When it comes to the United States, no place is as tropical, unique, or remarkable as Puerto Rico. Though Puerto Rico is a part of the Caribbean, it was colonized by the U.S. in 1898 and has since become the most culturally diverse part of our country. Because of this fact, Puerto Rico is easily accessible to American citizens. The island requires no passport for U.S. citizens to enter and accepts U.S. currency as its own. This culturally diverse and breathtaking exotic territory is an extremely unique location for travelers and locals alike. To truly experience all that Puerto Rico has to offer, you have to be willing to immerse yourself in the culture and the environment, which you won’t want to miss. Learn more about student travel to Puerto Rico below.
Discover Student Travel to Puerto Rico
Educational Discovery Tours is dedicated to helping student travelers get the most out of their international experience. Whether it’s watching student travel groups learn history first-hand, performing publicly in a world-class venue, or celebrating a graduation, we are here to make planning any kind of tours for students a breeze. Our student travel arrangements to Puerto Rico are some of the most unique and memorable experiences. Learn first-hand about the culture, language, music, history, and food of Puerto Rico with a tour guided by our experienced and enthusiastic team.
If you’re interested in traveling to Puerto Rico with your class or other groups, then take a look at the Puerto Rican Performance Tour Itinerary created by Educational Discovery Tours.
Experience Puerto Rican Food
Puerto Rican food is described as having a highly distinguishable flavor and being heavily seasoned, but not spicy. Herbs and spices are essential in Puerto Rican dishes. Some of the most popular on the island are oregano, bay leaves, garlic, parsley, cilantro, basil, and Caribbean thyme. The food here goes beyond the usual salty flavors of many American dishes providing a unique eating experience with each meal. A cooking staple in Puerto Rico involves the use of sofrito, a mixture of aromatic ingredients including vegetables, herbs, and spices. Sofrito is commonly used in Latin, Caribbean, and Mediterranean cultures to flavor beans, fish, meats, rice, and stews.
Some of the most popular dishes found in Puerto Rico include mofongo, arroz con gandules, arroz y habichuelas, tostones and amarillos, and lechon asado.
Experience Puerto Rican Culture
Puerto Rican culture is some of the most unique and diverse in the world. Early settlers of the island consisted of Spanish migrants and quickly expanded to include Taino Indians and Africans. Soon after, Chinese, Italian, German, French, and Lebanese immigrants began migrating to the area. This wide array of cultures led to the diversity and variety of traditions and lifestyles that make up the island.
The complex and colorful culture of Puerto Rico consists of vivid art, tropical vibes, and is highly environmentally focused. Both Spanish and English are considered official languages on the island of Puerto Rico, making communication quite simple. And cultural priorities on the island commonly focus around folklore, art, music, architecture, literature, and food which are all prized and respected by locals.
Since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, travel to the island for Americans is as simple as traveling to a different state – with just a bit more distance in between. American travelers can visit without the use of a passport and U.S. currency is used everywhere on the island. Cell phones and data plans also work perfectly in Puerto Rico for American travelers.
Experience Puerto Rican Music
Much of the music in Puerto Rico has been highly influenced by Spain, West Africa, and parts of the Caribbean and Europe. There’s a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy musically in Puerto Rico which makes it an ideal Performance Tour location. Some of the most popular genres of music in Puerto Rico include folk music, pop, reggaeton, merengue, salsa, guaracha, hip hop, dance, and Danza. A few famous Puerto Rican musicians include Hector Lavoe, Luis Fonsi, Jose Feliciano, and, of course, Ricky Martin.
Experience the Puerto Rican Environment
Puerto Rico is home to the United States only tropical rainforest, making it an extremely unique destination for many Americans. There are several nature reserves, beaches, forests, rivers, and secluded bays that can be found on the island. The beaches boast beautiful topaz waters where the warm sun shines down on the island all year long. The forests are home to waterfalls, indigenous vegetation, and unique wildlife. The tropical vibe on the island can be felt at every turn. From lush green forests to glistening bays and beaches, Puerto Rico is truly a sight to behold.
COVID Travel Guidelines
Travel restrictions and guidelines to Puerto Rico have been developed by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) and in part by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). These guidelines closely follow CDC travel recommendations and include:
- Social distancing (maintaining 6 feet apart from others)
- Mandatory face coverings in public settings
- Business mandates such as reduced building capacities and high standards of cleanliness
- Mandatory quarantine for those without a negative COVID test result
Travel procedures to Puerto Rico have been altered to keep travelers, guests, and locals safe. To accommodate every one’s needs, travelers will be required to take a few extra precautions when traveling to the island. These include:
- Filling out a Travel Declaration form. This can be done through the Puerto Rico Health Department’s online portal.
- Provide a negative PCR molecular COVID test within 72 hours of travel. This is either a viral nasal or throat swab.
- Show validated proof of a negative viral test result.*
For more information regarding Puerto Rico travel guidelines, visit Discover Puerto Rico.
*All tests must be completed prior to entry into the island, even travelers who have received the vaccine. No rapid tests will be accepted as their results are commonly unreliable.
Plan Your Student Travel Vacation to Puerto Rico with Us!
Educational tours with EDT are fun, well-organized, and memorable. We have trip leaders that are friendly, knowledgeable, and are able to build an immediate rapport with their students. Our experience in educational student travel has allowed us to provide exceptional experiences to students, teachers, and chaperones on hundreds of trips across the world.
Start planning your Puerto Rican Performance Tour today! Contact us for a free quote and we’ll help you develop an itinerary that’s designed specifically to meet your needs. You won’t want to miss out on the adventure of discovering all that student travel to Puerto Rico has to offer.
