Cathedral of Rum in Cataño

19 November 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  6 minutes

The Cathedral of Rum © panoramio.com - Jose L. Dominguez/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Cathedral of Rum © panoramio.com – Jose L. Dominguez/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Cathedral of Rum in Cataño, Puerto Rico, is the world’s largest rum distillery. The Bacardi Distillery is located on 137 acres and consists of forty-four buildings and structures, twenty-four of which contribute to its historical character. It can be accessed from and is located at the intersection of PR-165 and PR-888. For visitors, the most important buildings are the Casa BACARDI, the Bacardi Family Museum, the Bacardi Distillery and the Bacardi Pavilion.   read more…

Theme Week Puerto Rico – San Juan

28 October 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  12 minutes

Calle de la Virtud © G. Edward Johnson/cc-by-4.0

Calle de la Virtud © G. Edward Johnson/cc-by-4.0

San Juan (Spanish for “Saint John“) is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States, with a population of 342,259. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico (“City of Puerto Rico”, Spanish for rich port city).   read more…

The Spanish Virgin Islands

9 November 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Vieques - Shoreline at Esperanza © Rar285/cc-by-sa-3.0

Vieques – Shoreline at Esperanza © Rar285/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Spanish Virgin Islands, formerly called the Passage Islands and also known as the Puerto Rican Virgin Islands, primarily consisting of the islands of Culebra and Vieques, are part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and are located east of the main island of Puerto Rico.   read more…

Puerto Rico in the Caribbean

17 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Coast Guard Barque Eagle in front of the 16th century Fort San Felipe de Morro in San Juan © United States Coast Guard

Coast Guard Barque Eagle in front of the 16th century Fort San Felipe de Morro in San Juan © United States Coast Guard

Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, literally the “Free Associated State of Puerto Rico”), is a United States territory located in the northeastern Caribbean. Puerto Rico is an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, including Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Caja de Muertos. Of these last five, only Culebra and Vieques are inhabited year-round. Culebra, which is only 18 miles away from the mainland, is home to Flamenco Beach, one of the top ten beaches in the world. Mona is uninhabited most of the year except for employees of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. There are also many other smaller islands, including Monito and “La Isleta de San Juan,” which includes Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra, and is connected to the main island by bridges. The capital and largest city is San Juan. Its official languages are Spanish, which is predominant, and English. Puerto Ricans “were collectively made U.S. citizens” in 1917 as a result of the Jones-Shafroth Act. U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote for the U.S. president, though both major parties, Republican and Democrat, run primary elections in Puerto Rico to send delegates to vote on a presidential candidate. Since Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and not a U.S. state, the United States Constitution does not fully enfranchise US citizens residing in Puerto Rico (“Voting rights in Puerto Rico“).   read more…

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