Travel advice for Puerto Rico
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for visiting Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico has a hot and sunny tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 26–80°F (27°C), but this can drop well into the teens at higher elevations in January and February.
The driest period of the year runs roughly between January and April, but the island doesn’t really have distinct dry and wet seasons – showers are possible year-round, though the southwest corner is extremely dry and the north coast gets twice as much rain as the south.
Rainfall usually picks up between May and October, and hurricanes are possible anytime between June and November, worth bearing in mind when deciding the best time to visit. Major hurricanes are mercifully rare, but can be devastating if they score a direct hit.
The peak tourist seasons run roughly from December to April and all of July and August. The winter sees North Americans flock to the island to escape cold weather, with San Juan inundated by cruise-ship visitors, while high summer is the vacation season for Puerto Ricans. Prices are highest and crowds thickest at these times, especially on the coast, and if you intend to visit at Christmas, New Year or Easter, book well in advance.
The island has also been a popular Spring Break destination in recent years, with thousands of US college students invading the main resorts between February and March – bear this in mind when reservation accommodation, especially if you want a tranquil experience.
A tip from Rough Guides: also find out the best ways to get to Puerto Rico.
One of Puerto Rico’s greatest attractions is its range and depth of festivals. Traditional festivals are thoroughly grounded in the island’s Spanish heritage, with African and Taíno elements added over the years to create a truly criollo mix.
These include the fiestas patronales or fiestas del pueblo observed by each of the 78 municipalities to honor patron saints – the main ones are listed below and in relevant chapters. Public vacations are marked with a (P) and include all US federal vacations, when government-run offices and attractions, as well as banks, will be closed. Stores and other businesses tend to close only on New Year’s Day, Three Kings’ Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. However, even if it’s not an official vacation, any of the festivals listed here can mean closures and time changes, so plan ahead.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for visiting Puerto Rico
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written by
Rough Guides Editors
updated 12.06.2024
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Discover Puerto Rico – Your go-to guide for travel tips and inspiration.
Discover Puerto Rico – Your travel guide.