Puerto Rico Travel Expert General Course

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert

General Course

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert General Course

Dear Travel Agent:

Thank you for joining us for the Puerto Rico Travel Expert (PRTE) General Course. Enclosed you will find a printed version of the online General Course. You may complete the exams at any time.

To receive your graduation certificate, gain access to the Rewards program, Master’s Course and Graduate Resources, it will be necessary for you to register at www.PRTERewards.com. Here you will find the complete online course and helpful resources, updated periodically. View each chapter of the General Course and enter in the exam answers at the end. Once this has been completed, click on “My Account” to print out your certificate of graduation; at this point, North America agents may also enter the Booking contests (accessed from the “Campus”).

For further information, contact the Puerto Rico Tourism Company at 212-333-0347 or 212-586-6262 , ext 350, 341 or 347.

For questions on online seminar functionality, e-mail Travel Agent Academy at [email protected] or call 877-727-0035 (English-speaking agents only; Spanish-speaking agents, please contact the PRTC directly).

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter One

Welcome to Puerto Rico!

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is proud to introduce you to one of the most amazing destinations in the Caribbean and perhaps the world. Our island offers a large variety of vacation options that range from coastal relaxation and ocean activities to the inland adventures found beyond our shores. Explore our beautiful landscapes, hundreds of years of history, four distinct cultures and - above all - friendly and good-spirited people who leave their mark on the hearts of everyone who visits.

We invite you to become educated about our great island, explore Puerto Rico for yourself, and share the inspiring, stimulating and unforgettable experiences with your clients.

Hassle-free Vacation

The choice of Puerto Rico for vacations and business meetings eliminates many of the hassles found in travel to other destinations. It couldn’t be easier to get here, or get around, once you arrive:

• No passport is required for U.S. citizens• No customs check• Just a short hop away by commercial air from major U.S. cities (as little as 2.5 hours)• Easy to explore: Puerto Rico’s most distant points are only a three-hour drive apart• U.S. currency & postal service

Puerto Rico – The All-Star Island

With 78 distinctive municipalities, virtually any type of special interest can be found here - from hiking in a forest or exploring a cave; to superb cuisine, a sizzling nightlife and exciting casinos; to romantic walks on a moonlit beach; to renting a car to discover small towns, fishing villages and an amazing variety of cultural activities, to an island escape with a stay in a Parador.

Puerto Rico has it all, including the perfect settings for weddings and honeymoons, and spectacular venues for meetings. The Puerto Rico Convention Center is the largest facility of its kind in the Caribbean.

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Charming Inns, Exciting Resorts

Puerto Rico features a wide range of accommodations, in every size and category, to suit the needs of all of your clients. They can escape to a secluded Small Inn, or Parador, or relax at one of many world class hotels and resorts located throughout the island. Puerto Rico’s hotel industry is hopping, with new properties (from modest to super luxurious), opening or being revitalized in every corner of the island.

Major Hotels & Resorts

Most of the best-known hotel names are represented in locations throughout Puerto Rico, from spectacular resorts on the beach (with every amenity from luxurious spas to action-packed casinos, a host of recreational options, golf, water sports and conference facilities) to a great variety of value-packed hotels on or near the beach, in the mountains, towns and villages, near historical sites and nature preserves, as well as at or near the airports.

Small Hotels/Inns/Guesthouses

The small hotels, inns and guest houses (many offering bed-and-breakfast arrangements), along with a number of eco-lodges, can be found in the metropolitan area as well as throughout the island. There are family-oriented inns with ocean views, a Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in a restored Spanish villa, small European-style bed-and-breakfast hotels a short walk from the beach, a hillside villa with a panoramic forest view, full-service facilities with pools and direct beach access, a restored 16th-century former convent in the heart of Old San Juan, a former Spanish sugar plantation great house, one and two-bedroom villas set in 40-acres of nature preserves. The choices are endless.

Paradores

Best known for their affordable rates and picturesque, out-of-the-way, locations, each of our 15 country inns offers a comfortable starting point for nearby exploration. These accommodations, outside of metropolitan San Juan, offer true Puerto Rican hospitality.Paradores range from centuries-old haciendas to small properties in local fishing villages. Quite often, the Parador’s restaurant is also part of the Mesones Gastronomicos program which designates restaurants featuring genuine Puerto Rican cuisine with the highest level of quality, high standards, and the best local dishes at reasonable prices. As you drive around the island, you often see the Parador symbol. The word Parador in the name of the property is reserved for properties meeting and maintaining the required standards for this program.

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Dining

Puerto Rico features a wealth of exceptional dining choices, with options including just about every international cuisine, but be sure to tell your clients to sample Criollo cuisine,a blend of Taino, Spanish and African influences incorporating all kinds of delicious fruits and vegetables, unforgettably savory rice dishes, meat and poultry, as well as the abundant seafood from local waters. They will find Criollo cuisine at its best at any one of the 26 traditional eateries participating in the Mesones Gastronomicos Program sponsored by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Cruises

Many of your clients will be visiting Puerto Rico for the first time on a cruise itinerary affording you the opportunity to increase sales by adding pre- and post-cruise programs.

Beaches

Puerto Rico boasts quantity, quality and variety in its beaches. Just a few of these spectacular locations include:

• Carolina Isla Verde (a complete resort zone within the borders of San Juan-Carolina) Blue Flag

• La Monserrate, popularly known as Luquillo (Puerto Rico’s most famous in the eastern region) Blue Flag

• El Escambron (in San Juan) Blue Flag• Punta Salinas (in Toa Baja) Blue Flag• Seven Seas (Las Cabezas Nature Reserve, on the eastern tip of Fajardo) Blue Flag• Flamenco (Culebra Island, access via the Fajardo ferry terminal)• Pelican Beach (Caja de Muertos Island, embark from southern Ponce) Blue Flag• Jobos (near Punta Borinquen in western Aguadilla)• Caña Gorda (along the southern shore, near Guanica)• Balneario SunBay, Vieques• Balneario Boquerón, Cabo Rojo• Also the following Marinas are certified under the Blue Flag Program: Puerto del Rey &

Puerto Chico, both are in Fajardo

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History/Culture

Puerto Rico is the perfect choice for clients interested in history and culture. On one small island, 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, you can experience hundreds of years of history and four distinct cultures - Indian, Spanish, African and American. Perhaps the best time to experience these influences is during one of the islands many festivals, holidays and other special events.

Sample Activities

• Explore ancient Taino ceremonial parks, in Ponce and Utuado• Compare two of the oldest and most architecturally interesting Spanish Colonial

churches: San Jose and La Capilla del Cristo in Old San Juan• Marvel at a 19th century coffee plantation in action; several are open to visitors and two,

tucked in the mountains, now operate as inns• Visit the two largest and most complex castle-like fortifications built by the Spaniards in

the New World: Ponce de Leon’s Casa Blanca and Palacio de Santa Catalina, the oldest Governor’s Residence, still in use, both in Old San Juan

Nature/Adventure

The archipelago of Puerto Rico shelters an impressively diverse array of natural wonders, easily reached on a day’s outing - tropical rain forests, palm-shaded beaches, caves and river canyons, mangrove forests, bioluminescent lagoons, bird-rich dry scrub, and a central mountain range more than 4,000 feet high.

The following are just a few of the highlights waiting for your clients:

• Spelunking and hiking in the Rio Camuy Caves region• Diverse zipline adventures, including one of the single largest zipline rides in the world• Bird watching and exotic wild garden viewing in El Yunque Rainforest (a UNESCO

Biosphere Reserve)• Hiking in Guanica Dry Forest. Wonder at the amazing organ pipe cacti, or go scuba

diving along the beachside• Body rafting down the Tanama River, or exploration of the Charco Azul (blue pond)

nearby• Night-time kayaking on Puerto Rico’s Bioluminescent Bays• Surfing in the western coastal towns of Rincón, Isabela, Aguadilla and Aguada• View one of the many waterfalls in the Central Region (Utuado, Orocovis, Adjuntas)

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Ecotourism products endorsed by PRTC

• Batey Zipline, Utuado• Aventuras Cueva Ventana, Arecibo• Black Beard Sports, Vieques• Water Sports and Eco Tours, Reserva Natural Efraín Archilla Diez in Humacao

Romance

Puerto Rico is the ideal setting for romantic vacations. From opulent hotels to delightful restaurants and sizzling clubs, from wind surfing to lazing in the sun, from gallery hopping to serious shopping, Puerto Rico has the perfect settings for weddings and honeymoons.

Sample Activities

• A moonlight walk along the beach• A stroll through picturesque Old San Juan• A walk along a rainforest trail• An exploration of the Bahia Urbana waterfront in San Juan• A scenic horseback ride• A carriage ride through Ponce City, the Pearl of the South• A tour of the dozens of Art Galleries in Old San Juan

Family Fun

Ideal for families vacationing together, Puerto Rico is filled with endless activities every member of the family can enjoy. Opportunities such as:

• Hands-on nature exhibits at the only U.S. tropical rainforest, El Yunque (about an hour east of San Juan)

• A discovery of centuries-old forts in Old San Juan and in Vieques island• A visit to Museo del Nino. They’ll meet new friends, kid’s age, and local scholars• A city tour by horse-drawn carriage ride in Ponce• The awesome sights at Arecibo Observatory, with the largest radio telescope dish in the

world• Ice skating at the arena in Aguadilla• A tour of Juan A. Rivero Zoo in Mayagüez

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Sports

Puerto Rico also is paradise for active vacationers. Among the many activities for these clients are:• Golf on numerous spectacular courses• Scuba diving and snorkeling (average water temperature of 82 degrees and underwater

visibilities of 65 to 75 feet near the beach and 100 feet or more offshore)• Sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, jet skiing, parasailing• Deep sea-, shore-, spear- and lake fishing in several styles• Horseback riding• Hiking• Tennis• Sailing• Motor- and mountain biking; 4-track running, jeep and other exotic car touring

Fast Facts

• Capital: San Juan. This is the main point of entry for Puerto Rico and the oldest city under the U.S flag.

• Language: Both Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico.• Main International Airport: Luis Muñoz Marín (SJU) International Airport (just outside of

San Juan).Sample Travel Times• 2 ½ hours from Miami• 3 ¼ hours from Atlanta• 3 ¼ hours from New York• 3 hours from Washington, DC• 4 ¼ hours from Toronto• 5 ½ hours from Chicago and Dallas• 7 ½ hours from Los Angeles• 3 ½ hours from Boston

• Entry Requirements: No passport is required for U.S. citizens traveling between Puerto Rico and the U.S.

• Climate: Average temperature of 83F (22.7C) in the winter and 85F (29.4C) in the summer.

• Geography: The island of Puerto Rico (100 miles long and 35 miles wide) is almost rectangular in shape, and is the smallest and the most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. In addition to the principal islands, the other Islands of Puerto Rico are: Vieques, Culebra, Caja de Muertos, Mona and other beautiful little islands and cays.

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Getting Around

• Trolleys: The Old San Juan Trolley Tours is free of charge and is a great way to move around the Old City.

• Car Rental: Renting a car is fairly easy and the most convenient way to explore Puerto Rico’s unlimited beauty. Most of the well-known car rental companies can be found at the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport and in and around the larger cities. Local companies offer competitive prices and great service.

• AMA: The Metropolitan Bus Authority, or AMA, is Puerto Rico’s public bus transportation system. If clients are not in a hurry, the AMA is a cheap way to get around the Metro Area. Each ride costs 75 cents for adults, 60 cents for students. Bus routes are identified with a letter followed by a number and most service routes stop at 10:00pm.

• Ferries: There are two ferry stations in Puerto Rico, the Acuaexpreso in Old San Juan and the Fajardo Station. Acuaexpreso is located at Pier 2 and for 50 cents per person (25 cents for children), it takes travelers to Cataño, a short taxicab ride from the Bacardi Distillery and its tours. The Fajardo Station is used for travel between the mainland and the islands of Culebra and Vieques. One-way tickets are $2 for Vieques, $2.25 for Culebra for ages 12 to 59; $1 both islands for ages 3-11; $1 both islands, ages 60-74; both islands free for passengers 75 or older. Capacity is limited, as are the departure times.

• Tren Urbano: The Tren Urbano, or “urban train,” is an efficient way to move around certain parts of the Metro area or to just tour some of the urban areas. The Tren Urbano operates from 5:30am to 11:30pm daily and costs $1.50; 75 cents for students, the handicapped and those 60 years of age and older. It’s part of a public transportation system that works together with the public bus system and covers most of the Metro area.

• Taxi: Taxis are a good and fairly inexpensive way of getting around Puerto Rico. Clients can either wave one down on the street or call one by phone and they’ll take them anywhere in Puerto Rico. Some taxis have fixed rates and some are metered, it all depends on where you’re going.

Regions of Puerto Rico

East: Fantastic beaches, golf courses, nature reserves, impressive underwater reefs and small cays. The East is home to El Yunque, the only subtropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service and noted as a Biosphere Reserve. It has miles of trails for observation of its many species of flora and fauna, including the coqui - the official mascot of Puerto Rico. This region also boasts the quaint off-shore islands of Vieques and Culebra. In the 2014 Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, Vieques was named among the Top 10 Islands in the Caribbean and Flamenco Beach in Culebra was voted among the Best Beaches in the World.

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Central “Porta Cordillera”: This important agricultural area with its unique mountainous terrain is world-famous for its coffee and noted for is outdoor adventure opportunities and numerous natural attractions, including its beautiful waterfalls. The area also is rich in archaeological sites, annual festivals and shopping opportunities for unusual items from noted local artists.

South “Porta Caribe”: Explore 12 towns, beautiful beaches and enchanted forests, freshwater lakes for fishing, golf courses, fishing villages and carnival-style festivities. In Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second largest city, you’ll find stately Victorian homes, Serralles Castle and Destilería Serrallés, producer of Don Q, authentic Puerto Rican rum. Clients can fly into Ponce Airport (PSE). Incredible special fares are available from New York and Orlando.

West “Porta del Sol”: Porta del Sol is the land of magical sunsets. Discover some of the world’s greatest surfing areas and beaches, excellent seafood, outstanding coastal forests and unique coffee and sugar farms, numerous regional festivities, and several golf courses and marinas. The region is the home of Medalla Puerto Rican beer and the Mayaguez Zoo. Porta del Sol is the site of an important secondary airport in Aguadilla (BQN), with direct air service from eastern cities such as New York, Newark, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale year-round.

North “Porta Atlantico”: Filled with historic sites, beaches, lagoons, lakes, caves and forests. In the heart of the north is Arecibo, the island’s fourth-oldest city, settled in 1616. This region is home to famous Rio Camuy Cave Park, Arecibo Observatory and Barceloneta Outlets.

San Juan Metro: Greater San Juan - one of the top-25 metropolitan areas in North America - bustles with big-city business, culture and entertainment. However, on the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, visitors travel 500 years back in time. The massive fortifications of San Juan have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old San Juan is a seven-block museum, but also contains living neighborhoods, with plenty of places in which to party, dine, shop and stay.

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter One Exam

(circle each correct answer)

1. You can find the perfect setting for your Wedding/Honeymoon clients from a myriad of choices throughout the island.• True• False

2. Which of the following spectacular beach locations in Puerto Rico is found on the small island of Culebra? • Flamenco Beach• Cana Gorda• Isla Verde

3. Which of the following is among the many History/Culture experiences which may be enjoyed in Puerto Rico?• Investigate ancient Indian ceremonial parks• Explore Spanish Colonial churches• See a 19th century coffee plantation in action• Explore vast castle-like fortifications• All of the above

4. Among the many family-friendly attractions found in Puerto Rico are hands-on nature exhibits found at?• San Sebastian• El Yunque• Karst Forest

5. Which of the following nature/adventure experiences is available in Puerto Rico?• Cave exploration• Bioluminescent Bay kayaking• Rainforest exploring• All of the above

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Two - Accommodations/Meetings

Charming Inns, Exciting Resorts

Puerto Rico’s hotel industry is hopping with new properties suiting the needs of every customer (from modest to super luxurious) opening or being revitalized in every corner of the island. Puerto Rico expects to double its hotel rooms to more than 28,000 in the 10-year period between 2014 and 2024. Among the many new developments are five-star properties such as the Olive Hotel at Condado, Royal Isabela and Ritz Carlton Reserve.

What are the key ingredients for their dream vacation?

• Relaxing, romantic, secluded beach escape for two• Quality time to reconnect with their spouse and children• Plenty of day and night action with all the facilities and amenities• Close to shopping, restaurants, nightlife• Combination of fun in the sun with excursions, cultural activities• Pampering – luxurious accommodations, spa facilities• Getting in touch with nature; adventure activities• Learning experience – explore, learn about the people, the place, the culture• Scuba, water sports• Play in the Golf Capital of the Caribbean

The combinations are endless, and each is easily accommodated in Puerto Rico.

Location, Location, Location

Once you have established your clients’ wants and needs, you can match them with the perfect location. (Be sure to take advantage of the information found in this course, the Master’s Course and at SeePuertoRico.com to help you with this).

Length of stay

You can suggest a combination of stays in different areas that match these different interests. For example, suggest four days of action in and around San Juan to take in the sites, shopping and nightlife; three days on the islands of Vieques or Culebra to get away from it all, reconnect and enjoy pure relaxation. Or the reverse, the number of days in each would depend on the weight of the special interest. Perhaps the perfect match is a stay in a town center near historic and cultural sites, followed by time at a resort. Or, maybe a stay with a focus on nature/adventure activities, followed with time spent in a cultural center would work for them. And on, and on.

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Choice of Accommodations

Now that you know your clients’ special interests and the locations that best serve their interests, you can bring the length of stay, budget and type of accommodations into play.The choice of accommodation type may be dictated by location, budget, need for seclusion or non-stop activity, particular facilities required, need for multiple choices in facilities or grade of facilities.

Paradores: As you drive around the island, you often see the Parador symbol. The word Parador in the name of the property is reserved for properties meeting and maintaining the required standards for this program. Best known for their affordable rates and picturesque, out of the way, locations, each of our 15 country inns offers a comfortable base for nearby exploration. These accommodations, outside of metropolitan San Juan, are a collection of family-operated country inns offering true Puerto Rican hospitality.

Paradores range from centuries-old haciendas to small properties in local fishing villages. Quite often, the Parador’s restaurant is also part of the Mesones Gastronomicos program which designates restaurants featuring genuine Puerto Rican cuisine with the highest levels of quality, high standards and the best local dishes at reasonable prices.

Small Hotel or Inn: The small hotels, inns and guest houses (many offering bed-and-breakfast arrangements), along with a number of eco-lodges, can be found in the metropolitan area as well as throughout the island.

You can find family-oriented inns with ocean views; a Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in a restored Spanish villa; small European-style bed-and-breakfast hotels, a short walk from the beach; a hillside villa with a panoramic jungle view; full-service facilities with pools and direct beach access; a 16th century former convent, in the heart of Old San Juan; a former Spanish sugar plantation great house; one and two-bedroom villas set in 40-acres of nature preserves, the choices are endless.

Hotels & Resorts: Most of the best-known hotel names are represented in locations throughout Puerto Rico, from world-class resorts on the beach – with every amenity from luxurious spas to action-packed casinos, a host of recreational options, golf, water sports and conference facilities – to a great variety of value-packed hotels on or near the beach; in the mountains, towns and villages; near historical sites and nature preserves; at or near the airports.

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Choice of Accommodations (cont.)Green Hotels, Endorsed by PRTC: Casa Sol, Viejo San Juan; HIX Island House, Vieques; Parador Turtle Bay, Lajas; Parador Villas del Mar Hau, Isabela

Agrotourism Products Endorsed by PRTC: Hacienda Tres Ángeles, Adjuntas; Café Lucero, Ponce; Café Nativo, Jayuya; Hacienda Plenitud, Las Marías. Green Hotels Endorsed by PRTC: Casa Sol, Viejo San Juan; HIX Island House, Vieques; Parador Turtle Bay, Lajas; Parador Villas del Mar Hau, Isabela.

Meetings in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is seeing sell-out exhibitions, record convention attendance and brisk convention bookings. Added to this, the transformation of Puerto Rico’s hotel infrastructure with its many new hotels, significant property upgrades, increased airlift and other improvements ensure that Puerto Rico is at the top of the list for meetings and conventions sites.

What are the key ingredients of their dream meeting or incentive?

• All the conveniences and facilities found in the U.S.• No passport required for U.S. citizens• The most technologically advanced facilities in the Caribbean• Full conference facilities for 300 to 10,000• Intimate venues for 50• Customized events in unique locations• Customized tour, leisure arrangements

Puerto Rico has it all!

MeetPuertoRico.com

MeetPuertoRico.com provides up-to-date information about planning a convention, exhibition, sports or group event in Puerto Rico. This is the one-stop provider for assistance in Planning Your Event, Promoting Your Event and Managing Your Event. The website’s hotel information provides an extensive list of properties, with basic information on each, including meetings facilities available.

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Below are some of the many categories of information you’ll find on the site or by request.

Puerto Rico Convention Center: Details on this state-of-the-art facility accommodating up to 10,000 delegates.

Special Events: Ideas for themed events, from a Conquistadores Night to Tropical Rain Forest Extravaganzas

Unique Venues: Find out about sites that provide unique venues for special events with a taste of Puerto Rico’s history and culture.

By working with MeetPuertoRico.com, you’ll have an on-site island liaison to coordinate between your choice member-suppliers, from hotels and resorts to catering and decorations.

Weddings: From opulent hotels offering complete beachside wedding services, to a mountain retreat, a rainforest villa or a romantic hotel in Old San Juan, you can find the unique setting that’s just right for each of your destination wedding clients.

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Two Exam


1. Puerto Rico expects to double its hotel rooms to more than 28,000 between 2014 and 2024.• True• False

2. Puerto Rico’s wide range of accommodations suit clients with a primary interest in?• A relaxing, romantic, secluded escape on the beach for two• Plenty of day and night action with all the facilities and amenities• Combination of fun in the sun with excursions, cultural activities• Getting in touch with nature; adventurous activities• Play in the Golf capital of the Caribbean• Scuba, water sports• All of the above

3. Where are Puerto Rico’s small hotels and inns located?• In metropolitan areas• In the countryside• Throughout the island

4. Puerto Rico’s Paradores are operated by?• Well-known hotel chains• Families• Municipalities

5. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is the one-stop provider for assistance in planning your meeting or convention. Comprehensive information on all aspects of Puerto Rico meeting planning is found at?• MeetPuertoRico.com• PuertoRicoMeetings.com• MeetInPuertoRico.com

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Three - Puerto Rico for Families

Family-friendly Puerto Rico is the place to be for attractions where time seems to stand still, allowing your clients to build memories to last a lifetime. Grandparents, parents, their children and friends can get in touch with nature at the many spectacular parks and beaches; share learning experiences at historic and cultural sites, towns and small villages; visit the Children’s Museum in Carolina (787-257-0261 or 787-257-0216; open Wednesday through Friday 9 am-5pm; Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 10am-6pm); or, they can get away from it all on the off-shore islands of Vieques and Culebra.

Suggest Your Clients Rent a Car and Explore

Outside metro San Juan, Puerto Rico has a total of 78 municipalities, most with interesting attractions and excellent hotels, small inns and Paradores to use as comfortable modern bases to explore the surroundings. Your clients also will enjoy dining with the locals at the many Mesones Gastronomicos (recommended family-friendly restaurants featuring local produce) found along the way.

Nature Parks

Humacao Wildlife Refuge: Established in 1984, the Humacao Wildlife Refuge is located on the east coast of Puerto Rico (about an hour’s drive from San Juan). Within this reserve you’ll find iguanas and 30 species of birds; numerous trails for walking, biking and light hiking; kayaking; a beautiful beachfront; spectacular views of the coast; an area with picnic pavilions, and remains from the area’s history as a sugar plantation. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Río Camuy Cave Park: In less than two hours driving time, west of San Juan, clients can share the excitement of Río Camuy Cave Park, a 268-acre ecosystem, part of this hemisphere’s most impressive subterranean cave network. Visitors and guides board trams that take them through dense tropical vegetation down to the mouth of Clara cave. Trams also stop at the 650-foot-wide Tres Pueblos sinkhole, where special platforms allow visitors to view the river passing 400 feet below. Open 7 days, 8:30am to 3:45pm.

El Yunque Rainforest: Just a short, 35-mile drive from San Juan, here your clients can stroll through the treetops on a 60-foot elevated walkway; enjoy hands-on exhibits at the El Portal Rainforest Center; take a short hike to a waterfall, and cool down with a swim in natural pools. El Yunque is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and should not be missed.

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Indian Sites

Tibes Ceremonial Park (Ponce): The largest Taino ceremonial center in the West Indies, this 32-acre site was used more than a thousand years before the birth of Christ. The area is famous for its ceremonial bateyes (courts), one of which measures 118 feet long. Surrounding each court are tombstone-like rocks, displaying petroglyphs (ancient symbols etched by the Tainos). A reconstruction of a Taíno village helps visitors to understand their way of life. Guided tours in English and Spanish are available. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00am to 3:30pm. Closed on Monday.

Caguana Ceremonial Park (Utuado): Near Utuado, in the center of the island, a two-hour drive west of San Juan, is Caguana Indian Ceremonial Park, believed to be among the most sacred Taíno Indian sites in the West Indies. A ceremonial ballgame was played here, and more than 30 courts where these games were played are on view at the site today. A small museum here contains Indian artifacts, archaeological exhibits and a botanical garden. Open 7 days, 8:00am to 4:20pm.

The Arecibo Observatory

The Arecibo Observatory houses the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope, spanning almost 20 acres. It’s the only radio telescope that can accurately predict when and where an asteroid might collide with Earth, and was responsible for the first asteroid images in history.

Historic Sites, Towns & Villages

Hacienda Buena Vista (Ponce): Hacienda Buena Vista, located in the hills seven miles north of Ponce, is a “working” coffee plantation, dating from 1833 that recaptures rural life in 19th century Puerto Rico. The original owners donated many of the furnishings, and the Conservation Trust has purchased other authentic pieces.

Porta Coeli Museum (San German): San Germán, founded in 1573, is one of the oldest towns on the island and is one of only two that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Here, your clients will find Porta Coeli Religious Art Museum, once a church (dating from 1609) and believed to be one of the oldest buildings of its kind on U.S. territory, and many other well-preserved historic homes; a coffee plantation, and the impressive San Germán de Auxerre Church.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro: This fort, constructed from 1539 to 1789, stands on a rocky promontory dominating the entrance to San Juan Bay. With some of the most dramatic

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Historic Sites, Town & Villages (cont.)views in the Caribbean, El Morro boasts an intriguing labyrinth of dungeons, barracks, vaults, lookouts, and ramps. The entrance ticket also includes admission to Fort San Cristóbal, a huge fortress, begun in 1634 and reengineered in the 1770s, connected to El Morro via two tunnels. The fort has a Discovery Center for kids. The Discovery Center is open Wednesday through Sunday 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Old San Juan: A stroll around Old San Juan, will appeal to clients of every age. The best way to get a sense of the district, a seven-square-block area of cobblestone streets, 17th-century churches, historic buildings, cafes, and boutiques, is by walking.

Island Getaways

Vieques - 25-minute flight from San Juan; 10-minute flight from Fajardo, or 75 min ferry ride from Fajardo which is an hour’s drive from San Juan

Vieques is a unique island where your clients can relax and enjoy aquatic sports from its secluded beaches or share the excitement of eco-adventures. They can swim, take a boat trip or a kayak through the spectacular bioluminescence found in Mosquito Bay; ride a bike through the back roads of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge to view sea turtles, brown pelicans, the West Indian manatee, and other wildlife; learn about the sea creatures in the touch tanks at the conservation center, or visit Mirasol Fort.

Culebra - 30-minute flight from San Juan; 10-minute flight from Fajardo, or one-hour ferry ride from Fajardo which is an hour’s drive from San Juan

With less than 3,000 residents, this island oasis is even more laid-back than Vieques, and with its great beaches and few people, it is the perfect place for each member of the family to relax and reconnect with each other. In Culebra, your clients will find the Caribbean of long ago—a sun-swept seascape devoid of traffic and high-rise hotels. Here, they can sun, swim and snorkel on spectacular beachfronts such as Flamenco Beach.

Culebra also is the site of the Culebra Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important turtle-nesting sites in the Caribbean.

More Sites for Families

• Caguas Botanical and Cultural Gardens is a real tropical showplace of plants and small animals, including a number of museums, artwork exhibitions and a replica of a small typical farm.

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More Sites for Families (cont.)• The Cibuco Historical Tourism Center in Corozal is a beautiful theme park in the cool

Cordillera Central Mountain Range. The restored Hacienda Aurora’s grounds includes ecology and artisan’s paths, statues, a playground and a small lake, perfect spot for a picnic break.

• The Aguadilla Ice Skating Rink is a favorite spot for teens and young adults. It is the first ice skating rink in the Caribbean with training facilities for figure skaters.

• Mayagüez Zoo is a great place for the whole family, with lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, elephants and many other smaller animals all housed in tropical settings. The latest exhibits include an aviary and butterfly house. The aviary and butterfly house are open Wednesday through Sunday and Holidays, 9:30am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 3:00pm.

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Three Exam


1. Which of the following major nature sites in Puerto Rico offers the opportunity to stroll through the treetops on a 60-foot elevated walkway?• El Yunque Rainforest• Humacao Wildlife Reserve• Rio Camuy Caves Park

2. Which of the following attractions contains the largest radio telescope dish in the world?• El Yunque Rainforest• Humacao Wildlife Reserve• Arecibo Observatory

3. Families can swim, take a boat trip or kayak through the spectacular bioluminescence found at Mosquito Bay in?• Vieques• Ponce• Culebra

4. Clients of every age will be transported back in time when visiting an intriguing labyrinth of dungeons, barracks, vaults, lookouts, and ramps at?• Aibonito• El Morro• Punta Tuna

5. A seven-square-block area of cobble-stone streets packed with 17th century churches, historic buildings, cafes and boutiques is found in?• Old San Juan• Maunabo• Fajardo

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Four - Puerto Rico for Couples & Active Travelers

Your Couples & Puerto Rico: the Perfect Match!

Puerto Rico is Romance

• A moonlight walk along the beach• A stroll along a rainforest trail• A slow dance as the sun sets• A walk through the dozens of art galleries and shops in Old San Juan• A horseback ride through a coffee plantation• A carriage ride through Ponce, the Pearl of the South.

Couples can explore the Old City in the morning, head for the rain forest in the afternoon, watch the sunset on the beach, and spend an electrifying night on the town. Or, for the utmost in privacy and tranquility, they can spend a few days and nights on Puerto Rico’s small islands of Vieques and Culebra.

Whether your clients tie the knot in Puerto Rico, spend the first days of their marriage here or choose this island paradise to rekindle their romance, they will cherish the experience forever.

(Be sure to review Puerto Rico’s latest Wedding Planning and Package Guide)

Where to Stay

Whether your clients tie the knot in Puerto Rico, spend the first days of their marriage here or choose this island paradise to rekindle their romance, they will cherish the experience forever. Romance blooms in small mountain hideaways and deluxe beachside resorts where, should children be part of the picture, nannies step in so couples have time alone with each other. Whatever the dream is – to propose in the most romantic setting possible, to take a horseback ride after a beachside wedding, snorkel their honeymoon away, or just get cozy in a hammock for two – it can be fulfilled in Puerto Rico.

While larger resorts may have their own onsite wedding coordinator, smaller properties may just as easily provide you with all the help you need to make your clients’ Caribbean celebration something out of this world. Whether they are seeking to marry at a low-key ceremony or at a big bash with family and friends, want an unforgettable honeymoon or simply indulge in a romantic getaway with their one and only, Puerto Rico has it all.For assistance in finding the right property to fit your couples’ needs, go to www.SeePuertoRico.com.

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Indulgent Spas

Couples looking to pamper themselves will be pleased to find a myriad of luxurious spa options. Among the most luxurious spas in Puerto Rico are the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Spa and the Botanic Spa at the Ritz Reserve in Dorado. Just a few of the many other options include the prestigious Golden Door Spa at the El Conquistador Resort & Spa and Las Casitas Village; Remede Spa at the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, and AWAY Spa at the W Vieques Retreat & Spa.

Shopping

Just about every traveler to Puerto Rico will want to take advantage of the myriad shopping opportunities. Puerto Rico has the largest shopping center in the Caribbean, Plaza las Americas, in Hato Rey. It features over 300 stores selling everything imaginable from pottery and the latest fashions to local cuisine.

Known as the tourist mecca of Puerto Rico, the El Condado area has brand-name stores such as Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo. Outside of San Juan, serious shoppers looking for a bargain will want to head for the Outlet Mall 66 in Canovanas, and the Prime Outlets in Barceloneta.

Spectacular Nightlife

Puerto Ricans truly know how to party, and singles will find activities for every night of the week. San Juan’s nightlife has a reputation that combines the hip of New York with the hot of Miami, keeping locals and tourists up until the wee hours of the morning. From the many bars and nightclubs with live music and dancing, to close to 23 hotel and resort casinos, all featuring the latest state-of-the-art technology, the choices are endless.

Casa Bacardi

Casa Bacardi, a 15-minute drive from San Juan, is home to the Bacardi family’s extensive rum distillery. The Bacardi family has invested approximately seven million dollars into the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, which entertains and educates visitors. For just 50 cents, the center can also be reached by taking a ferry from Old San Juan to Cataño. Cataño is a short taxi ride from the distillery.

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Coliseums

Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum

The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico and has developed into the premier entertainment site on the island. The schedule has contained everything from major sports and musical concert events to circus entertainment.

Just a few of the celebrities that have performed here include Van Halen, Duran Duran, Usher, Lionel Richie, Hilary Duff, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Marc Anthony, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel. Sporting events range from boxing and wrestling, to basketball and football, ice hockey and more.

Roberto Clemente Coliseum (Hato Rey)

Another important venue for sporting events in Puerto Rico, the Roberto Clemente Coliseum is the largest two-level covered facility on the Island with air conditioning and has a 50,000 square foot arena for staging entertainment and sports events such as basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, martial arts and boxing.

Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum

Also a major venue for sports fans is this coliseum, named after Ruben Rodriguez, a legendary basketball player for the Bayamon Cowboys professional basketball team. It hosts the Cowboys as well as many major world title boxing fights.

Puerto Rico for Active Travelers

Whether your active clients are dreaming about spectacular surfing waves, a challenging golf course, or the perfect beach, Puerto Rico offers the active traveler a tremendous array of opportunities - surfing, golf, tennis, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving, horseback riding, windsurfing, parasailing, stand-up paddle-boarding and more.

They can hike 4,415 feet to the top of Cerro Punta, Puerto Rico’s highest peak; surf the swells at Rincón beach; take a moonlit nighttime excursion on Vieques’ or La Parguera’s Bioluminescent Bays, and scuba dive off Cayo Diablo, and swim with colorful fish, moray eels, octopus and an occasional manatee. From hiking to hang-gliding and rafting to rappelling, Puerto Rico provides an invigorating paradise for the active and adventurous traveler.

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Hiking

For the serious or leisure hiker, Puerto Rico’s renowned forests, the El Yunque Rain Forest and Guanica Dry Forest, offer marked trails and roads to explore a wide variety of plant and animal life. Enjoy the diverse hiking experiences of these forests. El Yunque has a lush green jungle-like atmosphere and cascading waterfalls, while Guanica Dry Forest has a desert like, yet colorful, expanse of land near one of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

Horseback Riding

Your clients can go horseback riding along a beautiful beach, follow a trail through a tropical rain forest, or amble through a spectacular plantation. Several ranches rent horses by the hour and offer guided tours and classes for beginners.

Fishing

Puerto Rico offers top class Deep Sea Fishing around the island. The ocean drops thousands of feet in a short run from the dock on most coasts. A whole array of offshore species can be caught year round, especially blue marlin, sailfish, dolphin fish, wahoo and tuna. Puerto Rico is one of the top 10 places for tarpon fishing.

Rigged fishing boats are available for charter in San Juan, Isla Verde, Humacao and Fajardo. Boats range in size from 28 to 61 feet. Smaller boats sized from 17 to 20 feet are available for harbor and lagoon fishing.

Golf

Puerto Rico has some of the finest golf courses in the Caribbean and Latin America, offering a wide variety of golfing experiences. There are many spectacular golf courses on the island, most of them championship caliber.

You don’t need to be a world champ to appreciate the beauty and variety of our courses. Golfers can choose from a wide range of breath-taking terrains showcasing natural wonders from mountain peaks to the sugar-white beaches and azure waters of the Atlantic. Most have been designed by golf luminaries such as Robert Trent Jones, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Rees Jones, Greg Norman, George and Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arthur Hills, and Puerto Rico’s own Chi Chi Rodriguez. The courses are feats of landscape architecture that impress golfers and non-players alike.

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Windsurfing, Sailing, Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddleboarding

For those looking to get close to the water, but not necessarily submerge in it, Puerto Rico offers many seafaring activities like windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

Surfing

World-class surfing can be enjoyed in nearly every part of the island, but particularly in Rincon and Isabela, Isabela was the site of the 2010 World Surfing Championships and both places are host to numerous other major competitions.

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling

Your dive clients can explore reefs that lie within a splash of their hotel room, or those that fringe remote islets far from shore.

They can start their scuba experience with an easy half-day resort course, or enjoy an advanced dive 100 feet below the surface. They will find beach dives, shallow dives, boat dives, wall and ledge dives, night dives, cave and wreck dives.

Pristine reefs, spectacular walls, intriguing caverns, and mangrove-topped cays define the tropical waters that surround Puerto Rico. They form the backdrop for dives that are as dazzling as any found in the Caribbean and as diverse as its marine life. Multitudes of fish coexist with endangered manatees and humpback whales. Corals abound, including species that are mere memories on other islands.

Since diving in Puerto Rico is one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets, many of its sites remain untouched. Every dive trip is still an adventure, every diver an explorer. Underwater visibility can exceed 100 feet, and land and water temperatures hover around 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Centigrade) all year round.

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Puerto Rico Travel Expert Chapter Four Exam


1. Puerto Rico’s appeals for couples are as varied as their special needs, among them incomparable opportunities for romance such as?• A swim in a phosphorescent bay• A stroll along a rainforest trail• A horseback ride through a coffee plantation• A carriage ride through Ponce, the Pearl of the South• All of the above

2. The best wedding arrangements are available at the larger resorts only• True• False

3. Which of the following is a top Puerto Rico liquor producer with a $7 million visitor center, allowing tourists to learn about and view the production process?• Medalla• Bacardi• Rioja

4. In Puerto Rico, the largest shopping center in the Caribbean is called Plaza Las Americas.• True• False

5. World-class surfing may be enjoyed in nearly every part of the island, but particularly in which areas?• Vieques• Rincon and Isabela• Mona

Date post:	11-Apr-2017
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