University of West Georgia: Puerto Rico Cultural Immersion (Spring 2023)

Depart from Atlanta and arrive in San Juan.  Check into hotel.  This evening for dinner, we will take San Juan Street Food Tour. 

Today we will rise early to have a traditional Puerto Rican breakfast! Afterward we will take a walking tour of Old San Juan. Old San Juan may be small, but it is full of things to see and do. We will see:

• Castillo San Filipe del Morro
• Cassa Blanca Museum
• Gate of San Juan
• La Rogativa
• El Cuartal de Ballajá

We will head down to Paseo de La Princesa and walk below San Juan’s city walls. If available, we will stop by the food and craft tents there to sample local food, like empanadas and local candy.

We will then have the option to either enjoy a salsa dance class together and learn some moves from the locals or take a refreshing break in the city.

Later this evening we will enjoy a lovely dinner out in one of San Juan’s many eateries featuring local cuisine and music.

Today we will head to one of the many beaches near San Juan. You will have the opportunity to sample local treats from vendors and have a chance to relax in the blue waters. For those that do not want to swim you will have the opportunity to continue your shopping and siteseeing adventure in the area or relax in a shady spot near the water.

Rise early to depart San Juan and travel to Ceiba. In Ceiba, we will catch a ferry to Vieques.

In Vieques, we will get lunch and then students will have the choice to 1.) Go snorkeling 2.) Go horseback riding or 3.) Visit Fortin Conde de Mirasol Museum.

This evening, you will have the once-in-alifetime opportunity to see and experience Mosquito Bay through a guided clear bottom kayak bio bay tour. Mosquito Bay is located on the southern shore of the island and is often referred to as “magical. The bioluminescent bay was officially declared the brightest in the world by Guinness Book of World Records in 2008.

Overnight in Vieques

This morning we will take the ferry from Viviques to Fajardo. Once in Fajardo, we will drive to El Yunque, where we will spend most of the day hiking through the rainforest, keeping our eyes open for Puerto Rican parrots! A rain forest ecologist will discuss biomes, wildlife and species diversity.

After our hiking adventure, we will head back to Fajardo, where you will have a chance to explore the town, which boasts a 10th-century Spanish lighthouse.

Overnight in Fajardo

After a leisurely breakfast in Fajardo, we will head to La Ruta Lechon (The Pork Highway). This three-mile stretch of highway has many open-air, roadside restaurants specializing in whole roast pig. From there we will make our way to El Charco Azul Swimming Hole, a freshwater oasis, a 10- minute walk through the jungle. You will have the opportunity to continue your hike, relax or swim. After spending time here, we will then drive 1.5 hours to Puerto Rico’s second-largest city, Ponce.

For dinner we will head to La Guancha Boardwalk, there we will be able to grab food from one of the many kiosks and keep an eye out for Ponce’s famous pelicans.

Overnight in Ponce

This morning we will take a walking tour of Ponce. You will have a chance to walk around the old town and see its art nouveau architecture. As part of our tour, you will see Parque de Bombas, la Fuente de Leones, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Serralles Castle.

After lunch, head to into the mountains above Ponce to Hacienda Buena Vista coffee plantation, where you will have a chance to learn more about coffee cultivation in Puerto Rico first-hand. After visiting the coffee plantation, we will travel to Arecibo, a 1.5-hour drive. On the way, we will stop at the Arecibo Observatory. This telescope is operated by NASA and is an incredible sight.

Overnight Arecibo

This morning you will depart Arecicbo to the airport. If time allows, we will visit Cueva Ventana to see the famous “Cave Window” with a view over the Arecibo Valley – a wonderful photo opportunity.

You will depart from San Juan to travel back to Atlanta, with wonderful memories of this incredible experience!