If you are thinking  about taking a Caribbean Vacation, you should consider Puerto Rico as your destination. Although it is recommended that you bring your passport when traveling to Puerto Rico, they are not necessary for United States citizens. If for any other reason just in case you decide to visit one of the many foreign islands that are less than an hour away by plane. The U.S. Virgin Islands are also part of the United States and are only a twenty minute flight away but differ greatly in culture.

Puerto Rico is officially a “self-governing unincorporated territory of the  United States”  which means that with very minor differences it’s like being in any part of the United States.  The only personal documents necessary to travel to Puerto Rico are the same as those required for any domestic flight, a government issued photo ID. The official currency is the US dollar and although Spanish is widely spoken, English is the official language. Puerto Rico inherited it’s Hispanic culture from 400 years of Spanish rule which ended when Spain ceded the island the United States in 1898. Puerto Ricans have held United States citizenship since 1917  but can also be Puerto Rican citizens under a law passed in 2006 but their United States citizenship supersedes their status as Puerto Ricans. The Puerto Rican Certificate of citizenship is not valid as a travel document and is largely symbolic.

The “Island of Enchantment” is home to 4 million people with more than a million living in the San Juan metropolitan area.  San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin (LMM) International Airport is the main gateway to Puerto Rico with nonstop flights from most large metropolitan areas of the mainland US.  LMM is also the hub for flights destined to islands further down the Caribbean. San Juan’s Cruise Port is also among the busiest in the world with many ships making their home port there year round.

So, have fun doing your research and consider a Puerto Rico Vacation, after all it’s America but foreign, tropical, safe  and fun.