AMONG THESE 40 ISLANDS AND CAYS,
only
eight have human inhabitants. Yet despite the
resulting abundance of peace and quiet, this
island territory is given to brash self-promotion:
Its Grace Bay Beach is the “Best Beach in the
World” (as designated by TripAdvisor users); it
has one of the world’s longest coral reefs; it’s a
place where, as the tourism officials rhapsodize,
“
relaxation is unavoidable and rejuvenation
ensured.” If this sounds a little over the top,
there’s still an element of truth to it. The beaches
are beautiful, the waters clear, the countryside
idyllic and the sunsets picture-perfect. Spend
an afternoon in one of the secluded lagoons, or
go kayaking through the mangroves, or come
face-to-face with one of the resident turtles, and
you’ll get an idea of what all the fuss is about.
TURKS AND CAICOS
FAMED FOR BEAUTIFUL BEACHES
and verdant
rain forests, Puerto Rico also boasts a founding
history that predates the
Mayflower
by more
than a century. The capital, San Juan, was a
military outpost for 16th-century
conquista-
dores
,
who underscored the island’s strategic
importance by building Castillo San Felipe del
Morro, more commonly known as El Morro.
Where the architecture of San Juan is usually
associated with elegant, pastel-hued colonial
buildings, El Morro is all muscle, a massive
hunk of brown stone looming over San Juan
Bay. There are other historic sites nearby—the
City Wall, San Juan Cathedral—but it’s out
here on the promontory that you get a feel for
this city’s sense of itself and its former role as
“
Guardian of the NewWorld.”
PUERTO RICO
94
DECEMBER 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
BUENA VISTA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES (PUERTO RICO); FRANCO BANFI/GETTY IMAGES (TURKS AND CAICOS); ANDY SELINGER/ALAMY (LANGKAWI)
