Ever since September 11th a lot of Americans no longer feel secure with air travel much less traveling outside of the security and comfort of the United States. In reality there is plenty to see by just traveling within the continental united sates. There is also Hawaii for those of us looking for a more tropical vacation destination. Hawaii is a great place to go to but there are the long travel hours we have to deal with especially those of us who live in the eastern united sates. Another option is Florida with its sand beaches and attractions like Nassau and Disney world. The other side of the coin is to find a warm tropical island getaway that offers the same security we have at home in the U.S.! So we are looking for a warm tropical island within the United States, that is just a short plane ride away, something with cultural history, clean blue ocean waters, sandy beaches and warm island breezes!

Puerto Rico is the jewel of the Caribbean with its mile long sandy beaches clear blue ocean waters and great warm island breezes. There is a whole new world to explore and enjoy in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, there is no currency exchange as they use the old American US dollar.

The island of Puerto Rico is located in the northern Caribbean Sea, some 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southeast of Florida. With the Dominican Republic to its west and the British Virgin Islands to its east, the commonwealth comprises the main island of Puerto Rico together with the smaller islands of Culebra and Vieques. On Puerto Rico, coastal plains and hills rise to the peaks of the Cordillera Central mountain range, which runs though the interior of the island. The island is dotted with rivers and lakes, and features a lush rain forest, El Yunque, in the northern plateau region.

Warm Caribbean currents keep Puerto Rico's climate temperate year-round. Temperatures rarely drop below 19C (66F) or rise above 32C (90F). Rain showers are frequent, with the most precipitation falling from May to December. Severe hurricanes can hit the islands between June and November.

There is plenty to due on the island for the adventurer in you or you can just sit and relax by a palm tree sip on a tropical drink with a good book and enjoy the warm island breezes. But if you are looking to get up and explore all that this island paradise has to offer here are just a few of the point of interest you should visit: