popular way to enjoy Puerto Rico, the waters off the east coast offers many small island destinations and a reliable trade wind to get you there.
Back on land you will find an abundance of activities await you, such as; rock climbing, hiking, camping, caving, trekking, mountain biking and cycling. With its' fairly flat and hot coastal roads and cool mountain rides we found this to be a great place to road ride, plus there are many great mountain bike trails scattered around the island. I feel that the best place to stay for some great trail riding in a beautiful setting is the town of Boqueron. Thanks to the ongoing hard work by the local bike club Los Piratas, the trail network here is vast, diverse, picturesque, challenging, and always expanding. They usually have a group ride Sunday mornings, or contact them online. After a long ride you can walk to the town's beach and chill, then recharge on some excellent fresh seafood like raw oysters and red snapper. This region is also known for the huge and delicious pineapples, the fresh pina coladas in this town are very very good.
In San Juan there is a vibrant nightlife, with excellent dining, theater, live music, salsa dancing. Outside the city the nights are peaceful, and the stars shine bright, at a few locations around the island there are waters that shine like the stars. There are tiny organisms that glow in the waters, it is very cool.
There are many ways to enjoy Puerto Rico's natural beauty and its' people, while minimizing your negative impacts and maximizing your beneficial ones. Within and around Old San Juan and Culebra a bike works very well for daily transportation, but most other destinations require the use of a rental car, so try to minimize your driving and rent the smallest most fuel efficient vehicle you can. A great way to enjoy the beauty of Puerto Rico is by camping, there are many campgrounds around the island, and most of them are right on the ocean. When you stay in a hotel try to stay in small locally owned and operated ones, more of your money will stay in that community and you will meet Puerto Ricans. If they are available and they fit your budget, eco-lodges and sustainable resorts should be used, not only do they have reduced carbon and pollution impacts but they also use local materials and labor. For 2 nights we stayed at the spectacular eco-cabana Bajacu on the tiny island of Culebra, our other nights were spent camping just feet from the ocean at the magnificent Flamenco beach. No matter where you go, keep the hard working locals in mind.
Puerto Rico and about 60,000 Tainos were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The Spanish colonized the island, and conquered the land and inhabitants. Due to the strategic location San Juan became an important port in the trade of plundered gold and other items from the native people of the entire new world. Established in 1511 San Juan, and the city was continuously being fortified and eventually completely walled off. These tactics were quite effective, until the US took it after winning the Spanish American war in 1898. The US actually fired on Old San Juan during one battle. Though Puerto Rico is now a Commonwealth of the US it has retained its' own culture and vibrance.
