Sunday, October 28, 2012

Things You May Not Know About Puerto Rico


Many may know that Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean.  A great place to vacation and enjoy great weather, beaches, music and food, but here are a few things you may not know about Puerto Rico:


Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States


You do not need a passport if you are an American Citizen.  If you will be visiting other Caribbean islands, then you will need to bring a passport.  The currency is U.S. Dollars and the official languages are English and Spanish.


Fort San Felipe del Morro

El Morro Fort was built in 1600 by Spain, to guard the entrance to the San Juan Bay, and defend the city of Old San Juan from foreign enemies.  El Morro is a World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site in the U.S. National Park Service.  El Morro Fort gets over two million visitors a year.


El Yunque National Forest

Puerto Rico is home to the only tropical rainforest in North America.  El Yunque is 45 minutes from San Juan and is well-known for its incredible biodiversity.  The 28,000 acres includes four forest types and has 240 species of trees, more than 50 kinds of orchids, 150 different ferns, and hundreds of small animal and bird species call it home.  El Yunque is home to the endangered Puerto Rican parrot.


Camuy Caves

The Camuy Caves is one of the largest cave systems in the world.  The caverns are part of a group of limestone caves and underground waterways shaped by The Camuy River, the third-largest underground river in the world.  The caves are located between the towns of Camuy, Hatillo and Lares, in northwestern Puerto Rico. 


Bioluminescent Bays

Puerto Rico has three Bioluminescent Bays.  The three are: Vieques, Fajardo, and La Parguera.
These bays glow with a bluish light when the microorganisms in the water are agitated at night.


Arecibo Observatory

The world’s largest single-dish radio telescope The Arecibo Observatory is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.  More than 100,000 visitors stop in each year to enjoy interactive exhibits, audiovisual displays and to learn about basic astronomy.


Bacardi Rum

Bacardi Rum has been a registered brand in Puerto Rico since 1909.  Bacardi is known for its Bacardi White, Gold, Select, 8, 151 Rums, and mixed blends such as Bacardi Limón, Bacardi Dragon Berry, and Bacardi Peach.  Bacardi is the largest premium rum brand in the world.  The Cataño, Puerto Rico, production facility is the largest premium rum distillery in the world, producing more than 80% of the Bacardi rum sold globally.


Piña Colada

The popular cocktail was invented in Puerto Rico.  The Piña Colada was created on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Piña Colada is made of pineapple Juice, coconut cream, and rum. 


Take a look at this video of El Morro and Old San Juan in Puerto Rico:




                                                             




















Sunday, October 21, 2012

Enjoy this timelapse video of El Yunque:





                                                             
Puerto Rico Is The Place Sweatshirt
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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Top Places For A Drink In San Juan, Puerto Rico

There are a variety of places in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to enjoy a drink.  From spots at the beach, hotels, plazas or a favorite bar, pub or restaurant.  Many locations where you can relax and take in the scenery.  Here is a list of the top places to have a drink in San Juan, Puerto Rico:



El San Juan Hotel

The lobby at El San Juan Hotel is one of the trendiest places to see and be seen.  El San Juan is the place where locals in Puerto Rico go to people watch.  The lobby has four bars, dancing, and lots of entertainment.  Puerto Ricans love to dress up and party until early morning.  El San Juan Hotel is located in the Isla Verde area.


The Water Club


Mist Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Water Club, is the hippest place in Isla Verde.  Is the perfect spot to have a drink and enjoy the beautiful view of Isla Verde beach, during the day or night.  Located in Isla Verde, The Water Club is a favorite place for the in-crowd in Puerto Rico.  The rooftop view blends well with this chic hotel.  



Ventana Al Mar


Ventana Al Mar is an outdoor park in Condado.  Puerto Ricans come to this park to enjoy the view of the beach, day and night.  Is a great spot to meet for a drink and enjoy the ocean breeze in the middle of the Condado area.  A variety of musical events are scheduled every month.  Ventana Al Mar means window to the sea.


El Alambique

Located on the beach in Isla verde, El Alambique is the place to grab a quick bite and a cold drink while at the beach.  This laid back and casual locale is popular with tourist and locals.


La Concha

La Concha Hotel is located in the heart of Condado and the lobby becomes the lounge at night.  La Concha has a nice ambiance for an evening drink.


El Convento

Located in the middle of Old San Juan, El Convento, is a picture perfect location.  Enjoy a drink and tapas while people watching in Old San Juan at El Picoteo, overlooking the open-air courtyard of Hotel El Convento.



Piñones

A great area by the beach, that Puerto Ricans go to during the day, to enjoy drinks and fritters.  There are many shacks that sell fritters (bacalaitos and alcapurrias), rum drinks and beer.  Laid back and casual, is a great place to take in the views and the ocean breeze.


Dragonfly

Upscale bar inside of Dragon fly restaurant in Old San Juan.  Trendy locale with two bars with an exotic cocktail menu.  Great for a drink before dinner or late at night.


La Placita

An outdoor plaza in Santurce and a favorite of Puerto Ricans.  There is live music and plenty of dancing with many bars and restaurants that surround La Placita.  La Placita is a big block party, that gets crowded on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  La Placita is a casual environment and the location to see how Puerto Ricans party.  


Old San Juan


In Old San Juan you can bar hop, day or night.  Enjoy a drink while looking at the colonial buildings or people watching.  On San Sebastian street, there are a number of bars that are favored by Puerto Ricans.


Bonus:

San Juan Bay Cruise

Take a cruise of the San Juan Bay.  Enjoy music, drinks and the view, day or night, as the boat cruises along the San Juan Bay. 


Enjoy these places and what they have to offer!

Here is a video of the view of Isla Verde Beach:




                                                                
         


                                                               


















    

Sunday, October 7, 2012

311 Information Service In Puerto Rico


The government of Puerto Rico has launched a new toll-free 311 telephone line that will provide information and services directly to people living in Puerto Rico.  The 311 service called, “Your Line for Government Services"or “Tu Linea de servicios de gobierno," will help the government to provide information and services to residents, and reduce the amount of non-emergency calls that the 911 emergency service receives.  With the 311 service, 911 operators will be able to instantly transfer non-emergency calls to the 311 system, which will have 72 bilingual operators.


The 311 call system will operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and, is aimed at the  population that is still not computer savvy.  Puerto Ricans and visitors will be able to make official complaints and check the status of current requests for services.  The official 311 operators will also be able to send documents via email or fax to people in the island.


Some of the government agencies participating in the service are: the Child Support Administration, the Family Department’s Socioeconomic Development Administration, the Department of Public Works & Transportation (including its Driver Service Directory, the Maritime Transport Authority and the Metropolitan Bus Authority), the Department of Natural & Environmental Resources, the Department of Sports & Recreation, the Solid Waste Authority, the Environmental Quality Board and the National Parks Company. 


Within the year more government agencies will be in the service, and people living in Puerto Rico, will be able to call the 311 line to access any service offered by the government.