The Best Beaches

White sandy beaches put Puerto Rico and its offshore islands on tourist maps in the first place. Many other Caribbean destinations have only jagged coral outcroppings or black volcanic-sand beaches that get very hot in the noonday sun.

Condado Beach: Although not the best in the Caribbean, San Juan's Condado Beach is the most famous -- which helps explain the wintertime crowds. It is also the most popular in Puerto Rico because of its proximity to San Juan. Once the stamping ground of the rich, including the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers, this 2-mile band of white sand winds between a blue lagoon and some of the Caribbean's finest resort hotels. High society began coming here after Cornelius Vanderbilt constructed the Vanderbilt Condado Beach Hotel in 1919. In the 1970s, the beach's popularity mushroomed as fast-food restaurants, water-sports concessions, restaurants, and condos emerged from a massive construction boom.

Luquillo Beach: About 30 miles east of San Juan, Luquillo Beach sits in a crescent-shaped bay edged by a vast coconut grove, which makes it not only the best beach in Puerto Rico, but one of the finest in the entire Caribbean. Coral reefs protect the crystal-clear lagoon from Atlantic waters that can batter the coast. Much photographed because of its white sands, it also has tent sites and other facilities, including picnic areas with changing rooms, lockers, and showers. Regrettably, Luquillo Beach isn't as well maintained as it used to be, although it remains the favorite of beach buffs from San Juan. In winter, it's also inhabited by ``snowbirds'' (condo owners from up north who live nearby).

Playa Dorado: West of San Juan, Playa Dorado consists of six white-sand beaches along the northern coast, reached by a series of winding roads. This whole area is dominated by the Hyatt resorts, Cerromar and Dorado. Because the hotels offer numerous children's programs, the Dorado beaches have become a family favorite. Originally, the beaches opened onto a grapefruit and coconut plantation owned by Clara Livingston, Puerto Rico's first female pilot. As fruit prices declined in the 1950s, she sold off her 1,600 acres to Laurence Rockefeller, who began hotel construction.

Playa de Ponce: The beaches on the southeast coast west of Ponce, the ``second city'' of Puerto Rico, are far less crowded than those of the Condado, Luquillo, and Dorado. This long strip of white sand opens onto the tranquil waters of the Caribbean. Several very good seafood restaurants are in the vicinity.

Boqueron Beach: South of Mayaguez, Boqueron Beach is the Cape Cod of Puerto Rico. This beach town stands at the heart of a 3-mile bay, with palm-fringed white sand curving away on both sides. Fishermen, sailors, scuba divers, and windsurfers, as well as beach devotees, are attracted to this beach, where fresh oysters shucked on the spot and doused with Tabasco are sold from shacks. Here the ice cream is made with sweet corn and dusted with paprika (it sounds awful, but tastes good).

The Secret Beaches: The main island is filled with isolated sandy coves that only the locals seem to know about. The best, all guaranteed to delight the escapist in you, stretch between Cabo Rojo (the southwesterly tip of Puerto Rico) all the way east to Ponce. Beginning in the west, directly east of Cabo Rojo, you'll discover Bahia Sucia Beach, Rosada Beach, Santa Beach, Manglillos Beach (with a recreation area), Cana Gorda Beach, Tamarindo Beach, and Ballena Beach. Access to many of these is limited because of poor roads, but the effort is worth it. Bring along the supplies you'll need.

Doral Palmas del Mar Resort (Humacao; [tel] 800/725-6273 in the U.S. or 787/852-6000): The huge Palmas del Mar resort near Humacao on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico has been called ``the new American Riviera.'' Although the architectural dream of this 2,750-acre playground resort built on a former coconut plantation hasn't been realized yet, the site is fully functional and sports 3 miles of white-sand beaches. Unlike some of the rough-water beaches near Rincon in the west, the sea here is tranquil and calm year-round. There's also a water-sports center and marina.

The Beaches of Vieques & Culebra: To escape the crowds, head for the isolated beaches of the offshore islands of Vieques and Culebra. In Vieques alone there are some 40 beaches, most of them unnamed even though U.S. sailors have nicknamed their favorites -- everything from Green Beach to Orchid. Sun Bay (Sombe), a public beach on Vieques, is one of our favorites -- a splendid crescent of sand with picnic tables and a bathhouse. The beaches of the less-visited island of Culebra are known to savvy aficionados. Here you will find white-sand strips studding the island and opening onto coral reefs and clear waters. Playa Flamenco Beach is the best, lying on the north shore of the island. This 3-mile-long crescent has shade trees and facilities including picnic tables. It's popular with day-trippers from Fajardo, especially on weekends.

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The Best Scuba Diving

With the continental shelf surrounding it on three sides, Puerto Rico has an abundance of coral reefs, caves, seawalls, and trenches for divers of all experience levels to explore.

Metropolitan San Juan: This easy beach dive off the Condado district in San Juan is not as spectacular as other dives mentioned here, but certainly more convenient. Lava reefs sculptured with caverns, tunnels, and overhangs provide hiding areas for schools of snapper, grunts, and copper sweepers. In the active breeding grounds of the inner and outer reefs, divers of all levels can mingle with an impressive array of small tropical fish -- French angels, jacks, bluehead wrasse, butterfly fish, and sergeant majors, among them -- along with sea horses, arrow crabs, coral shrimp, octopuses, batfish, and flying gunards. Visibility is about 10 to 20 feet. The Condado reef is also ideal for resort courses, certification courses, and night dives.

Mona Island: Mona Island, 40 miles west of the city of Mayaguez in western Puerto Rico, is considered to be the Caribbean version of the Galapagos Islands. Renowned for its pirate tales, cave-pocked cliffs, 3-foot-long iguanas, and other natural wonders, its waters are among the cleanest in Puerto Rico, with horizontal visibility at times exceeding 200 feet. More than 270 species of fish have been found in Mona waters, including more than 60 reef-dwelling species. Larger marine animals, such as sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and marlins, visit the region during migrations. Various types of coral reefs, underwater caverns, drop-offs, and deep vertical walls ring the island. The most accessible reef dives are along the southern and western shores. Getting there is a pain, however. You must brave a 5-hour boat ride across the often rough Mona Passage.

Southern Puerto Rico: The continental shelf drops off precipitously several miles off the southern coast, producing a dramatic wall 20 miles long and teeming with marine life. Compared favorably to the Cayman Islands' wall, the Puerto Rican version has become the Caribbean's newest world-class dive destination. Paralleling the coast from the seaside village of La Parguera to the city of Ponce, the wall descends in slopes and sheer drops from 60 to 120 feet before disappearing into 1,500 feet of sea. Scored with valleys and deep trenches, it is cloaked in immense gardens of staghorn and elkhorn coral, deep-water gorgonians, and other exquisite coral formations. Visibility can exceed 100 feet. There are more than 50 dive sites around Parguera alone.

Fajardo: This coastal town in eastern Puerto Rico offers divers the opportunity to explore reefs, caverns, miniwalls, and channels near a string of palm-tufted islets. The reefs are decked in an array of corals ranging from delicate gorgonians to immense coral heads. Visibility usually exceeds 50 feet. You can hand-feed many of the reef fish that inhabit the corals. Sand channels and a unique double-barrier reef surround Palomino Island, where bandtailed puffers and parrot-fish harems are frequently sighted. Cayo Diablo farther to the east provides a treasure box of corals and marine animals, from green moray eels and barracudas to octopuses and occasional manatees.

Humacao Region: South of Fajardo are some 24 dive sites in a 5-mile radius off the shore. Overhangs, caves, and tunnels perch in 60 feet of water along mile-long Basslet Reef, where dolphins visit in spring. The Cracks, a jigsaw of caves, alleyways, and boulders, hosts an abundance of goby-cleaning stations and a number of lobsters. With visibility often exceeding 100 feet, the Reserve offers a clear look at corals. At the Drift, divers float along with nurse sharks and angelfish into a valley of swim-throughs and ledges. For the experienced diver, Red Hog is the newest site in the area, with a panoramic wall that drops from 80 to 1,160 feet.

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The Best Golf & Tennis

Rio Mar Golf Course (Palmer; [tel] 787/888-8811): A 45-minute drive from San Juan on the northeast coast, the 6,145-yard Rio Mar Golf Course is shorter than those at both Palmas del Mar and Dorado East. One avid golfer recommended it to ``those whose games and egos have been bruised by the other two courses.'' Wind here can seriously influence the outcome of your game. The greens fees are a lot less expensive than those of its two major competitors.

Hyatt Resorts at Dorado (Dorado; [tel] 800/233-1234 in the U.S. or 787/796-1234): With 72 holes, Dorado has the highest concentration of golf on the island. Two courses -- east and west -- belong to the Hyatt Regency Cerromar and the Hyatt Dorado Beach resorts. Dorado East is our favorite. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., it has been the site of the Senior PGA Tournament of Champions throughout the 1990s.

And true tennis buffs head here, too. The Dorado courts are the best on the island, and both hotels sponsor tennis weeks and offer special tennis packages. The Hyatt Regency Cerromar has 14 Laykold courts alone, two of them lit for night play. The Hyatt Regency Dorado weighs in with five Laykold courts, two of them lighted.

Wyndham El Conquistador Resort & Country Club (Las Croabas; [tel] 800/468-5228 in the U.S. or 787/863-1000): This sprawling resort east of San Juan is one of the island's finest tennis retreats, with seven Har-Tru courts and a pro on hand to offer guidance and advice. If you don't have a partner, the hotel will find one for you. Only guests of the hotel are allowed to play here.

Club de Golf at Doral Palmas del Mar Resort (Humacao; [tel] 800/725-6273 in the U.S. or 787/852-6000): Lying on the southeast coast on the grounds of a former coconut plantation, the Palmas del Mar resort boasts the second-leading course in Puerto Rico[md]a par-72, 6,803-yard layout designed by Gary Player. Crack golfers consider holes 11 through 15 the toughest five successive holes in the Caribbean.

Doral Palmas del Mar Resort (Humacao; [tel] 800/725-6273 or 787/852-6000): On the eastern coastline, this resort complex on the grounds of a former coconut plantation has 20 courts, of which 5 are Har-Tru and 15 are Tenneflex (a harder surface). Seven of the courts are lighted. The resort offers tennis packages, and an on-site pro conducts private lessons.

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The Best Hikes

Bring your boots. Puerto Rico's mountainous interior offers ample opportunity for hiking and climbing, with many trails presenting spectacular panoramas at the least-expected moments.

El Yunque ([tel] 787/888-5670 for information): Containing the only rain forest on U.S. soil, this Caribbean National Forest east of San Juan offers a number of walking and hiking trails. The rugged El Toro trail passes through four different forest systems en route to the 3,523-foot Pico El Toro, the highest peak in the forest. The El Yunque trail leads to three of the recreation area's most panoramic lookouts, and the Big Tree Trail is an easy walk to La Mina Falls. Just off the main road is La Coca Falls, a sheet of water cascading down mossy cliffs.

Guanica State Forest ([tel] 787/721-5495 for information): At the opposite extreme of El Yunque's lush and wet rain forest, Guasnica State Forest's climate is dry and arid, the Arizona-like landscape riddled with cacti. The area, cut off from the Cordillera Central mountain range, gets little rainfall. Yet it's home to some 50% of all the island's terrestrial bird species, including the rare Puerto Rican nightjar, once thought to be extinct. The forest has 36 miles of trails through four forest types. We prefer the mile-long Cueva Trail, where hikers look for the endangered bufo lemur toad, another species thought to be extinct but still jumping in this area. Within the forest, El Portal Tropical Forest Center offers 10,000 square feet of exhibition space and provides information.

Mona Island: Off the western coast of Puerto Rico, this fascinating island noted for its scuba-diving sites provides hiking opportunities found nowhere else in the Caribbean. Called the Galapagos of Puerto Rico because of its unique wildlife, Mona is home to giant iguanas and three species of endangered sea turtles. Some 20 endangered animals also have been spotted here. Ecotourists like to hike among Mona's mangrove forests, coral reefs, cliffs, and complex honeycomb of caves, ever on the alert for the diversity of both plant and animal life, including 417 plant and tree species, some of which are unique and 78 of which are rare or endangered. More than 100 bird species (2 unique) have been documented. Hikers can camp at Mona for $1 a night. Contact the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources ([tel] 787/721-5495) for more information.

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The Best Natural Wonders

El Yunque ([tel] 787/888-5670 for information): Forty-five minutes by road east of San Juan in the Luquillo Mountains, and protected by the U.S. Forest Service, El Yunque is Puerto Rico's greatest natural attraction. Some 100 billion gallons of rain fall annually on this home to four forest types containing 240 species of tropical trees. Families can walk one of the dozens of trails that wind past waterfalls, dwarf vegetation, and miniature flowers, while the island's colorful parrots fly overhead. You can hear the sound of Puerto Rico's mascot, the coqui, a small frog.

Rio Camuy Cave Park ([tel] 787/898-3100): Some 2 1/2 hours west of San Juan, visitors board a tram to descend into this forest-filled sinkhole at the mouth of the Clara Cave. They walk the footpaths of a 170-foot-high cave to a deeper sinkhole. Once they're inside, a 45-minute tour helps everyone, including kids, learn to differentiate stalactites from stalagmites. At the Pueblos sinkhole a platform overlooks the Camuy River, passing through a network of cave tunnels.

Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve ([tel] 787/722-5882): This 316-acre nature reserve about 45 minutes from San Juan encompasses seven different ecological systems, including forestland, mangroves, lagoons, beaches, cliffs, and offshore coral reefs. Five days a week (Wednesday to Sunday), the park staff conducts tours in Spanish and English, the latter at 2pm only. Each tour lasts 2 1/2 hours and is conducted with electric trolleys that traverse most of the park. Tours end with a climb to the top of the still-working 19th-century lighthouse for views over Puerto Rico's eastern coast and nearby Caribbean Islands. Call to reserve space before going, as bookings are based on stringent restrictions as to the number of persons who can tour the park without damage to its landscape or ecology. The cost is a relative bargain at $5 for adults and $2 for persons under 13.

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The Best Attractions

The Historic District of Old San Juan: There's nothing like it in the Caribbean. Partially enclosed by old walls dating from the 17th century, Old San Juan was designated a U.S. National Historic Zone in 1950. Some 400 beautifully restored buildings fill this district, which is chockablock with tree-shaded squares, monuments, and open-air cafes, as well as shops, restaurants, and bars. If you're interested in history, there is no better stroll in the West Indies.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro: In Old San Juan and nicknamed El Morro, this fort was originally built in 1540. It guards the bay from a rocky promontory on the northwestern tip of the old city. Rich in history and legend, the site covers enough territory to accommodate a nine-hole golf course.

The Historic District of Ponce: Second only to Old San Juan in terms of historic significance, the central district of Ponce is a blend of Ponce Creole and art deco building styles, dating mainly from the 1890s to the 1930s. One street, Calle Isabel, offers an array of Ponceno architectural styles, which often incorporate neoclassic details. The city underwent a massive restoration preceding the celebration of its 300th anniversary in 1996.

Museo de Arte de Ponce: Also in Ponce, this museum has the finest collection of European and Latin American art in the Caribbean. The building itself was designed by Edward Durell Stone, who also designed the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Contemporary work by Puerto Ricans is displayed, as well as an array of old masters, including Renaissance and baroque works from Italy.

Tropical Agriculture Research Station (Mayaguez): These tropical gardens contain one of the largest collections of tropical species intended for practical use. These include cacao, fruit trees, spices, timbers, and ornamentals. Adjacent to the Mayaguez campus of the University of Puerto Rico, the site attracts botanists from around the world.

The City of San German: In the southwestern corner of Puerto Rico, and founded in 1512, this small town is Puerto Rico's second-oldest city. Thanks to a breadth of architectural styles, San German is also the second Puerto Rican city (after San Juan) to be included in the National Register of Historic Places. Buildings, monuments, and plazas fill a 36-acre historic zone. Today's residents descend from the smugglers, poets, priests, and politicians who once lived here in ``the city of hills,'' so-called because of the mountainous location.

Iglesia Porta Coeli (San German): The main attraction of this ancient town is the oldest church in the New World. It was originally built by Dominican friars in 1606. The church resembles a working chapel, although mass is held here only three times a year. Along the sides of the church are treasures gathered from all over the world.

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The Best Offbeat Travel Experiences

Attending a Cockfight: Although a brutal sport that many find distasteful, cockfighting is legal in Puerto Rico and has its devotees. The most authentic cockfights are in the town of Salinas in the southeast. But it's not necessary to go that far to witness one of these bouts. Three fights a week are held at the Coliseo Gallistico, Route 37 ([tel] 787/791-6005), in San Juan. Betting is heavy when these roosters take to the ring.

Doing the ``Wet and Dry Tour'' in Guanica (near Ponce): Southern Puerto Rico is the site of the world's largest remaining tract of dry coastal forest, and this part of the island allows you to explore miles of mangrove channel systems. Tropix Wellness Tours ([tel] 787/268-2173) takes you into a part of the island rarely explored by visitors. Two expeditions combine a dry forest hike with mangrove kayaking at sunset. After traversing waterways by kayak, you're led to secluded island beaches. It's a 4-day, 3-night adventure that is fully escorted.

Diving off Mona Island (Mayaguez): Surrounded by some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the Caribbean, Mona Island has the most pristine, extensive, and well-developed reefs in Puerto Rican waters. In fact, they have been nominated as a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary. The tropical marine ecosystem around Mona includes patch reefs, black coral, spore and groove systems, underwater caverns, deep-water sponges, fringing reefs, and algal reefs. The lush environment attracts octopuses, lobster, queen conch, rays, barracuda, snapper, jack, grunt, angelfish, trunkfish, filefish, butterfly fish, dolphin, parrot fish, tuna, flying fish, and more. The crystal waters afford exceptional horizontal vision from 150 to 200 feet, as well as good views down to the shipwrecks that mark the site -- including some Hispanic galleons. Five species of whales visit the island's offshore waters.

Visiting Vieques & Culebra: Puerto Rico's offshore islands -- still relatively undiscovered by the modern world -- remain an offbeat adventure, and they've got great beaches too. The most developed is Vieques, off the east coast (as is Culebra). Vieques attracts with its gorgeous stretches of sand with picnic facilities and shade trees. It is an ideal retreat for snorkelers and tranquillity seekers. The beaches are nearly always deserted, even though they are among the Caribbean's loveliest. Although nearly three-quarters of the island is owned by the U.S. Navy, you'll never know you're visiting a military complex. The even less-developed Culebra has a wildlife refuge, coral reefs, and Playa Flamenco, another of the Caribbean's finest beaches. And is it ever sleepy here!

Spending the Evening at Mosquito (Phosphorescent) Bay (Vieques Island): At any time except when there's a full moon, you can swim in glowing waters lit by dinoflagellates called pyrodiniums (whirling fire). These creatures light up the waters like fireflies, and swimming among them is one of the most unusual things to do anywhere -- truly a magical, almost psychedelic experience. It's estimated that a gallon of bay water might contain about three-quarters of a million of these little glowing creatures.

Sampling the Island's Nosh Pits: Think of Puerto Rico as one gigantic fast-food joint, for no other island in the Caribbean offers such a delectable array of roadside eats. Snack food lies around virtually every turn in the road. As you drive throughout the island, stop and take your pick of the roadside dives. They may look junky, even trashy, but the food is often a delight -- and cheap too.

You'll find succulent barbecued pig, pastelillos (pastry turnovers filled with meat, cheese, or seafood), surullitos (deep-fried cornmeal sticks), alcapurrias (a filling of fish or meat in a deep-fried casing of finely grated green plantains and taro root), bacalaitos (deep-fried codfish fritters), papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes), and aranitas (``little spiders'' -- actually, deep-fried clusters of shredded green plantains).

You don't have to go far for barbecued pig just head to the roadside food stands in Luquillo Beach, to the east of San Juan. It makes for a great picnic at the beach.

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