11 Puerto Rico Travel Tips You Need Before Your First Visit

I really didn’t know what to expect when it came to Puerto Rico, but I knew I would love it. 

That was more than correct — during the week I recently spent there, wandering around Old San Juan, hiking in El Yunque National Forest, and exploring the beaches in Rincón and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico was somehow even better than I could’ve imagined.

Although I’m a travel writer and all that, I sometimes fail to do enough research for my own trips, instead, making up for it throughout and afterward, when I pull together all the guides here. Sadly, that was the case with my Puerto Rico trip. I had written down some places I wanted to see, but life really got the best of me beforehand, and I wasn’t as well-researched as I would’ve liked to be.

With that said, there was some information that really would’ve come in handy had I known it earlier!

Since I don’t want you to repeat all my mistakes, these are all the Puerto Rico travel tips that proved to be invaluable during my recent trip there — plus some things I wish I’d known! 

1. Wear comfortable shoes in Old San Juan

As a former ballet dancer, I like to brag that my feet are pretty much impervious to pain. I’ve walked around New York City all day in flip-flops on a number of occasions, and you will never see me sacrificing an outfit for shoes that are supposedly “more comfortable.”

And alas, sometimes I am wrong. While I’m inclined to blame it on my too-cheap sandals I’d recently bought that were way too flat, it’s also possible that walking miles on cobblestones just finally got to me.

Particularly in Old San Juan, when you’ll be visiting historic fortresses with uneven ground, and will want to spend hours just wandering around and sightseeing, trust me when I say, you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes!

2. Don’t just visit Old San Juan

On that note, yes, Old San Juan is amazing, and if you’ve never been to Puerto Rico, I agree that it’s a must! It’s gorgeous, historic, has tons of restaurants, bars, museums, and sightseeing, and is a great introduction to the island. 

However, please, go beyond Old San Juan! Even the city of San Juan has more to offer than just its historic center, like the art-filled Santurce that’s also one of the best spots for nightlife in the city.

But beyond Puerto Rico’s capital city, there’s a ton to discover as well.

If you don’t have time to venture too far, El Yunque, Puerto Rico’s tropical forest, is close by, super easy to visit, and seriously amazing. 

There’s also Loíza, a town known for its Afro-Caribbean heritage, beautiful beaches, and as one of the best places for traditional Puerto Rican food.

But if you can go even further (and you should!), there’s so much more to see!

During my week in Puerto Rico, I spent a few days on the western side of the island, where you have gorgeous beaches like Rincón, Aguadilla, and Aguada.

Read about El Oasis Hotel, where I stayed in Aguada here!

There’s so much more to see too, that I just didn’t have time for, like Cabo Rojo, a beautiful beach area where you can see really cool pink salt flats.

There are also a couple islands that I’m dying to visit — Culebra, which is known for its amazing beaches, and Vieques, where you can see Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bays (Puerto Rico has three out of five bioluminescent bays in the world!). 

All of this is to say that Puerto Rico is so much more than Old San Juan. It’s well worth exploring!

3. Rent a car

Re: my previous point about exploring beyond San Juan — yes, renting a car is necessary. 

There isn’t much as far as public transportation across the island, so it’s pretty much your one option, apart from maybe booking a shuttle or van, but you’ll ultimately be way more limited when it comes to getting around. 

I get into all the logistics of renting a car and what to know about driving in PR in this guide, but you’ll have the most options in the airport at San Juan. 

It is kind of a pain in my opinion, and not as cost-effective as I’d hoped (we ended up paying $450 for 6ish days, because of the required insurance, plus some extra fees for tolls and whatnot), but it was totally worth it, still. 

And the good news is that driving isn’t all that different from in the U.S. 

Parking is also really easy and affordable, which was a huge relief for someone who’s been jaded by years living around Los Angeles!

Check out rental cars here!

4. Don’t expect everyone to speak English

Before I visited, I knew everyone spoke Spanish, but I really didn’t know what to expect as far as English. (For reference, I can communicate but I’m definitely not fluent, while my husband, who I was traveling with, can speak Spanish.)

The main takeaway here is that if you don’t speak Spanish, don’t worry, you’ll be fine. 

Most of the time, signs and whatnot were in English and Spanish. A lot of restaurant menus were as well. 

You’ll also encounter plenty of people who speak English fluently, as lots of Puerto Ricans have lived on the mainland, a.k.a. the United States, at some point, and people in the tourism industry are just more likely to speak it.

But it was definitely clear that Spanish was the overall preference, and you’ll also for sure encounter people who maybe aren’t confident in English or barely speak it. About 50% of the population has at least a basic English level.

So with that all said, I’d definitely encourage you to try to learn some basic phrases.

Without going off too much into a tangent, Puerto Rico is one of the places that’s been experiencing colonization for the longest, as it was one of the first places that Columbus arrived, and after centuries of Spanish rule, it became part of the U.S. over 100 years ago.

At least trying to communicate some basics in Spanish will not only show your respect, but it will also just be really helpful.

5. Be careful at the beach

We were first warned about the beach by an employee working at a museum in San Juan, who told us that especially during the winter, the waves can get really big, and can be dangerous particularly for tourists who aren’t familiar with the local beaches.

Out of the beaches we visited across the island, it seemed like some areas were totally calm, with pretty much no waves (my kind of beach, honestly), while others looked like big surfing beaches with crazy waves.

Throughout the many beaches we stopped at during our time in Puerto Rico, I also don’t remember seeing one lifeguard. So just something to be aware of!

6. Pack insect repellent — and use it!

This is my biggest regret. I literally purchased insect repellent specifically for this trip and remembered to bring it with me, but for some unknown reason I didn’t use it until my legs had been absolutely destroyed, a couple days in.

I’ve been home for a couple of weeks now, and I still have some lingering bites across my legs.

Especially when you’re outside of the city, at the beach or anywhere more remote, the mosquitos are aggressive, to say the least. So take my warning and don’t be like me! 

7. Be aware of hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with more likelihood of storms during August and September. 

If you book your trip for then, I’d definitely recommend travel insurance, just in case of emergency (travel insurance is always a good idea though, tbh).

In general, the best time to visit Puerto Rico is the springtime, when it’s warm, not as rainy as hurricane season, and typically less crowded than the wintertime.

I visited in January, and the weather was pretty much perfect. 

This is considered the busiest time, but I really didn’t think it was too bad.

Since it’s the one time I’ve visited I can’t compare the prices to anything, but there is a good chance things were more expensive at this time.

Temperature-wise, it’s a tropical climate, so you can expect it to be hot year-round. 

8. If you’re from the U.S., you don’t need a visa

As we talked about before, Puerto Rico is technically a U.S. territory.  So if you’re coming from the U.S. you don’t need any sort of visa, and you don’t need a passport to come here. If you’re from a different country, you would need a tourist visa to the U.S.

9. Puerto Rico uses U.S. currency 

On a similar note, something that’s super convenient about visiting Puerto Rico is that you don’t need to deal with any sort of currency conversions or exchanges. 

In general, it’s a good idea to have some cash on you as well as a card.

I encountered a number of places that were card only, while other spots were cash-only, or we’d just need cash for something like tipping. (On that note, like in the U.S., please tip here! Tipping expectations are the same as in the U.S. where it’s 20% for good service.) 

10. Puerto Rico is safe, but use common sense

This is always something I consider when I travel places, but it’s also hard to really know what to expect before you’re there.

To be honest, I felt 100% safe here. I used my camera freely (which I definitely don’t always do when I travel) and at no point did I sense anything sketchy going on.

But I also know that everyone’s comfort zones and perspectives are different, so your experience may not be the same as mine. And also, I was with my husband the entire time, which definitely impacts my sense of safety versus traveling with other women or being alone.

While I can’t speak to that experience, based on my time there, I would feel totally comfortable traveling solo there. 

And considering all that, there are safety precautions I always take. It’s always important to be aware of your surroundings, and be mindful of your belongings. Don’t go wandering down any empty streets at night, and especially for your first time in Puerto Rico, stay more on-the-beaten-path. 

Certain neighborhoods or areas that aren’t really tourist areas can have higher risks, so especially in a place you’re new to, stick to the tourist spots.

11. Be willing to learn about local culture

Puerto Rico is so much more than a beautiful beach vacation. It has a rich history, a unique culture made up of African, Indigenous Taíno, and Spanish influences, and also plenty of challenges facing the island.

While it’s impossible to learn everything or get a totally complete picture during a limited trip, I’d definitely suggest reading about some of the current issues Puerto Rico is experiencing, as well as some of its history.

During your time in Puerto Rico, visit at least a museum or two (I loved Museo de las Americas in Old San Juan), and try to spend your money on locally owned businesses. 

Puerto Rico is art-filled, from its many museums, to its streets, especially in areas like Santurce, which has an area completely decked out in street art.

Music and dance is also a huge part of local culture, so be sure to experience this at some point!

One of my favorite ways to experience a culture is by trying food, and Puerto Rican food is in fact amazing.

Puerto Rican food isn’t spicy, but it is flavorful, and you’ll find a lot of dishes based around the plantain, such as mofongo, a mashed plantain dish typically served with some type of meat or fish, or tostones, which are crispy, fried plantains. 

Puerto Rico has tons of delicious fried appetizers too, like bacalaitos, fried cod fritters, and sorollitos, corn fritters. Pretty much every restaurant will serve your appetizers or snacks with a mayo-ketchup sauce (I’m a self-proclaimed mayo hater but I did eat a lot of this sauce and enjoyed it.)

Other popular dishes include lechón asado, slow-roasted pork, and arroz con gandules, rice with pigeon peas, but there’s a lot to try! 

Final thoughts

Puerto Rico is seriously such a special place. For me, a week definitely wasn’t enough, and I’m dying to go back and experience more! Before your trip, be sure to check out one of my other Puerto Rico guides — I’ve got tips on everything from how to visit El Yunque Rainforest (you don’t need to go on a tour!), to the whole run-down on driving in Puerto Rico.