The Atlas Obscura Guide To Puerto Rico

55 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Puerto Rico

Updated November 22, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Puerto Rico

A blue glow in the waters of Mosquito Bay

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Mosquito Bay

The world's brightest bioluminescent bay.

Culebra, Puerto Rico

The Tanks of Flamenco Beach

Rusting, graffiti-covered tanks litter the beach of this island, once used by the U.S. military for target practice.

Humacao, Puerto Rico

Monkey Island

This small primate research island is teeming with playing, fighting wild monkeys.

Casa Bacardi

Cataño, Puerto Rico

Casa Bacardí

The bat-covered home of one of the world's most popular brands of rum is located on a tropical Art Deco campus.

Cemi Museum against the mountains

Jayuya, Puerto Rico

El Cemi Museum

This niche museum devoted to ancient religious artifacts is shaped like the very thing it displays.

Front view

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud (Chapel of the Holy Christ of Health)

This chapel on a cliff is renowned for its healing powers and was founded on the site of a supposed divine intervention.

Cueva Clara.

Quebrada, Puerto Rico

Cueva Clara

An enchanting natural wonder in Puerto Rico's Camuy River Park.

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Arecibo Observatory

The world's second largest single-dish radio telescope, once used to contact E.T.

See All 55 Things To Do in Puerto Rico

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Puerto Rico

Casa Bacardi

Cataño, Puerto Rico

Casa Bacardí

The bat-covered home of one of the world's most popular brands of rum is located on a tropical Art Deco campus.

Inside El Batey.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

El Batey

Everyone from Alan Ginsberg to The Rolling Stones has stopped by this classic dive bar.

The barrel room.

Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Ron del Barrilito

Puerto Rico's oldest rum producer started its 140-year-old business with "a little barrel."

Longaniza from Restaurant La Sombra

Orocovis, Puerto Rico

Ruta de la Longaniza

This "sausage route" features gorgeous views and family-owned restaurants.

See all 6 Places to Eat in Puerto Rico

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An Island Unlike Any Other

Hidden Things to Do in Puerto Rico

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History 12

Nature 7

Abandoned 7

Natural Wonders 6

Architecture 6

Beaches 6

Food 5

History & Culture 5

Ruins 5

Islands 5

Animals 5

Colonialism 4

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Stories About Puerto Rico

Mafra Palace Library is home to a colony of itty-bitty bats that keep its many historic volumes safe from pests.

5 of Our Favorite Podcast Episodes About Wildlife in Unexpected Places

Life finds a way, from the bats that haunt and hunt in a majestic library to a bird sanctuary in one of the most dangerous places in the world.

by The Podcast Team

January 12, 2024

Podcast: The Tanks of Flamenco Beach

Seaside views, complete with rusting, graffiti-covered machines of war.

by The Podcast Team

November 17, 2022

Traditional pitorro was once hard to find on the mainland.

The Mainland Distilleries Proudly Making Puerto Rico’s Beloved, Illicit Moonshine

Pitorro is imbued with a history of resistance.

by Sam Lin-Sommer

Podcast: San Juan Sound

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

Sponsored by Discover Puerto Rico

A queen conch eyes up the situation in waters off Turks and Caicos.

Inside a Queen Conch Nursery in Puerto Rico That May Help Save the Iconic Species

The region's first and only locally-run hatchery provides a boost for both fishers and the imperiled royal sea snail.

by Cynthia Barnett

A Puerto Rican rock frog has a number of adaptations for cave living, including large eyes.

Puerto Rico's Most Adorable Frogs Live in Caves and Fight Like 'Gummy Bears'

For one biologist studying the rock frogs' behavior, safeguarding their habitat is personal.

by Hannah Thomasy

November 9, 2021

Podcast: Arecibo Observatory

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

September 1, 2021

A small group of dedicated environmentalists has distributed fruit trees across Puerto Rico.

The Youth Reforesting Puerto Rico With Soursop, Papaya, and Avocado Trees

Food-filled parks are replacing what Hurricane Maria destroyed.

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