 Puerto Rico is the umbrella name for several islands that are part of the Greater Antilles, with the largest island in the group being aptly named Puerto Rico, while other key islands include Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. Situated in the Caribbean Sea, this US commonwealth has been a key trading and shipping hub for hundreds of years and as a result has seen many outsiders settle here and penetrate the culture, so that the Puerto Rican culture as we know today is a hotpot of ethnicities and influences.
 As a hugely popular holiday destination, particularly among US holidaymakers looking to escape to a Caribbean paradise, it is no surprise that the accommodation on the island is comprehensive and for the most part luxurious. All the big players in the international hotel chains industry have resorts here and the level of service is excellent.
 San Juan, the capital, has a plentiful choice of accommodation, with many big name hotels here including Holiday Inn, Caribe Hilton and the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino as well as smaller establishments offering a more personal and typically Puerto Rican experience. While many of the larger hotel establishments can be described as ‘resorts’, encompassing restaurants, casinos, fitness and health clubs, and swimming pools, those with lower budgets can also find suitably priced accommodations. Despite the wide choice of accommodations in San Juan, hotels can fill up quickly and advance booking is necessary.
Weather
 It is no wonder Puerto Rico is such a favourite holiday destination; with its tropical climate that ensures excellent weather most of the year. The islands see little variation in temperature throughout the year, with the seasons not being easily distinguishable as a result.
 Being a mountainous island, Puerto Rico’s hinterland can experience different weather inland than along the coast, with showers that form in the hills on the west coast and in the high central mountains coming down to the sea, making the island quite fertile. The south coast is more arid and sees almost no rainfall, while the coastal plain belt in the north is fertile.
 Temperatures commonly range from 20°C to 30°C year-round, with lower temperatures being experienced in the mountains and at night. The island is also subject to freak weather storms including hurricanes as well as droughts.
History
 Little is known about Puerto Rico’s history prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Indigenous settlers, known as the Ortoiroid, inhabited the island, with the oldest human remains to have been found in modern times dating back to 2000 BC. Various different tribes developed through the ages, with the Igneri, Caribs and Tainos each having a significant presence, with the latter tribe remaining dominant until the arrival of the Spanish.
 Christopher Columbus arrived on the island in 1493, on his second trip to the Antilles. The island took the name Puerto Rico, meaning rich port, and it came under the rule of a Spanish governor. The Spanish colony put the native Tainos to work and imported African slaves as labour. Disease introduced by the colonists and slaves virtually wiped out the native population, leaving the Spanish and their slaves to develop the island as a major port and strategically important Spanish trading post in the Caribbean.
 While Spanish attention moved away from the island to focus on mainland territories, several fortifications were built over the years to protect the island against other European invaders, namely the La Fortaleza, El Castillo San Felipe del Morro and El Castillo de San Cristóbal fortresses.
 By the turn of the 19th century, Puerto Rico, along with Cuba, remained the only Spanish colonies in South and Central America to have not gained their independence. In 1897, this was to change, when the autonomous government came to power. The governor of this government was appointed by the Spanish, who retained the power to discount any Puerto Rican legislative decisions it did not agree with.
 However, in 1898, steps towards independence were crushed when the island came under US control with the commencement of the Spanish American War and in 1917 Puerto Rican citizens were given status as US citizens. It was not until 1947 that Puerto Ricans were granted the right to elect their own governor, a period that also marked the beginning of mass migration of Puerto Ricans to continental USA in search of higher living standards. Puerto Rico’s first, self-drafted constitution was introduced in 1952, giving it status as a US Commonwealth, with full independence still having not been achieved.
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