Top Cultural Things To Do In Puerto Rico

With its mix of sun, beach, and culture, Puerto Rico is one of the best romantic escapes in the Caribbean. Honeymooners can expect guaranteed sun but also a dizzying raft of places to explore and things to do away from the beach. The Island itself is part of the USA; however, its rich, multicultural heritage shines through in its traditions – from music and art to dance, cuisine, language, architecture, and fashion. This cultural tapestry is woven with threads from various influences, including Dutch, French, and English, but the most significant elements come from Spanish, African, and Taíno (the indigenous people who inhabited the Island long before Spanish arrival) heritage, offering a unique and enriching experience for visitors.

The pride that Puerto Ricans share in their history and culture is keenly felt in San Juan, where faces are warm and welcoming, listed ‘settler-architecture’ houses are all brightly painted, and locals are always so happy to detail their melting pot Puerto Rican identity. It’s worth knowing that they refer to themselves as ‘Boricua ’ – a person of Puerto Rican descent or a native of Puerto Rico. The name actually comes from Borinquen (or Borikén) which is the name given to the Island by Taínos.

San Juan is a cultural highlight in itself – the staggering coastal capital which is fortified by turreted walls (originally used as lookouts for invaders or pirates (or the Caribbean, if you will) – but beyond these walls lies an Island thrumming with wildlife and vastly varied landscapes, with endless options for honeymooners eager to explore.

So, from vibrant, musically sweet strolls around Old San Juan to scenic horseback rides through dripping rainforests, here are 12 cultural things to do in Puerto Rico so you and your beau can embrace the Boricua spirit and lifestyle.

Tour a seaside microbrewery

Having spent a lazy morning on the water just off Isla Cueva, in the seaside town of La Parguera, it’s worth paddling ashore for a cold Puerto Rican beer. We found a beachfront restaurant with no windowpanes, so we could hear welcoming music and conversation from the street. As we peered in, we noticed the menu was handwritten in chalk on the wall. The waitress excitedly told us about their favourite beers, all made locally with flavours in microbreweries around Puerto Rico. We swiftly ordered a tasting of almost all of them. It may come as a surprise to those solely associating Puerto Rico with piña coladas that locally brewed beers are integral to the Island’s cultural identity.

Learn about the history of Puerto Rico and its cultural influence

Naturally, Puerto Rico is an amazing location to visit with its turquoise seas and constant sunshine; however, if you’re willing to look beyond the fly-and-flop agenda, take the time to speak to a tour guide. They are quite easy to find across the Island, especially in Old San Juan. We opted for a street food tour (Flavors of San Juan Tours), where our expert guide, Marjorie, took us to a few different venues to try some traditional Puerto Rican food and drinks. Boricuas have such pride and thirst for knowledge about their heritage, so ask as many questions as you can. The Island’s gastronomy is so tightly interwoven with its various layers of history and is the best, tastiest way to learn about the various cultural influences and different ruling chapters over the centuries.

Listen to street musicians in the colourful city of Old San Juan

Any walk around Puerto Rico’s towns or cities is a melodic one. Street music also unearths Puerto Rico’s unique history, with influences primarily including African, Indigenous, and European. If you have the time to let your feet follow your ears, you’ll discover some mesmerising street performers, often with guitars and always with a happy demeanour. The music is upbeat, rhythmic, and full of energy – the ultimate soundtrack to the colourful, sun-doused surroundings.

Look for en plein air painters in quiet corners of Old San Juan

Equally, in quiet corners of Old San Juan, you might find another treat much like we did. A group of people sitting in one of the hundreds of beautiful spots in the city, drawing their surroundings from their own perspective as locals. Laughing from their bellies, smoking cigars, and taking time to enjoy life as tourists and locals alike wove their way between them. Their paintings somehow capture the vibrancy and energy of the city in a way that photographs simply can’t.

Take note of the street art around the city

It’s easy to stumble upon various public art installations around the city. These are mostly done by local artists, and the aim is to showcase the artistic prowess of the city of Old San Juan, along with its heritage. They vary from modern sculptures in open spaces, which simultaneously blend into and contradict their surroundings, to colourful hand-painted graffiti-style art on the city’s imposing walls. The latter are often designed to encourage tourists to have their photo taken in front of them as a keepsake from this beautiful space. Venturing beyond Old San Juan to the adjacent neighbourhood of Santurce, you’ll enter a vibrant realm of artistic expression. This area is alive with extensive murals and sculptures, reflecting a community richly steeped in creativity.

Journey North to South over the Island’s highest bridge and rainforest

After being in the hustle and bustle of San Juan with its high-energy nightlife and rich historical architecture, it’s worth spilling out into Puerto Rico’s tropical interior and golden-sand beaches. At a manageable 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, the Island is perfect for honeymoon road trips and only takes around an hour from the capital city to the laid-back beach towns of the south coast. This winds through rainforests and dramatic topography, growing an ethereal green. Everything is luscious and brimming with life, with loud noises and intensely fragrant warm air. Despite Puerto Rico’s compact size, its mountains and lush valleys feel endless. You’ll drive through little villages, past rum shacks and quaint cafés – all of which give you an authentic sense of local culture. How Boricuas go about their everyday lives against this truly extraordinary mountain-meets-sea backdrop.

Take note of filmset spots

If setjetting is something you enjoy as a couple, Puerto Rico has hosted many Hollywood film crews and actors, particularly with its status as a US island. The Rum Diary was filmed here. It captures the Island in an exaggerated Hollywood way but film buffs will relish spotting the various corners and backdrops in the film – most notably Vega Baja beach on the north coast near San Juan.

Discover the ‘Boricua way’ through the Island’s locals

Boricua is a unique name that honours the Island heritage, but it’s also a way of life, a state of mind, a rhythm and flavour that is distinctly Puerto Rican. Couples wishing to “Live Boricua” can discuss it with their guides or locals, who are always willing to share their rituals and cultural heritage. This can be anything from the way they enjoy their strong morning coffee to the Friday night dancing places and when and where they go in search of some jazz (or salsa) after work.

Get on the water and view the Island from the sea

While Puerto Rico is renowned for its stunning golden sand beaches, the charm of the Island extends beyond this. Along the south coast, numerous beach towns are uniquely situated right at the water’s edge, with some structures perched on stilts, gracefully woven into the mangroves. While the term ‘mangroves’ might evoke swampy scenes, in Puerto Rico, these are trees soaring out of the crystal-clear waters. It’s worth taking a boat out to snorkel on the reefs, not only for the jaw-dropping marine life but to marvel at the colourful porches and verandas of private homes suspended beautifully over the water. These homes, adorned in the happiest of colours, reminiscent of those in Old San Juan, often have their own boats, adding to the picturesque setting.

Learn about the sugarcane plantations and other exports, preferably by horseback

Located in the town of Carolina is the 2,000 acre former agricultural plantation Hacienda Campo Rico, which offers exhilarating excursions through the grounds on quad bike or on horseback. This vast stretch of green was once used to grow sugar cane for exporting, but now is an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to witness what Puerto Rico has to offer. The landscape is as green and fertile as expected on a dense rainforest’s doorstep. Couples can spot guavas, coconuts, mangoes, passion fruit, as well as wildlife such as iguanas, rabbits, and, of course, the estate’s own chickens and horses. Lording over these acres is an open air plantation home, Mi Casa, which is available as a spectacular wedding venue hire. This impressive, colonial-style building features interior patios, balconies, high ceilings, red tile floors, and a grandiose staircase. There is also a private deluxe suite for personal use and overnight stays. The spectacular views of the valley, lake, and El Yunque rainforest will make your special event a dream come true. It’s hardly surprising that the building has been used for several Hollywood films (you might recognise it from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).

Moore up in La Parguera bay and crack open a ‘coldie’

Tapping into the Puerto Rican spirit can be tricky in areas heavily frequented by tourists. One of the best ways to do as the Puerto Ricans do is to head out for a long morning of snorkelling (with Paradise Scuba and Snorkelling) on the reef just off La Parguera. Pootling around in a boat here takes you to some uninhabited keys and small pockets of land where the reef gasps for air above the surface. Cayo Caracoles is the small bay to chug to if you want to see how the Puerto Ricans spend their downtime. This gets busy on the weekends – locals dip into the waist-high crystal-clear water with a cold beer and stories from their week. Joining them is a pinch-me, authentic experience worlds away from the museum tours that really peers into the Island’s soul.

Shop in Old San Juan

While there isn’t a ‘shopping district’ like you might find in other cities, San Juan’s shops are more authentically dotted in between churches, homes, and restaurants. Artisanal hat shops rub shoulders with spice shops and their shopkeepers or, more than often chatting to their neighbours rather than pouncing on you to buy something. It was like exploring a home full of curiosities, with the sellers’ and makers’ passion for their pieces completely infectious. True treasure troves. We loved the hat shop called El Galpon, where the walls were adorned with panamas.