Puerto Rico

Old San Juan is one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas, a grid of blue cobblestone streets and pastel colonial houses squeezed between two forts. El Morro, the 16th-century fortress at the headland, is the essential visit: come late afternoon, walk the lawns out front where locals fly kites, and watch the light over the bay. Castillo San Cristóbal, its bigger sibling uphill, gets a fraction of the visitors.

Base yourself either in the old town itself (atmospheric, walkable, noisy at weekends) or in Condado and Isla Verde (beach resorts with better sand). The food hall at La Placita de Santurce is the classic night out: market by day, open-air salsa street party after dark.

El Yunque national forest is an hour from San Juan and the island's green heart: a misty rainforest of waterfalls, natural swimming pools and the sound of coquí frogs. The main trailheads and waterfalls (La Mina, Juan Diego) are reached on short, easy walks; go early, because parking at the popular spots fills by mid-morning.

Just east of the forest, Luquillo pairs a calm crescent beach with a famous row of kioskos, about 60 numbered food stands serving everything from fried pork to upscale seafood. This is the classic local Sunday plan and worth joining.

Puerto Rico has three of the world's five brightest bioluminescent bays, where microscopic plankton light the water electric blue around your kayak. Mosquito Bay on Vieques is the brightest anywhere on earth; go on a moonless night and don't skip it. Laguna Grande at Fajardo is the easiest to reach from San Juan.

Vieques and Culebra are the offshore islands, reached by small plane or the cheap (but chaotic) ferry from Ceiba. Culebra's Flamenco Beach regularly lands on 'world's best beach' lists; Vieques has wild horses, empty beaches and a slow, scruffy charm. Either justifies two nights, not a rushed day trip.

Rincón, on the west coast, is the surf capital, with waves from November to March and a laid-back expat scene. Nearby Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla is the locals' favourite for swimming and jumping off the pier. The southwest around Cabo Rojo has dramatic limestone cliffs, salt flats and some of the island's calmest water.

The mountainous interior is the least visited and most rewarding part. The Ruta Panorámica winds through coffee country; haciendas around Jayuya and Adjuntas do tours and tastings. Cooler air, mist and a completely different pace from the coast.

Puerto Rico uses the US dollar, US plugs and US phone plans work without roaming. English is widely understood in tourist areas but Spanish dominates everywhere else; a few phrases go a long way. Rent a car: there is no useful public transport outside San Juan, and the island is small enough (about 160 km across) that everything is a day trip from one or two bases.

The best months are December to April, dry and breezy. June to November is hurricane season, with September statistically the riskiest; prices drop considerably if you're willing to watch the forecast. Note that US pre-clearance means flying home is a domestic flight.