Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans, who call themselves Boricuas, greet each other with more physical warmth, often a light kiss on the cheek between women or close friends, than is common on the mainland United States. That same warmth and natural beauty is why islanders call their home “La Isla del Encanto,” the Island of Enchantment.

Salsa and Bomba both carry deep history: Bomba traces directly back to African roots brought by enslaved people, while Salsa grew from a mix of Afro-Caribbean and Latin styles, both still played at community gatherings today.

Old San Juan’s blue cobblestone streets lead to Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a 16th-century fort, and El Yunque protects the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.