Puerto Rico is a holiday resort situated on the largest of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria. It was once a small fishing port but is now home to hundreds of tourist hotels, many of them built on the terraces of the steep slopes rising up from the seashore.
Unlike many of the beaches in the Canary Islands which have black sand which has been eroded from the volcanic basalt rock from which the islands were formed, the main beach of Puerto Rico has soft, white sand, specially imported from the Sahara Desert. Although the Mediterranean is warm and the beach offers safe swimming, there are two public swimming pools just behind the beach. Reputed to be on the sunniest part of the island, Puerto Rico could be just the place to enhance your suntan.
For those seeking an active holiday rather than just lazing on the beach, Puerto Rico offers a wide range of water sports such as windsurfing, jet skiing and banana rides. There are tennis courts where racquets and balls can be hired and the courts are illuminated in the evening. If these aren’t adventurous enough you can try your hand at paragliding, skydiving and scuba diving.
Still on the theme of water based activities there are boat trips along the coast, cruises to watch the dolphins and trips in a glass-bottomed boat which allows you to view the underwater world.
There is plenty of nightlife to be enjoyed in Puerto Rico with many of the bars and restaurants having a “happy hour”, with reduced prices, commencing as early as 4 in the afternoon.
As mentioned many of the hotels and apartments are built on the sides of steep slopes and the access is by long flights of steps. People with walking difficulties are those with young children are advised to check that any accommodation they book is on more level ground.
