Puerto Rico or, as the locals call it, La isla del Encanto (the Island of Enchantment) lies in the Caribbean Sea and when I went there, I understood the true meaning of its local name. Puerto Rico is an island where everything slows down, as is the case with most of the Caribbean islands. When you walk past the gorgeous colonial buildings in the capital, San Juan, you can feel the intensely hot air throughout the whole year, which is thick with the smell of cigars, and can hear the sounds of salsa at every step. Dance, salsa and music run in the blood of Puerto Ricans; they’re passionate people, full of fire and life.
Puerto Rico has an enormously rich history evidenced, among other things, by the local architecture; San Juan has a large number of protected historic buildings. The remarkably famous neighbourhood, known as La Perla, served as the set for the popular Despacito song as well as many others. When going out in the evening, you’re overwhelmed by the sounds of the city and life in an instant; bars are full of people dancing until morning and drinking what I think are the best mojitos in the world (sorry, Cuba).
Americans form the majority of tourists, since Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island as well as part of an American territory, which means English is ubiquitous (even though locals prefer if you talk to them in Spanish) and the official currency is the American dollar.
If you’re looking for something magical and would like to see “diamonds” in the water, then Vieques is the perfect place to go. It’s a small island that’s still part of Puerto Rico and is the place where you can see the world’s most beautiful and brightest bioluminescent bay known as Isla de Vieques or Mosquito Bay in English. There are only five bioluminescent bays in the world, one in Jamaica and Vietnam, respectively, and three in Puerto Rico. Isla de Vieques or Mosquito Bay is currently the “shiniest” of them all. You can visit the bay with a guided night tour in a clear kayak. The easiest way for me to describe the experience is that the water looks as if there were thousands of diamonds glittering underneath it and you’re surrounded by pitch darkness. For me, it was a magical experience, but if you ever decide to try it out, don’t look up photos on the internet because those are mostly enhanced. That’s becausse it’s very difficult to get bioluminescence on camera. And why should we even get everything on camera to begin with?
Puerto Rico made quite an impression on me and I didn’t even stay in one of those touristy resorts but rather in an area where mostly locals live. I saw all the touristy areas as well as those off the beaten track. San Juan is a mix of old and new, of poverty and wealth, and a perfect destination for all who want to get a taste of the Caribbean temperament, gorgeous beaches, stunning architecture and salsa rhythms as well as evenings filled with dancing.
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