Hostels in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a country known for its many sites for rest and relaxation. It has a generally hot climate and attracts tourists from all over the world. There is also a lot to experience in the country in terms of adventures, relaxing on the beaches and more besides.

Before starting your adventure, you might be interested to know that Puerto Rico has many affordable hostels on offer throughout the country. These hostels are typically very clean and run by people who speak both Spanish and English.

If you get a hostel in San Juan, driving for about an hour brings you to the Rio Camuy cave system. This is a network of underground caves cut out by the third largest subterranean river in the world. It features over 220 caves, stretching out over ten miles. You can book guided adventure tours of the system and wander off the beaten path.

Another place that is good for exploring is La Parguera, a mangrove swamp in the southwestern part of the country. On this little islet, you will see species of birds, crabs, fish, dolphins, turtles, and even the occasional manatee. In fact, there are over 30 little islets in the region that are covered in mangroves. At night, the bay becomes luminous with the local flora.

Just south of the city of San Juan lies the Carite National Forest, one of the largest national parks in the country. At night, you can head over to the Mucaro area, where you can book a zip-lining experience and sip across the terrain. After this, you will be treated to stew and beer around a roaring fire.

If you would prefer something a little less fast-paced, you can book yourself a cycling tour around the country. Puerto Rico boasts over 370 miles of coastline that you can bike across. A cycling tour can last about three days in January. Each night, the cyclists in the tour tend to party hard to celebrate their accomplishments of the day.

In the northwester part of the country you'll find some of the best surfing in the world. Championship-level waves in Rincon can be surfed at the meeting point of the Atlantic ocean and the Caribbean see. In winter, waves can reach as high as 30 feet. During the winter months, you can also go whale watching at Rincon.

Hiking is another good way to make the most of what the country has to offer. Just east of San Juan lies the El Yunque rainforest. It is dotted with hiking trails and walking paths, which range in difficulty from easy to rugged. Check out the landscapes and the huge waterfalls. Predators don’t exist in this rainforest, although you will need to defend against mosquitoes.

If you plan on going diving instead, check out Las Cuevas de Desecheo (The Caves of Desecheo). You can’t enter the interior of the island without a permit because of a large amount of active, unexploded bombs left over from military training in the war. Just off the coast of the island lie the famous undersea caverns, canyons and arches which are perfect for scuba divers. While diving, keep an eye out for the wild Rhesus monkeys that were dropped on Desecheo way back when.

Handwritten by local expert for Puerto Rico hostels Jakob Lombardi