Before you go on your trip to Puerto Rico, find out all the basics about customs requirements, the culture, weather, currency, and more.

Here's everything you need to know before you go:

• Location & Geography
• When to Go
• Brochures from Puerto Rico
• Climate & Time
• Dress
• Language
• Population
• Personal Safety
• Medications
• Vaccinations
• Travel Insurance
• Communications and Internet
• Electricity
• Customs and Documents Required
• Pets, Luggage and Electronic Devices
• Marriage License Information
• Additional Travel Information

---

Puerto Rico is the eastern most islands of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, approximately a thousand miles southeast of Florida and just east of the Dominican Republic and west of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The island of Puerto Rico is almost rectangular in shape, and is the smallest and the most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. The island is comparatively small, 8959 sq km (3459 sq miles), with a central mountain range reaching an altitude of 1338m (4390ft) at Cerro Punta, and surrounded by low coastal plains. In addition to the principal island, the Commonwealth includes: Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Monito and various others isolated islands.

Puerto Rico terrains range from palm-lined beaches on four cost lines to rugged mountain ranges, gently rolling hills, and dry desert-like areas. The island boasts 20 designated forest reserves. The most notable is El Yunque the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. Forest Service.

There is no best time to travel to Puerto Rico as the climate is excellent year round. However, the peak tourist season is between December and April, but this has more to do with the climate in U.S. mainland than anything else. The best time to avoid the crowds is the low season between May and November, which is also hurricane season (June-November).

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the island's official tourist center, produces and distributes several publications. The most popular is Qué Pasa! magazine, a bimonthly magazine that extols Puerto Rico's vast number of tourist attractions and natural wonders available throughout the island. Featuring outstanding photography and packed with information, every issue of Puerto Rico Guest Magazine includes useful and fully updated lodging and restaurant listings, detailed full-color maps for touring the Island, engrossing feature articles plus vital information on Puerto Rico's history, local cuisine and night life, arts and crafts, folklore, sports and much more. Sign up online for a free electronic subscription at: www.travelandsports.com/magazine.

Some other magazines and guides to look for include: Tables Magazine, Places to Go, San Juan Guide, Bienvenidos and Go To Puerto Rico Travel Planner.

An agreeable climate is one of Puerto Rico's most attractive characteristics. Puerto Rico has a tropical marine climate, with an average annual temperature of 80°F (26°C). Puerto Rico enjoys year round summer temperatures. The dry season is December to March. Note that temperatures in the mountains are significantly cooler than the coast, so if you intend to travel inland bring a sweater for the evenings regardless of when you visit. Annual rainfall is 62 inches.

• Forecast for Puerto Rico

Atlantic Standard (AST), which is one hour later than Eastern Standard Time (EST) and four hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), however, the island does not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Gateways & Flying Times


New York - 3 1/2 hrs.


Atlanta - 3 1/2 hrs.


Dallas - 4 1/2 hrs.


Caracas - 2 hrs.


Newark - 3 hrs.


Miami - 2 1/2 hrs.


Madrid - 7 1/2 hrs.


Boston - 4 hrs.


Philadelphia - 3 hrs.


Mexico City - 3 hrs.

Because of its tropical climate, dress is generally quite informal in Puerto Rico. Due to the warm, humid climate, light-weight clothing is recommended.

Spanish and English are the official languages, but Spanish is without a doubt the dominant language. Knowledge of Spanish will be very useful, although English is widely spoken. (Sometimes you will find yourself surrounded by Spanish speakers only, but be sure that in every store, restaurant, medical and/or government facilities, they would search around and find one person, who knows enough English to help you.)

Puerto Rico has a population of 3.6 million inhabitants. The population in Puerto Rico is made up of various peoples. Their diversity is the result of the mixing of different ethnic groups that, at one time or another, (Taino Indians, Africans, Spaniards and others) settled on the island. Puerto Rico has one of the highest population densities in the world. The average size of a Puerto Rican family is about 3.5 people, and the average family income is between $25,000 and $26,000 per year. The unemployment rate in Puerto Rico is around 13.5%.

Robbery and theft does happen occasionally as any place else, but you need not be concerned. Just don't be too careless. Women can wear as much jewelry as they want anywhere (as the locals do) with no fear.

Always keep a copy of your documents with you. Take precaution and make copies of your important documents. Keep a copy at home. Take a copy with you and leave the originals in a safe place in your hotel room or wherever you are staying.

Bring enough prescription medication for your stay. Unexpected delays and extended stays can upset your medication regimen. Similar to the United States, pharmacists cannot distribute prescription medications without authorization from a doctor.

No vaccinations are required for visitors to Puerto Rico. However, those arriving from, or transiting through countries where a health epidemic has been formally declared, may need proof of vaccination before they can enter the island.

It is a good idea to take out travel insurance covering cancellations, lost or stolen property, injury, and illness. You're likely to have partial or complete coverage.

Some credit and charge cards provide health insurance for travelers.

Executive power is held by the Governor, who is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 4-year term, assisted by a 15-member Cabinet staffed by appointees. A bicameral assembly, a scaled-down version of the US Congress, is responsible for legislation. The Lower House has 53 members; the Senate has 27.

Phone cards or calling cards and IDD service are readily available. Long-distance services from AT&T, MCI, and Sprint make calling home relatively convenient and let you avoid hotel surcharges.

Airmail to Western Europe takes up to a week.

The San Juan Star (English-language newspaper), El Vocero de Puerto Rico and El Nuevo Día.

To connect to the Internet visitors must call their service provider in the USA or Europe, and pay the long distance rates, or establish a temporary account with a local service provider.

The electrical current in Puerto Rico is 110 volts/60 cycles, exactly the same as in the continental U.S. and Canada.

U.S. citizens do not need a passport, but need to have some form of official government issued picture identification to enter Puerto Rico such as a current driver’s license or a photo-identification card issued to non-drivers by a state’s motor vehicles department.

The passport and visa requirements for entering Puerto Rico are the same as for entering the USA. Non US and Canadian citizens must have a valid passport, but always its better to consult your travel agent before book your tickets. However, citizens of many Western European countries, Australia, New Zealand and Japan can take advantage of a US reciprocal visa waiver program if they intend to stay less than 90 days.

• Passport Services
• U.S. State Department - Passport Services and Information
• Visa Services
• Foreing Entry Requirements

Visitors over the age of 21 may bring the following items into the United States duty-free: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars (but not cigars from Cuba) or 4½ pounds of tobacco, 1 quart of spirits or wine, and gifts or articles up to a value of US$100. Narcotics and dangerous drugs are prohibited; fresh meat, fruit, vegetables, and plants are either prohibited or restricted.

Importation of animals is prohibited without an Import Permit. Proper health documents must be produced and the Government Veterinary Officer must be notified of the port of entry and the expected time of arrival.

If you're departing for the U.S., your luggage will be inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure you're not carrying prohibited fruits and plants.

Free airline baggage allowances depend on the airline, the route, and the class of your ticket; ask in advance. In general, on flights within the US and on international flights between the United States and foreign destinations, you are entitled to check two bags---neither exceeding 62 inches, or 158 centimeters (length + width + height), or weighing more than 70 pounds (32 kilograms). A third piece may be brought aboard; its total dimensions are generally limited to less than 45 inches (114 centimeters), so it will fit easily under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment.

Airline liability for your baggage is limited to $1,250 per person flights within the United States. On international flights, the airlines' liability is $9.07 per pound or $20 per kilogram for checked baggage (roughly $640 per 70-pound bag) and $400 per passenger for unchecked baggage. Insurance for losses exceeding the terms of your airline ticket can be bought directly from the airline at check-in for about $10 per $1,000 of coverage; note that the coverage excludes a rather extensive list of items, shown on your airline ticket.

Before your trip, test your camcorder, invest in a skylight filter to protect the lens, and charge the batteries. You may be asked at security to turn on the computer to prove that it is what it appears to be. Videotape is not damaged by X-rays, but it may be harmed by the magnetic field of a walk-through metal detector, so ask that videotapes be hand-checked.
If your camera is new or if you haven't used it for a while, shoot and develop a few rolls of film before you leave. Always store film in a cool, dry place---never in a car's glove compartment or on the shelf under the rear window. Every pass through an X-ray machine increases films chance of clouding. To protect it, carry it in a clear plastic bag and ask for hand inspection at security.
Before you depart, check your portable computer's battery, because you may be asked at security to turn on the computer to prove that it is what it appears to be. At the airport, you may prefer to request a manual inspection, although security X-rays do not harm hard-disk or floppy-disk storage.

We advise travelers to always check with their travel agency, tour operator or airline about available insurance plans.

Marriage license papers may be requested in writing from the Dept. of Health, Demographic Registry Office, Box 11854, Fernandez Juncos Station, Santurce, PR 00910 (allow 2 months) or call (787) 728-7980.

• Both parties must appear at the City Court office to purchase a marriage license. Persons 16-17 years of age must have the consent of their parents or legal guardians to marry. Blood tests are required.
• If either party is a citizen or resident of a country other than the U.S, a declaration certifying that he or she is not married must be sworn before a Notary Public or other person authorized to administer paths in that country. This declaration must accompany the application.
  
  
• If applicable, divorce must be finalized in the state or country where it was granted. A divorced person must provide a 'certified' copy of his or her final divorce decree, and a person whose former spouse has died must provide a certified copy of death certificate with a raised seal prior to a marriage license being granted.
  
  
• Marriage license papers may be requested in writing from the Dept. of Health, Demographic Registry Office, Box 11854, Fernandez Juncos Station, Santurce, PR 00910 (allow 2 months) or call (787) 728-7980. With the above in hand you need to obtain a medical certificate from a physician in Puerto Rico, (VDRL blood test required) such document will expire in 14 days. Lastly you visit the Marriage License Bureau to have all the documents authenticated. Once your documents are in order youmay be married at the free weekly Judicial Center ceremony or at a $150-200 private ceremony (your hotel may set this up).
  
  
• Marriage Certificate Request Form by Mail

For more information contact the Puerto Rican Tourism Company at:

Puerto Rican Tourism Company

575 Fifth Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10017

(800) 223-6530 or (212) 599-6262, fax (212) 818-1866.

For brochures on the Paradores of Puerto Rico, call (800) 443-0266, fax (787) 721-4698.

Other Resources:

• Healthy Flying with Diana Fairechild
• Predeparture Planning
• Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory - Puerto Rico

Book your Trip!