Puerto Rico is an island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic. San Juan is the capital, a major port and tourist resort of the West Indies. Spanish and English are the official languages, but Spanish is without a doubt the dominant language.

The coast of Puerto Rico measures approximately 580 km, and the territory is very mountainous except at the coasts. Several thousand varieties of tropical plants grow in Puerto Rico, including the kapok tree, though Puerto Rico does not have long rivers or large lakes. Puerto Rico has no large wild mammals.

Puerto Rico enjoys warm and sunny days most of the year.

The island’s architectural heritage is Spanish, of course, as seen in the narrow, winding cobblestone streets and the pastel-colored, tile-roofed buildings with ornate balconies and heavy wooden doors that open onto inner courtyards in the style of Andalusia in southern Spain. Spain ordered that the city be protected by sandstone walls and massive fortresses, notable of these include El Morro Fortress, the San Juan Cathedral, the Dominican Convent, and the Casa Blanca. The Museo de Arte de Ponce has works by Puerto Rican artists like José Campeche and Francisco Oller, addition to such European masters as Rubens, van Dyck, and Murillo.

Puerto Rican cooking is somewhat similar to Spanish, Cuban and Mexican cuisine, using such indigenous seasonings and ingredients as coriander, papaya, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains, and yampee; Puerto Ricans adore chicken. Rum is the national drink, and you can buy it in almost any shade. Puerto Rico is the world’s leading rum producer.

Popular destinations in Puerto Rico include San Juan, Ponce, Mayagüez, Bayamón, Fajardo, San Germán Cayey, and Caguas.

Enterprise, Avis, Expedia, Budget and Thrifty are some of the car rental agencies in Puerto Rico.