Puerto Rico Tourism After Hurricane Maria

• More pot holes on roads, all the rain and flooding damaged the asphalt, quite honestly they were already in need of repair.  Contruction has began in our highways and we are relieved to see the progress.
• Flora – Our island is green again, but it is still noticeable that it suffered significant damage.
• Weeds & Grass – Weeds and grass are overgrown along major highways, roads and streets where municipalities are responsible for clean up.  Please understand that personnel, funds and most resources have been allocated to taking care of vital needs in the communities during this recovery / re-building process.

What will strike you the most are the attitudes of residents and workers, welcoming visitors and showing appreciation for your visit with a smile.   There’s not a better time than now to experience the warm culture and witness the resilient spirit of the Puerto Rican people.   Of course our island is still green, our beaches are beautiful, our bio bays bewitching…and most of our attractions are open.

Puerto Ricans are extremely grateful and fully appreciates the power of journalism.  Puerto Rico is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support to our island and the Puerto Rican people.  We especially thank David Begnaud for his relentless and heartfelt coverage of Puerto Rico, we have no words to express our gratitute.

It is important to continue showing the devastation that Hurricane Maria caused so we can get the help our citizens deserve to recover.  In addition, we kindly ask you to show the world the hard work and progress achieved.  Unless good news of the progress is shown, people will continue to believe that Puerto Rico is still in shambles, sadly keeping visitors from coming.  Those that have been here can attest to the reliance, strength and commitment of residents, businesses and organizations working hard to put this island back together.

You should always practice safety when going to the beach, at every destination you visit.  If you have any open wounds in your skin, you should always get information on the safety of the water.  The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage recommends that after heavy rain swimming on beaches is avoided for a day and up to 3 full days at estuarine swimming areas.

Major tourist attractions Island-wide have been cleaned up and restored.  Below are details relevant for tourists, you may also check status.pr for more up to date progress on services around the island.

• All airports are fully operational.
• Hotels: 75 % of hotels are open, operating and taking reservations.  You will have a hard time finding a guest room through New Year’s Eve.  Relieve worker are freeing up rooms as they depart the island and more guests rooms will be open for tourists.  Many Puerto Ricans living in the states and Puerto Rico lovers are eager to visit Puerto Rico after the hurricane, so book your hotel and flights fast if you find availability. 
• Most of the restaurants in top tourist destinations are open.
• Casinos: 85% of casinos are open and operational.
• Major attractions are getting cleaned and preparing for re-opening their doors.  Community organizations and residents have worked to clean up facilities in order to welcome locals and visitors.  All major attractions in Old San Juan are open.
• Cruise ships resumed arrivals to the piers of Old San Juan.   You’ll find rave reviews from visitors expressing how surprised they were to find Old San Juan so beautiful and functional.
• The beaches are looking beautiful, the water is clearer than ever in many of the beaches we have visited.  Isla Verde Beach looks great, visitors and locals have resumed enjoying the beaches.  Many local beaches are returning back to normal, communities and organizations are coming together to clean up debri along the shores.  We go to the beaches without rivers flowing into them for safety reasons.  As a precaution we advise visitors not to bathe / swim in beaches where rivers flow.  By the end of the month, we hope all the effects of hurricane Maria and heavy rain subside on the rivers.
• Getting around is normal for those wanting to explore.  There are plenty of car rental companies at the airports and near hotels in the tourist districts.
• Vieques & Culebra – residents are still struggling.  Given the additional challenges of needing to put all supplies on a ferry boat or plane, the islands will take longer to recover.   Culebra has electricity.  There are various small inns open in Culebra, we suggest you call and request information.  The traditional New Year’s Eve Festivities will take place in Culebra.  Vieques is still reconstructing the electrical grid which suffered major damage, most visitors to the island are volunteers helping in the recovery efforts.
• December has always been one of the best months to visit Puerto Rico.  Christmas season kicked in by Thanksgiving as always, not even Maria stopped Puerto Ricans from celebrating Christmas.  We expected that Puerto Rico would celebrate Christmas and life more than ever after enduring and overcoming such difficult challenges and we were right.  Many plazas are lit up, music is playing, delicious food is served, artisans have come up with crafts highlighting the resilience and spirit of the Puerto Rican people in the face of adversity.  Visitors, relief workers and volunteers can all attest to the resilience of spirit of the Puerto Rican people, there’s always a reason to celebrate as long as there is life, family, community and music.  Most residents are still without electricity and much work has to be done for island residents to feel back to normalcy, but the spirit of Christmas is indeed alive and present.

The National Hurricane Service stated on their facebook page: (translated from Spanish) – There is not a single tropical wave in the Atlantic today. Africa is stopping producing tropical waves. Signs that the end of the 2017 hurricane season is near. Currently the conditions in the central Atlantic are very hostile for development. So between Africa and the Caribbean, you do not have to worry about anything until the summer of next year.

“No hay ni una sola onda tropical en el Atlántico actualmente.   Africa está dejando de producir ondas tropicales. Señales de que el fin de la temporada de huracanes 2017 está cerca. Actualmente las condiciones en el Atlántico central son muy hostiles para desarrollo. Así que entre Africa y el Caribe, ya no hay que preocuparse en nada hasta el verano del año que viene.”