Walking and driving excursions of Puerto Rico get you up close to all the island has to offer. Walk historic streets that date back 500 years with city tours that also include a cultural culinary journey. Get your adrenalin pumping on a hike through El Yunque National Forest, trekking underground through the Camuy Caves or exploring the different regions via ATV, horseback, catamaran cruise or zip line.

Opting for a group tour with one of Puerto Rico’s destination management companies makes the planning and traveling easy with preset programs that typically include transportation and a knowledgeable guide. One of the bigger companies in Puerto
Rico is Rico Sun Tours (rstpuertorico.com), which can take you into the mountains,on to the beach or into the city with individual tours that run the gamut from kayaking the bio-luminescent bays at Las Cabezas de San Juan Reserve to seeing historical and architectural sights in Ponce and even the chance to learn how to surf.
Another major destination management company is Destination Puerto Rico (destinationpuertorico.com), operated by Travel Services, which also offers a variety of the traditional favorites, such as guided walking tours of Old San Juan and trail excursions through the rainforest at El Yunque.

For those who are looking for something different and the chance to give back to the community, the company can also create custom programs that they describe as opportunities for participants not only to fll a need, but to experience a personal connection with a little piece of Puerto Rico. Past programs have included working with a school for the hearing-impaired and painting community centers.
With Destination Puerto Rico, you can also travel to secluded Culebra Island, located 17 miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico, with an all-day snorkeling tour that includes a stop at beautiful Flamenco Beach.
Those staying on the west coast near Rincon and Mayaguez can explore the region via horseback riding trail rides or ATV rentals in Isabela with Tropical Trail Rides (tropicaltrailrides.com). You can also make the adventure a day trip from San Juan.
Food is at the center of Puerto Rican culture. The three-hour Old San Juan Food Tour from Flavors of San Juan Food & Culture Tours (sanjuanfoodtours.com) features six tasting locations, the chance to make your own mofongo (a traditional Puerto Rican dish made with fried plantains), and fascinating culinary and cultural tidbits of information to go with it all. They also offer three-hour hands-on “Chef for a Day” cooking classes with a local professional chef who can teach you how to create classic Puerto Rican dishes.
If you prefer a culinary quest on your own, the Puerto Rico Zest dine-around program, created by the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association (PRHTA), helps you find the island’s top restaurants. Its easy-to-navigate website (puertoricozest.com)
divides participating restaurants by region and price. Dine out on Thursday nights and MasterCard holders who pay with their MasterCard debit or credit card in participating restaurants receive a three-course dinner for $25, $35 or $45 plus a complimentary rum drink sponsored by Rums of Puerto Rico. Look for culinary tours and a section on private chefs and catering companies to be added to the site in 2014.
Puerto Rico’s resorts provide visitors with the perfect home base for their touring and adventures in Puerto Rico. Many even offer their own on-site activities that incorporate the beauty of the island on and off the water as well as its culinary treasures.

Food is a big part of the experience at the San Juan Marriott
Resort & Stellaris Casino in the neighborhood of Condado. The
resort’s main restaurant, La Vista Latin Grill, gives a taste of local flavors with both a-la-carte and buffet-style options. Guests will find diverse cuisine at all levels of budget points within walking distance. The resort also can set up culinary and culture walking tours of Old San Juan for those who want to explore beyond the neighborhood.
The San Juan Marriott’s dedicated tour desk features close to 20
tour options, each divided by day of the week, with programs that
range from gastronomy to adventure excursions. Pre or post excursion, guests can relax at the resort’s two pools, casino, beautiful stretch of beach or in its new Red Coral Lounge with live entertainment and dancing. 888-817-2033; marriottsanjuan.com
The backyard of the the Condado Plaza Hilton is the Condado
Lagoon, which is soon to be named a nature reserve. The protected
beach features a water-sports complex with windsurfers, aqua cycles, kayaks, an artifcial reef and snorkeling for water adventures right on-site. 888-722-1276; condadoplaza.com

The historic Caribe Hilton and Condado Lagoon Villas at Caribe Hilton sit on a 17-acre peninsula between Old San Juan and Condado, an ideal base for tours throughout the island. It has its own bird sanctuary, secluded beach and oceanfront swimming pools. 877-GO-HILTON; caribehilton.com

San Juan’s Isla Verde district is home to El San Juan Resort & Casino, A Hilton Hotel, where guests can indulge at a poolside
playground at the Encanto Beach Club when they need a day off from touring. Snag one of the canopied, double-sided daybeds or retro circular lounging pods, or try Jet Skiing, parasailing or other water sports at Isla Verde Beach. Come evening, the hotel’s exciting nightlife, multiple bars and nightclubs, and live music transform it to “Where Entertainment Happens.” 888-579-2635;
elsanjuanresort.com

About 30 miles east of San Juan, El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf
Astoria Resort and sister property Las Casitas Villas offer guests the chance to go horseback riding, hiking, snorkeling and participate in other water sports on the property’s private 100-acre Palomino Island. The on-site dive shop also offers scuba diving and snorkeling excursions to Fajardo, Vieques, Culebra and other destinations.
787-863-1000; elconresort.com; lascasitasvillage.com
If you prefer to stay in the southern part of Puerto Rico, the beachfront Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort sits next to a 27-hole golf course and is only fve minutes to historic downtown Ponce. A walking tour of the city explores its architectural highlights, including Las Delicias Main Square and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a church listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
800-981-3232; hiltonponceresort.com
Holiday Inn & El Tropical Casino in Ponce is a short drive from all that Ponce has to offer, and the property boasts epic views of the city and the Caribbean Sea. Hop on the Ponce Trolley Tour to explore the city and learn a great deal about the sights you pass along the way. Relax on-site in the restaurant or lounge while listening to live entertainment. The hotel also has a swimming pool and a 24-hour Tropical Casino. 800-HOLIDAY; hidpr.com
Closer to Ponce’s historic downtown and near the Ponce Art Museum is the Holiday Inn’s sister property, the Howard Johnson Ponce. It is also close to Ponce’s Guancha Boardwalk and beach, the archeological site of Tibes Indian Ceremonial Park and Serralles Castle and Museum, the former home of the creators of Don Q Rum. If it’s a shopping excursion you prefer, the property is also convenient to Plaza del Caribe Mall. The ideal family hotel, Howard Johnson Ponce features kids suites, an on-site restaurant, a swimming pool and game room. 866-668-4577; hidpr.com
A third sister property as part of the HI Development Puerto Rico Corp., Holiday Inn & El Tropical Casino Mayaguez is the perfect place to start your western tour of the island. From here you can drive to Las Cascadas Water Park, the Mayaguez Zoo (Puerto Rico’s only zoo) and the region’s legendary beaches. Families can enjoy an oversize free-form swimming pool, a designated kids pool, plus a mini-basketball court and game room. The hotel also offers live entertainment, a restaurant, daiquiri bar and casino on-site.
787-833-1100; hidpr.com
The AAA Three Diamond oceanfront Rincon Beach Resort is set
in Porta del Sol’s top beach and surfng areas, with bird watching,
biking, fshing and hiking among the ways to discover the natural
wonders that surround the property. Nestled in the corner of the Bay
of Añasco, the intimate beachfront resort offers guests relaxing days on-site with views of the Caribbean from its infnity free-form swimming pool, Jacuzzi and two restaurants. Accommodations include 112 newly furnished guest rooms with 24 spacious one- or two bedroom condo villas.
Rincon Beach Resort’s accommodating staff can set up sightseeing for whatever your interests are, whether it’s visiting the renowned Arecibo Observatory to see the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope featured in movies such as GoldenEye and Contact, experiencing La Parguera’s bio-luminescent bay in the evening or diving the waters that surround uninhabited Desecheo Island. 866-589-0009; rinconbeach.com
The Lazy Parrot Inn & Mini Resort in Puntas in Rincon is a
combination of quaint Caribbean inn and hillside oasis. The family-owned-and-operated property stresses a laid-back atmosphere in a lush setting above the beach. It just completed a poolside renovation and recently opened a new restaurant, Mi Familias Pizzeria, focusing on bartending entertainment, with a viewing window for watching the pizza-making process.
Most guests explore the region with their rental car, but the staff can also arrange sailing and snorkeling cruises as well as group excursions. 800-294-1752; lazyparrot.com

Turn your tour or excursion to Culebra Island into an actual over-
night multi-day stay at Club Seabourne Boutique Hotel located on the
shores of Fulladoza Bay. It features 12 contemporary Caribbean-
style villas, on-site water sports and a swimming pool.
While staying on-island, guests can choose from a long list of
exhilarating activities, such as scuba diving, fly-fshing, deep-sea
fshing, hiking, paddle boarding and kayaking. Explore the island
on your own with complimentary bicycles. Rates also include use of two-person kayaks, the ideal way to enjoy the waters of Fulladoza
Bay and the many natural marine treasures of Dakiti Reef.
Resort staff can help arrange trips via water taxis from the hotel’s private dock to the lovely sand and surf at nearby keys Culebrita and Luis Peña. 787-742-3169; clubseabourne.com
Start your Puerto Rico tour and adventure planning by visiting
prhta.org or seepuertorico.com for more information on all you can
experience while on the island.