Sights—The forts of El Morro and San Cristobal, which were built in the 1500s; San Juan Cathedral for its beautiful stained-glass windows; the Bacardi distillery; the pristine beaches of Isla Verde, Condado and Ocean Park; the lush vegetation of El Yunque National Forest in nearby Rio Grande.

Museums—The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico's regional art and sculpture garden; the Museo de Nuestra Raiz Africana's history of African culture; the Museo de Pablo Casals' collection of the cellist's personal effects and manuscripts; contemporary works by Puerto Rican and Latin American artists at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo.

Memorable Meals—Arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) or other classic Puerto Rican dishes at Ajili-Mojili; anything off the nouvelle Latino menu at the Parrot Club; excellent French food at Trois Cent Onze (311); fluffy pancakes and fresh orange juice for breakfast or pizza and stromboli for lunch at Danny's Pizza; mofongo (mashed plantains and garlic) or mahimahi at Soleil.

Nightlife—Dance the night away at Oyster Bar & Grille; roll the dice at any of the swanky hotel casinos; mingle with the local elite at the hip and hot Brava; see and be seen at Wet at the San Juan Water & Beach Club Hotel; soak up the authentic Puerto Rican ambience at the Nuyorican Cafe.

Walks—Explore Old San Juan on foot; catch a breath of air while passing by the oceanfront at La Ventana al Mar in Condado; take in the fresh ocean breeze on a stroll through the Luis Munoz Rivera park at the entrance of Old San Juan (opposite side of Escambron beach area); a walk along the Paseo Pinones Recreation Trail in nearby Loiza; the pleasant surroundings of the Rio Piedras Botanical Garden.

Especially for Kids—Interactive exhibits and puppet shows at El Museo del Nino; a petting zoo at Villa Campestre; a bike ride at the Luis Munoz Rivera park in Hato Rey; the planetarium at Luis A. Ferre Science Park; miniature golf, ice skating and other attractions at the Museo Historico de la Biblia.

San Juan is located on the northern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is made up of five urban centers: Old San Juan, Santurce, Hato Rey, Rio Piedras and Condado. Most tourist attractions are located in the Old San Juan, Condado and Isla Verde areas. Old San Juan occupies a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean, with the ancient Spanish fortress of El Morro (at the tip of the peninsula) marking the city's northernmost point. Moving eastward from Old San Juan, the modern hotels of the Condado and Isla Verde areas rise along the sands of the beach, and farther south, the gleaming glass towers of the Hato Rey banking district reflect the sun. Miramar, an upscale area between Santurce and Isla Grande, is bordered on one side with a path that provides spectacular views of the Condado lagoon. SoFo, the district south of Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan, is one of the city's trendiest entertainment hubs. South of the city are the cool green mountains that crisscross the center of the island.

After Columbus discovered the sparsely inhabited island of Puerto Rico in 1493, Spain sent Juan Ponce de Leon to establish a stronghold in a protected harbor on the northern coast. Spain used the city for the next four centuries as its gateway to the New World, as well as the base from which it defended its possessions in the Americas. Although the Dutch and eventually the British held the town for brief periods, the Spanish managed time and again to recapture San Juan. In 1898, however, the U.S. Army landed on the island during the Spanish-American War, and Puerto Rico was later ceded to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Paris that ended the conflict.

In 1917, the U.S. Congress granted Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. Two decades later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched Operation Bootstrap, which provided agricultural development, public works and electricity to the island. Puerto Rico has been a U.S. commonwealth since 1952. There have been three nonbinding plebiscites on statehood—the most recent in 1998—but the majority of the voters apparently prefer their current status to becoming the 51st U.S. state. Islanders enjoy U.S. citizenship and pay no federal income taxes, but they cannot vote in presidential elections.

San Juan continues to thrive as the business center of the island and the region. It's a manufacturing powerhouse which set the foundation for the island's growing presence of biotechnology developments, and it is a processing hub, with petroleum refineries and the famed Bacardi Rum distillery. Its port is one of the most active in the Caribbean—both for cruise and cargo ships—and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport is the region's busiest airport. Tourism is an important economic driver for the island, as is evidenced in the metro area's ongoing industry developments, including beachfront hotel expansions and the convention center in Isla Grande, which has a master plan to include a Sheraton hotel, as well as commercial and residential buildings to create a complete convention-center district.

Founded by Ponce de Leon in 1521, San Juan is the oldest city in U.S. territory—older than St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded in 1565.

Puerto Rico is known as the Island of Enchantment, and many choose to have their weddings on the island. There are several wedding planners in San Juan that cater to couples who want to marry in a tropical location—even with very little advance notice.

The coqui (a type of frog) can be found all over Puerto Rico. Its name comes from the lovely melody it sings in the evening: ko-kee, ko-kee. It is considered the island's unofficial animal.

Puerto Rico is a feature destination for a limited edition of the Parker Brothers Monopoly brand board game. The El Morro fort in San Juan is the board's main picture.

Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Isabela, a city on the island's northern coast, was recognized by Guinness World Records for his long life of 115 years. He attributed his longevity to a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol.

Puerto Rico is overflowing with beautiful women—just ask the 2006 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera. This beauty queen is the fifth titleholder from the island. Other Puerto Rican beauties who have won the crown are Denise Quinones (2001), Dayanara Torres (1993), Deborah Carthy-Deu (1985) and Marisol Malaret (1970).

Movies filmed in Puerto Rico include: Assassins, Contact, Bad Boys II, Amistad, Havanna Nights, Golden Eye, Captain Ron, Hector Lavoe and Christmas in Paradise.

Puerto Rico is the birthplace of the refreshing pina colada cocktail. The official creator of this tasty concoction of rum, pineapple and other ingredients is disputed, however—the Caribe Hilton Hotel and the Barrachina restaurant both lay claim to it.

Puerto Rico is considered the rum capital of the world. Besides its 450-year history of rum production, Puerto Rico is the only rum-producing nation that regulates production with laws to ensure great quality and taste.