Adventures in Puerto Rico

Julissa Gonzalez, Staff Writer
April 20, 2021

Over this spring break, I went to Puerto Rico with both of my sisters, my aunt, and my uncle. Since we traveled during the pandemic,  we made sure to take all precautions while planning our trip. We jumped all around Puerto Rico and learned so much about the food, scenery, and culture of the beautiful island.

Here are a couple of my favorite spots from my trip:

This is the very first cave, La Cuvea del Indio, that we went to out of the seven. Photo provided by Julissa Gonzalez

La Cueva Del Indio was by far my favorite place that we went to while in Puerto Rico. There are seven caves in a row, which give you an amazing view of Puerto Rico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. The caves are located in Arecibo and you only need to pay a small fee of $5 to get in.

Fun Fact: Pirates Of The Caribbean was actually filmed here.

These are just some of the bright buildings that tell the history of Old San Juan. Photo provided by Julissa Gonzalez

Old San Juan, which is the heart of Puerto Rico, is an amazing place to go if you are visiting. Old San Juan has a lot for you to learn about the Puerto Rican Culture and also has so many bright buildings, good food, and drinks. There are over four hundred colorful buildings with so much history behind them.

One of the waterfalls that we came across during our hike. Photo Provided by Julissa Gonzalez
My sister and I taking a picture with our fashionable ponchos. Photo provided by Julissa Gonzalez

Of course, with my family being big hike lovers, we had to visit El Yunque, which is a national rainforest in Puerto Rico. The rainforest has many historic towers, which you can go to the top of and see the beautiful forest and nearby cities. It has a couple of trails that eventually lead you to towers, pools, or waterfalls. Although it was raining the whole time we hiked, it was so much fun walking in the rain, hearing and seeing the beautiful animals, and obviously walking through the plants and trees.

Nothing like a fresh piña colada (no alcohol of course) by the beach. Photo provided by Julissa Gonzalez
Mofongo, which is a popular Puerto Rican dish. Photo provided by Julissa Gonzalez

Although Puerto Rico has many American restaurants, I did not want to go to Puerto Rico and not try any Puerto Rican food. You obviously have to try the non-alcoholic piña coladas from every restaurant in Puerto Rico! Each resturant tops their piña coladas with different fruits, creams, and present them in different ways.  Another food that you must try is the popular mofongo dish. Mofongo is made out of smashed green plantains, garlic or chimichurri sauce, and vegetables, and can be topped with chicken, steak, shrimp, crab, fish, and other proteins.

During my week in Puerto Rico I learned so much about the beautiful island and its culture. I would love to visit the island again and discover more of it.