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28.04.2021 17:59:36
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See full version: Major Festivals and Holidays in Puerto Rico
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Smith Photographers / Getty Images [links]
During the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, Ponce celebrates Puerto Rico's version of Mardi Gras. The Ponce Carnival is the most celebrated and colorful festival on the island. It's also one of the oldest, dating back to the 1700s. Locals and tourists alike descend on the island for the occasion, and the main draw are the vejigantes, which are costumed characters donning wildly vivid demon masks. It's a fun, raucous event marked by thumping bomba y plena music, massive crowds, and hordes of masked revelers. The festival concludes on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday with the Entierro de la Sardina, or Burial of the Sardine. This is a nutty, mock funeral procession (complete with a dummy in a coffin) led by drag queens and fake mourners. [links]
Along with Christmas and New Year's, the Epiphany on January 6th is also celebrated as part of the holiday season in Puerto Rico. According to Catholic tradition, the Three Wise Men (in Spanish, los Tres Reyes Magos) visited baby Jesus in the manger to deliver gifts. In Puerto Rico, town festivals throw parades featuring locals and actors dressed as the Three Wise Men as they pass out presents to children. The two most famous festivals are Fiesta de Reyes Juanadina, in the town of Juana Díaz, and Fiesta de Reyes Isabelinos, in Isabela. more
January 6 – Juana Díaz, Isabela, and other municipalities more
In Loíza, there is another style of vejigante, the ones whose masks are made from coconut and drift wood. During the Festival of Saint James, the Apostle, in Spanish Santiago Apóstol, there is a lively parade through the town where the vejigantes and the Spanish knights do battle, representing the struggle between the forces of good and evil. Bomba music, a traditional folk music with a distinctive African influence, thumps out while dancers use their colorful skirts to create a dialogue with the drummers, and the musicians respond to the dancers rather than the other way around.
A novilla is a heifer, and it is the focus of a popular celebration in San Sebastián, a rural town on the west side of the Island. Celebrated on Sunday, live bands perform everything from folk music to salsa, artisans, and fried food vendors occupy the town square, and amusement park rides are set up. A cow is decked out in a crown of flowers and leads a parade through the town where scenes of country life are depicted on elaborate floats. The Festival de la Novilla closes with a concert of traditional music. more
From stylish modern hotels to homey guesthouses on la Isla Nena.
In Puerto Rico, your choice could be a parador (small hotel) located in a nature reserve; a luxurious resort with exclusive service; a glamping eco-retreat nestled in a bird sanctuary; a vacation rental near the beach or in the mountains; or a historic hotel in Old San Juan surrounded by restaurants, local shops, and bars.
No matter your style of traveling, Puerto Rico hotels and accommodations offer options to fit your budget and your preferences.
Get some of the best views of Vieques when you stay at Hacienda Tamarindo. [links]
Pool view of Hacienda Negrón in Ciales more
Find nice accommodations steps away from el Poblado when you stay at Aquarius Vacation Club. here
Located in San Juan and accessible from Escambrón Beach, this area is ideal for experienced surfers. Nearby is La 8 Surf Shop (ocho means eight in Spanish) which offers board rentals and you can coordinate surf lessons. Also located in San Juan is Spectrum Surf School which offers group and private lessons and board rentals.
Whether you're an aspiring surfer or a pro, Puerto Rico has some of the best surfing in the Caribbean.
Puerto Rico is the ideal surfing destination: warm waters year-round, fun local surfing culture, and conditions ranging from easy, two-foot waves over a sandy bottom to tall, fast-moving barrels with reef breaks. Surf shops abound, many offering board rentals and lessons, or guided experiences.
A surfer catches a wave in Puerto Rico. [links]
Looking out toward the break at Surfer's Beach in Aguadilla. more
Jobos Beach in Isabela is known for its lively surf scene. here