Visit Puerto Rico: what to see, when to go and what it costs

Ceded by Spain in 1898, the island remains an unincorporated territory: its residents have been US citizens since 1917, yet daily life runs mainly in Spanish, with English as the other official language. Dollars, American plugs and ESTA rules sit alongside mofongo and street festivals. Compared with its Spanish-speaking neighbours Cuba and the Dominican Republic, it offers fast roads and American prices: allow about 195 euros a day per person for a comfortable trip. There is no direct flight from Paris, so plan on one stop, often in the United States.

Close to San Juan airport, this corner of the island fits into three days. El Yunque National Forest, some 11,000 hectares, climbs above 1,000 metres. Access to some trails, including La Mina, should be checked on the official Forest Service website before heading up. The Luquillo kiosks make an easy lunch stop, and in the evening you reach Fajardo's Laguna Grande by kayak through a mangrove channel. Leave early for the forest, as the car parks fill during the morning.

From the Ceiba terminal, the ferry takes about 45 minutes to Culebra and 30 minutes to Vieques; book early for weekends and public holidays. Five days lets you see both. Culebra is all about reefs and turtles, Vieques about space, with free-roaming horses and the former military land of the US Navy, which left in 2003 and handed it over as a national refuge. Inside the refuge, stick to open roads and beaches, as some sectors remain closed to the public. Rent a jeep on the spot: the tracks suit one better than a small car.

On the opposite side of the map from San Juan, this coast faces the Mona Passage. Rincón made its name by hosting the world surfing championships in 1968: the winter swell, from November to March, keeps Domes and Tres Palmas for experienced surfers. In summer the sea calms down and a snorkel replaces the board at Steps Beach. From January to March, humpback whales pass offshore and can sometimes be spotted from the coast. Two nights are enough, three if you take a surf lesson.

The southern slope gets far less rain, about 920 mm a year against 1,520 mm in San Juan, and the scenery shifts: pink salt flats and limestone cliffs at Cabo Rojo, dry forest at Guánica, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1981. In the evening, La Parguera runs boat trips among the mangrove cays. Ponce, linked to San Juan by motorway, deserves a night for its Creole facades and the Museo de Arte. Aim for February for its carnival and vejigante masks.

In the middle of the island, the Ruta Panorámica crosses the island from east to west as far as Mayagüez on narrow roads: never plan more than two or three hours of driving a day. Jayuya and Adjuntas open their plantations for tastings, usually by reservation. Toro Negro forest spreads below Cerro de Punta, the island's highest point, where the air is noticeably cooler than on the coast. One night in the mountains is enough to close a western loop, and a light jacket is no luxury there.

Between Arecibo and Utuado, limestone has carved haystack hills, sinkholes and caves hollowed out by rivers. It works as an excursion from San Juan or as the first stage of a seven-day island loop via the west. The giant Arecibo radio telescope collapsed in December 2020: the site is no longer the observatory it once was, so check that its education centre is open before driving up. Closed shoes are essential, as the ground stays slippery all year.

Hurricanes are a threat from 1 June to 30 November, with peak risk from August to October: Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017, and the power grid still bears the marks. Late December and January combine fine weather with full hotels, at over 90% occupancy at the peak. February to April remains the best compromise, with May the bargain before the rains. The island also sits in an active seismic zone, so note the tsunami evacuation routes on the coast. To compare with a French island, see Guadeloupe, or the whole arc of the Caribbean.