According to simplyyellowpages, Rio Camuy National Park, located in the northeastern region of Puerto Rico, rightfully bears the title of one of the best places in the world for speleology and includes the third largest cave system that exists on Earth. There are absolutely incredible beauty karst caves with all kinds of formations inside, and the world’s largest underground river Camuy flows. The cave chain here consists of more than 200 underground chambers of impressive size and shape, they are inhabited by 13 rare species of bats. Despite the fact that the Kamai caves became known to the European world only in the middle of the 20th century, there is evidence that they were used by the local Indians long before that. 42 petroglyphs have been found on the walls of the Rio Camai caves. Even at present, the cave system has not been fully studied, there are suggestions that there are not 200, but 88 caves! The visiting card of the country and, of course, its capital San Juan is the ancient castle of Castillo de San Felipe del Morro (Castillo de San Felipe del Morro or El Morro). Its construction lasted exactly 50 years from the middle to the end of the 16th century; it was the main military base of the country, boldly defending it from enemies. However, during the Second World War, the castle was captured by American troops, and in 1983 it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In general, San Juan captivates with its colonial architecture of the 16th-17th centuries, rich history and general atmosphere. You can admire beautiful panoramic views from the functioning Punta Tunu lighthouse, get acquainted with modern art, culture and history of Puerto Rico – in the numerous galleries and museums of the capital, which are innumerable. In San Juan, it will be interesting to visit the main distillery of Bakardi, the world famous producer of rum and other alcoholic beverages. Rum for Puerto Rico is more than a drink, it is a whole story that you can touch during tastings at a famous factory. Vieques Island is the second largest island in Puerto Rico and is known primarily as the center of beach holidays in this tropical paradise. Vieques is located just 13 kilometers from the main island and offers guests gorgeous beaches with fine sand and clear sea. The abundance of beautiful bays provides the opportunity to go scuba diving or take a boat trip here. A happy coincidence made Vieques the most luminous island in the truest sense of the word in the world: the concentration of plankton glowing in the dark is reached here at its maximum! Thanks to the local authorities and the El Unco (El Yunque or The Anvil) nature reserve, we can enjoy the beauty of the rainforests in all their charm. Here, since 1903, all the natural wealth of Puerto Rico has been located on the reservation. El Unco National Park boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna and is home to many rare animal and plant species, such as the Amazon parrot. This is a great place to breathe truly fresh air and see a completely different nature, beautiful in its originality. The small island of Culebrita, located to the northwest of the main island, is another natural pride and attraction of Puerto Rico. Despite their modest size, it offers tourists as many as six beaches with white sand and azure water, as if from a picture. Flamenco Beach is the most popular here, and on Turtle Beach (or Playa Tortuga), you guessed it, you can meet huge sea turtles that come ashore to bury their eggs in the hot sand here. Surf lovers should visit the town of Rincon on the west coast of Puerto Rico. This place is recognized as one of the best in the world for surfing, which is confirmed by the world championships held here. to bury their eggs here in the hot sand. Surf lovers should visit the town of Rincon on the west coast of Puerto Rico. This place is recognized as one of the best in the world for surfing, which is confirmed by the world championships held here. to bury their eggs here in the hot sand. Surf lovers should visit the town of Rincon on the west coast of Puerto Rico. This place is recognized as one of the best in the world for surfing, which is confirmed by the world championships held here.
National Cuisine of Puerto Rico
Initially, the local cuisine of Puerto Rico was based on ancient Indian traditions, but its modern version is a vibrant combination of African, Spanish and Indian cuisines. The country also hosts many upscale restaurants serving almost every other cuisine in the world. Puerto Rican cuisine is replete with herbs and spices, based on stews, fish and soups. As an island nation, Puerto Rico simply cannot ignore seafood, fish and seafood abound in the local cuisine. Breadfruit and chayote, a local type of gourd, are especially popular among vegetables. Definitely a classic side dish for local dishes are green tostones fried in oil, vaguely reminiscent of potatoes in taste. The characteristic aroma of almost all Puerto Rican dishes is given by two spicy mixtures: “sofrito” and “adobo”, the first consisting of onion, pepper, garlic and coriander fried in oil with the addition of a red-yellow dye, and the second of oregano, pepper, garlic, lime juice or vinegar, salt and olive oil. The classic dishes of Puerto Rico are “mojo isleno” – fried fish with a special local sauce, “heyes ervidos” – crabs baked with vegetables, “frijoles negros” – black bean soup, “sopon de pollo con” arroz” – soup with rice and chicken meat, “chorisos” – spicy sausages and many others. Lobster soup is the hallmark of local cuisine and at the same time the most expensive dish on the menu of any restaurant. As a dessert in the cuisine of Puerto Rico, there are multiple sweet pies with guava, sweet potato, orange, custard or fruit jam, sweet rice with coconut flakes ” fruit juices and ice-cold shakes are ubiquitous, but are rather the preserve of foreigners. Cherves beer and rum in many varieties stand out from locally produced alcoholic products, because it is in Puerto Rico that 80% of all rum in the world is produced. fruit juices and ice-cold shakes are ubiquitous, but are rather the preserve of foreigners. Cherves beer and rum in many varieties stand out from locally produced alcoholic products, because it is in Puerto Rico that 80% of all rum in the world is produced.
