Flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from New York takes around four hours. Upon arrival, history buffs have a surplus of sights to visit in Old San Juan, music lovers can enjoy salsa serenades at La Factoría, cocktail lovers may sip on sweet piña coladas where they were invented at the Caribe Hilton, and for anyone who loves to be outdoors in tropical nature, the island has the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System, El Yunque.
Further adding to the appeal, six miles off Puerto Rico’s east coast, Vieques is one of the Caribbean’s most compelling eco-tourism destinations. Half the island is protected within the 17,771-acre Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, and its beaches range from black and golden sand to blinding white. Hawksbill turtles, manatees, and over 170 bird species thrive in its mangroves and forests, and Vieques’ headline attraction is Mosquito Bay, certified by Guinness as the brightest bioluminescent bay on Earth.
