us tourist stabbed in puerto rico

3 U.S. tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico after being told to stop recording in popular area

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop recording in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began recording a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of "Despacito," a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

The Associated Press

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Three American tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after they were told to stop filming in the La Perla neighborhood made famous by Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” music video , police said.

The incident began unfolding after 4 a.m. in the popular community where one of the tourists, identified by authorities as Carlos Sanchez Brown, 39, from South Carolina, began recording video of a hamburger cart but was told by some locals to stop and leave the area.

Brown was accompanied by Wallace Florence, 37, also from South Carolina, and Jackson Tremayne, 38, from Georgia, municipal commissioner José Juan García told station WAPA-TV.

The visitors allegedly did not heed the warning and continued filming. Before long, a suspect described as a fair-skinned man with long white hair allegedly assaulted Florence with a blow to the head, reported Telemundo PR.

The trio of tourists tried to escape by making their way to the Old San Juan neighborhood, but they soon realized that they were being followed, police said.

As the victims reached Imperial Street near the Museum of Art and History, a person armed with a knife stabbed Brown in the left forearm and plunged the blade six times into Tremayne’s body, including in the left side of the chest, upper left side of the abdomen, left arm and back.

Tremayne and Brown were transported by ambulances to an area hospital, but authorities said Florence refused medical attention. There was no immediate word on the victims’ conditions.

So far, no one has been arrested in connection to the bloody attack.

The incident happened nearly two years after Tariq Quadir Loat, a visitor from Delaware, was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla.

La Perla became world-renowned after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a chart-topping hit song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

With Post wires

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3 American tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico neighborhood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said. Two of the tourists were in the hospital, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

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La Perla is in the historic part of Puerto Rico's capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of "Despacito," a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island's biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a raid by federal agents in 2011 .

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3 US tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico after being told to stop filming

Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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3 American tourists attacked, stabbed after dispute over filming in popular Puerto Rico neighborhood

3 americans were visiting an area of san juan, puerto rico, made popular by 'despacito' music video.

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Three Americans stabbed in Puerto Rico earlier this week while visiting a popular tourist area have been identified as tourists from South Carolina and Georgia.

Authorities in San Juan, Puerto Rico, say 37-year-old Wallace Alonso Florence and 39-year-old Carlos Sanchez Brown from South Carolina and 38-year-old Jackson Bradom Tremayne from Georgia were stabbed around 4 a.m. Monday, the New York Post reported .

The incident began when Brown started filming a hamburger cart in the La Perla neighborhood of San Juan made famous by the music video for Luis Fonsi’s hit song "Despacito."

Some locals reportedly told the group to stop filming and one suspect, described as having fair skin and long white hair, allegedly assaulted Florence after the group continued filming.

PUERTO RICAN MAN SENTENCED FOR COMMITTING HATE CRIME AGAINST TRANSGENDER WOMAN

The La Perla shanty town is seen in the Old City of San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Christopher Gregory/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The group tried to flee the scene and head to the neighborhood of Old San Juan but soon realized they were being followed.

At that point, an unknown individual with a knife attacked and stabbed the trio, slicing Brown once in the left forearm and stabbing Tremayne six times across his chest, arm and back. 

TOURISTS IN EXOTIC TROPICAL DESTINATIONS VICTIMIZED BY CRIME, TRAVEL MISHAP HORROR STORIES IN 2022

Dayanara Torres is seen in La Perla in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 20, 2022. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)

Tremayne and Brown were transported to nearby hospitals but Flores is said to have refused medical attention. 

The current medical condition of the victims is unclear and no arrests are believed to have been made.

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A man takes a selfie with his friends in the La Perla neighborhood, where the video "Despacito" was recorded in San Juan, on July 22, 2017. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Puerto Rico police and the U.S. Department of Justice but did not immediately receive a response. 

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

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Three American tourists stabbed after being told to stop filming in popular Puerto Rico neighbourhood

Police say three us tourists were stabbed in puerto rico after someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as la perla that is popular with visitors, article bookmarked.

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Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina , began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalised, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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3 US tourists, including 1 from SC, stabbed in popular Puerto Rican neighborhood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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3 mainland US tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico neighborhood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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3 mainland U.S. tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico neighborhood

• By Associated Press
• Feb. 6, 2023

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

An aerial view of the seaside neighborhood of La Perla, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August 2017. Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in La Perla early today, after someone told them to stop filming, and two of them remain hospitalized, according to police.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico >> Three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed in Puerto Rico early today after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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3 mainland US tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico neighborhood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed  in Puerto Rico  early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware  was killed and set on fire  after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Three US tourists 'stabbed' in Puerto Rico for taking photographs after street chase

Three US tourists were reportedly stabbed in Puerto Rico after one of them took photographs. Wallace Alonso Florence, 37, Carlos Sánchez Brown, 39, and Jackson Brandom Tremayne, 38, were chased through the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico

• 08:28, 7 Feb 2023
• Updated 08:59, 7 Feb 2023

Three tourists from the US were reportedly stabbed for taking photos.

Wallace Alonso Florence, 37, Carlos Sánchez Brown, 39, and Jackson Brandom Tremayne, 38, were chased through the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico early on Monday.

Tremayne, from Georgia, was stabbed six times and is still in hospital after sustaining wounds to his abdomen, chest and back around 4.11am. Florence and Sánchez Brown, meanwhile, were both hit in the head.

Another of the three is also still in hospital, but both are reported to be in stable condition.

Local media NotiCentro Digital reported that the tourists were told to stop taking pictures on their phone while filming a mobile hamburger stall, according to the San Juan Municipal Police.

The suspect remains at large.

The attack occurred in front of a monastery on San Sebastian Street in the Old San Juan area of the Puerto Rican capital. Reports indicate the area was once well-known for drug-related activities.

The area, known as La Puerla is known for featuring in the video for the song 'Despacito,' by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

La Puerla was once the major crossroads for heroin distribution in Puerto Rico, but crime has come down since a raid in 2011.

Since, the area has become an increasingly popular area for tourists, particularly after an effort to revamp it in 2017.

In April 2021, Tariq Quadir Loat, 24 and from Delaware, died after a group objected to him taking photos. Loat died after he was attacked with items including a piece of wood and a deep fryer.

A friend he was with, James Jackson, survived after escaping but was hospitalised.

After going missing, Loat's burned body was 20 miles west of San Juan. Authorities confirmed he died from a gunshot wound.

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3 mainland US tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico neighborhood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed  in Puerto Rico  early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors.

The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart and was told to stop and leave the area, police said.

Two of the tourists remain hospitalized, including one who was stabbed six times, police said.

No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware  was killed and set on fire  after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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US tourist killed in Puerto Rico after no-photo warning

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The burned body of a 24-year-old tourist from Delaware was identified on Tuesday, three days after he and a friend were attacked following a drug purchase in a seaside San Juan district popular with visitors, Puerto Rico police said.

Police Commissioner Antonio López Figueroa said Tariq Quadir Loat and a friend had purchased unspecified drugs in the shantytown of La Perla and were trying to take photographs after being warned not to.

Police said the two were beaten with items including an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer on Saturday. Loat disappeared and his friend James Jackson managed to flee, but was then hospitalized with injuries.

Police said Loat’s body was found Sunday in the town of Vega Baja, about 20 miles west of San Juan, and was identified by fingerprints. The attackers have not yet been identified.

It’s rare for tourists to be killed in Puerto Rico, an island of 3.3 million people that last saw a record number of killings nearly a decade ago. The last tourist to be reported killed was a 39-year-old man from Denver, Colorado, who police say was thrown from an SUV and run over in San Juan in February 2020.

La Perla was once a dangerous slum controlled by rival drug gang and considered Puerto Rico’s biggest distribution point for heroin. But that reputation has largely faded, especially since it was used as the backdrop for the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

Hundreds of tourists have since visited La Perla, where criminal activity was greatly reduced after a 2011 raid by federal agents.

2 US Tourists Stabbed, 1 Assaulted in Popular Puerto Rican Neighborhood

The attack happened in the renowned seaside community known as la perla that is popular with visitors, published february 6, 2023.

Two U.S. tourists were stabbed and another one assaulted in Puerto Rico early Monday after a confrontation that police said was sparked when someone told them to stop filming a food vendor's cart in a renowned seaside community that is popular with visitors.

Authorities said one of the tourists, who lives in South Carolina, began filming a mobile hamburger cart in La Perla and was told by a man to stop and leave the area, saying they were not welcomed there, police said.

Following the warning, the man assaulted the victim and the three tourists began to retreat, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico . The tourists then realized they were being followed and while leaving La Perla, the man attacked two of them with a knife, stabbing one of the tourists at least six times.

The two wounded victims were hospitalized in stable condition, police said.

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No one has been arrested.

The attack happened nearly two years after a tourist from Delaware was killed and set on fire after police said he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla. A friend of his also was beaten but survived.

La Perla is located in the historic part of Puerto Rico’s capital known as Old San Juan and became famous after it was featured in the video of “Despacito,” a song released in 2017 by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

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The community was once a dangerous slum considered the island’s biggest distribution point for heroin, but crime has dropped since a 2011 raid by federal agents.

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US tourists stabbed for taking pictures in Puerto Rico despite local warning

According to authorities, the altercation started when one of the tourists, a South Carolina resident, started photographing a moving hamburger cart despite being asked to stop and leave the area

San Juan: In the early hours of Monday, three tourists from the U.S. mainland were stabbed in Puerto Rico, according to authorities, after someone allegedly warned them to stop filming in the well-known tourist destination of La Perla.

According to authorities, the altercation started when one of the tourists, a South Carolina resident, started photographing a moving hamburger cart despite being asked to stop and leave the area.

Two of the visitors are still in the hospital, including one who was stabbed six times, according to the police. Nobody has been detained.

A Delaware visitor was slain and set on fire nearly two years before to the attack, and according to the authorities, he had been cautioned not to take pictures while purchasing drugs in La Perla.

His companion was also assaulted but pulled through.

La Perla, a building in the Old San Juan neighbourhood of the capital city of Puerto Rico, rose to fame after appearing in the music video for “Despacito,” a song by Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi that was released in 2017.

The area used to be a hazardous slum and was once thought to be the island’s main heroin distribution hub, but violence has decreased since since a federal agent raid in 2011.

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Posted: February 26, 2024 | Last updated: February 26, 2024

The Caribbean’s hottest destination

Miles of sandy beaches, a lush forested interior, elegant upscale resorts, and an exciting blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno culture have seen Puerto Rico become one of the Caribbean’s go-to destinations. Lying 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, this unincorporated United States territory is a short hop from mainland America, but the archipelago’s incredible natural biodiversity and infectiously joyful vibe are uniquely its own.

Click or scroll through the gallery to discover 21 reasons to add Puerto Rico to your vacation wish list...

1. Step back in time in Old San Juan

Spend a couple of days wandering the blue-grey cobblestone streets, buzzing plazas, and UNESCO World Heritage-listed fortifications of Old San Juan: a unique Caribbean city shaped by five centuries of history. Old San Juan is the second oldest city established in the New World and from the well-preserved Spanish citadel of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, to its rows of rainbow-coloured townhouses and elegant Moorish-inspired facades, the city reveals snapshots of its past at every turn.

2. Bask on one of the world’s best beaches on Culebra

A perfect, horseshoe-shaped curve of white sand fringed by swaying coconut palms, sloping gently into a warm sea. Sound like paradise? Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra consistently ranks as one of the best in the world, and you can explore this tropical idyll on a boat cruise with Sail Getaways from Fajardo, stopping at snorkeling spots along the way. Walk along the beach to see The Tank, left behind by the US Navy.

3. Kayak on a bioluminescent bay

There are very few places around the world where natural bioluminescence lights up the ocean at night, and Puerto Rico is home to three of them: Laguna Grande in Fajardo, La Parguera in Lajas and Mosquito Bay on the island of Vieques; the brightest bio bay in the world.

Join a kayak tour with Taino Aqua Adventures or Kayaking Puerto Rico to experience the neon-blue aquatic displays, created by microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates, which illuminate these magical marine realms, which are particularly visible on moonless nights.

4. Relax and recharge at an upscale resort

Set on a coconut plantation between two of Puerto Rico’s stunning natural attractions, El Yunque National Forest and Espíritu Santo River State Preserve, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is the perfect base for some hiking adventures, but equally as inviting if you’re here to relax and recharge. With two miles of sandy beach overlooking the Atlantic, guests can enjoy water sports, a round of golf on the 18-hole course, and pampering in the sanctuary of the Iridium Spa.

5. Follow the call of the coquí frog

When night falls in Puerto Rico, the territory's mountains and forests ring with the mating calls of thousands of coquí tree frogs. Named after their distinctive, uplifting song, which sounds like “Co-Kee! Co-Kee!”, the amphibians inhabited the archipelago long before the indigenous Taíno people immortalized their image in petroglyphs thousands of years ago. The coquí remains a much-loved cultural symbol for Puerto Ricans today, with the little frogs’ image found on everything from pottery to postcards.

6. Catch some waves in Rincón

A laidback town in northwestern Puerto Rico, with over a dozen beaches and some of the best waves in the Caribbean, Rincón has been a surfing mecca since the late 1960s. Experienced surfers can catch a variety of big breaks around the coast, but there are also plenty of surf schools if it’s your first time on a board and you need some tips. At night, the restaurants and bars around the plaza offer plenty of fun for visitors too.

7. Try the mouthwatering mofongo

Drawing on the territory’s Spanish, African, and Taíno history, the favorite Puerto Rican dish of mofongo features a tight mound of mashed green plantains, traditionally served with meat, seafood, or vegetables. Join an adrenaline-fuelled jet ski tour of the coast, then head to Vittata Gastropub at Rompeolas Beach to replenish with a Cachita Daiquiri, made from rum blended with passion fruit, lime, and coconut foam; alongside their excellent El Mofongo Vittata (fried mashed plantain), served with an earthy porcini broth.

8. Explore the only rainforest in the US

A biodiversity hotspot, El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system and is home to sparkling waterfalls and pools, more than 830 native plant species, wildlife including bats, geckos, and anole lizards, and 97 species of bird including hummingbirds and the endangered Puerto Rican parrot.

You’ll also find 13 of the 17 species of coqui frogs here, and plenty of hiking trails through the soaring tabonuco trees, bromeliads, and ferns.

9. Go on a jet ski adventure in Aguadilla

Get a different view of Puerto Rico’s legendary beaches on a jet ski tour along the coastline with Aguadilla Water Sports . The family-run business has a ‘Top Gun’ fleet of yellow Sea Doo jet skis, and fun guides leading the exploration of the northwest coast’s coves and bays. Ride solo or with a buddy on the back, and don’t forget to pair your phone with the on-board Bluetooth speakers, so you can listen to tunes along the way.

10. Catch a coffee tour in San Lorenzo

With a restaurant, café, and resident peacocks nonchalantly strutting their stuff, Hacienda Muñoz is a serene place to spend a couple of hours learning about Puerto Rico’s coffee-producing past. Surrounded by slopes covered with palms and coffee plants, the family-run hacienda is just 30 minutes from San Juan, and a tour takes visitors through the cultivation process to harvesting, sorting, and roasting, ending with a tasting of some of their award-winning specialty blends in the coffee shop.

11. Search for the endangered Puerto Rican parrot

It’s estimated around one million Puerto Rican parrots inhabited the archipelago at the beginning of the sixteenth century, but the arrival of Spanish colonists took its toll and by 1975, just 13 remained. The Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Plan has helped bring them back from the brink, and despite the devastation caused by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, there are now an estimated 250 of these endangered endemic parrots in the forests of Maricao, El Yunque, and Río Abajo.

12. Swim with turtles in Culebra and San Juan

The warm waters around the islands of Puerto Rico are a haven for marine life, including dolphins, manatees, and whales, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to swim with turtles on the surrounding reefs. On the island of Culebra, guides lead snorkeling tours of the Luis Peña Nature Reserve, where green turtles graze on the seagrass, while Scuba Dogs at Escambrón Marine Park offers snorkeling and diving a stone’s throw from San Juan, with a good chance of seeing turtles.

13. Explore an underground cave system

Beneath Puerto Rico’s lush mountain peaks and forests lies an equally impressive limestone labyrinth. The Río Camuy Cave Park is the third-largest underground river cavern system in the world. Over 10 miles of caverns and 220 caves have been explored and mapped, but experts believe there could be at least 800 caves waiting to be discovered. There are 18 known entrances and visitors can join tours to see stalagmites and stalactites in the 170-feet-high main cave, Clara.

14. Embrace Barbiecore at Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge

Enter a real-life Barbie Land with a visit to the candy-pink salt lakes of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Puerto Rico. The rosy hue of the pools comes from a combination of algae, salt, bacteria, and water, offering an other-worldly location for an Instagram shoot, before exploring the hiking and biking trails of the 1,800-acre refuge. Nearby, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse sits high on rugged limestone cliffs, offering epic views of the Caribbean Sea.

15. Live the highlife at classy Condado Beach

Close to the airport, San Juan’s upscale oceanfront district has all you’ll need for a luxe stay, with elegant hotels, beachside restaurants, and big-brand boutiques, plus a long stretch of sand. VIP Adventures  offers water sports rentals, so travelers can explore the lagoon by paddleboard or kayak. Stay at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel for the best views of the coastline, a buzzy cocktail bar, and infinity pool, plus a spa offering the only hammam experience in Puerto Rico.

16. Fly the longest zipline in America

With the longest zipline in America, ToroVerde Adventure Park is not for the fainthearted. The Monster is over 1.5 miles long and hits speeds of up to 95mph, as you fly horizontally above the forested mountain peaks, 1,247 feet up. Meanwhile, The Beast has you soaring like a bird along one of the world ’ s longest single-run ziplines at 4,745 feet, while the Toro Bikes cycle along a cable high in the sky, against a breathtaking backdrop of coastal views.

17. Enjoy a tropical escape in Vieques

Home to a wildlife refuge, the laidback, beautiful isle of Vieques is easily reached by tour boat or ferry from Puerto Rico’s main island. With the world’s brightest body of bioluminescent water at Mosquito Bay, a herd of Spanish Paso Fino horses roaming free, secluded sandy beaches and some of the best snorkeling spots in the territory, Vieques can also be accessed by plane from San Juan and offers a range of accommodation options, from luxury villas to guesthouses.

18. Ride a horse along the beach in Isabela

The dream of horse riding along a windswept beach is a reality in Puerto Rico. Join a two-hour tour with Tropical Trail Rides and you’ll weave through a shady almond-tree forest, before riding along the sweeping sands of Survival Beach on the northwest coast, near Isabela. Owners Craig and Michelle Barker hail from California, came to Puerto Rico for a visit and never went home. As the sun sinks over the ocean, you’ll be tempted to stay too. 

19. See ancient indigenous rock art in Arecibo

When Christopher Columbus sailed into Puerto Rico in 1493 on his second voyage to the Indies, the islands were home to the indigenous Taíno people, and some of their ancient petroglyphs (rock carvings) can still be seen around the island today. One of the most famous spots to view them is the dramatic Cueva del Indio in Arecibo on the Atlantic coast, an hour west of San Juan, which has one of the highest numbers of these culturally significant artworks.

20. Enjoy an extreme adventure in San Cristóbal Canyon

The deepest canyon in the Antilles, San Cristóbal Canyon is Puerto Rico’s adventure playground, offering excellent hiking, rappelling, and swimming amidst its waterfalls, caves, and pools in the central mountains. Go Hiking Puerto Rico keeps thrill-seekers safe and pumped on rock climbing and canyoning day tours, while hikers can enjoy spectacular views of the forests, cliffs, and Usabón River rumbling through the six-mile-long ravine: a protected habitat for a variety of native flora and fauna.

21. Sail to a remote desert island

The coral reefs around Puerto Rico ’ s islands and cays offer some magical snorkeling and diving experiences, and the chance to swim with a huge diversity of tropical fish and larger marine life, including manta rays. Join a catamaran tour or take a water taxi from Fajardo to the deserted island of Cayo Icacos – the largest in a remote collection of sandy cays in La Cordillera Nature Reserve – and you’ll soon be snorkeling in some of the east coast’s clearest waters.

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Puerto Rico declares an emergency as cases of dengue fever spike

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Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency as cases of dengue fever, a potentially deadly mosquito-borne infection, rise precipitously across the United States territory. In the  emergency order , the commonwealth’s department of health said it had recorded 549 cases of the disease this year so far, a 140 percent increase over the same period a year ago. 

The numbers have “surpassed historical records,” health secretary Carlos Mellado López said. 

Puerto Rico’s health department is the latest government agency to mobilize its public health resources in service of controlling and treating large outbreaks of dengue.  Bangladesh  and  Sri Lanka  tried to tamp down unprecedented rates of dengue infections in the last year with varying degrees of success. Vast portions of  Central and South America  are battling months-long, record-breaking dengue crises. Some  5 million cases  of the infection were reported worldwide in 2023, and the disease continues to spread. Already, an estimated  3.5 million cases of the infection  and 1,000 deaths have been reported across the Americas in 2024 thus far — a rate of infection health officials predict will lead to a record-breaking number of dengue cases this year.

Epidemiologists and climate change researchers warn that warmer temperatures, intensifying storms, and more erratic and frequent rainfall events are  contributing to outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses  around the world. Research shows that over the past two decades, the environment in many regions of the world has become  more hospitable  to the Aedes genus of mosquito, the insect whose bite spreads dengue to humans. Warmer winters, hotter summers, and particularly milder springs and falls are allowing these mosquitoes to move into new areas and higher elevations that have historically been too harsh for their survival. 

“It’s a complex problem, but climate change, and most importantly consistently increasing temperatures, even in higher elevations,” said Manisha Bhinge, vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation’s health initiative, create “fertile ground for an outbreak.” 

Climate change is not solely responsible for the millions of dengue cases that have occurred since the beginning of 2023. The natural weather phenomenon El Niño, which produces warmer-than-average global temperatures and erratic changes in rainfall patterns across Latin America and other parts of the world, may play a role. Decaying and broken infrastructure, deforestation and urban sprawl, and underinvestment in sewage, water, and sanitation systems all contribute to disease surge by exposing more people to mosquitoes and creating pockets of standing water for the insects to breed in.

Warmer temperatures and extreme weather layered on top of these existing issues compound and exacerbate community vulnerability to dengue and other diseases spread by blood-sucking bugs.

Three in four people who get dengue — also known as breakbone fever — exhibit no symptoms, which means the true extent of the viral infection in Puerto Rico and other places is likely much higher than official reports indicate. Those who develop symptoms often report fevers of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, muscle aches, and vomiting. Severe symptoms, such as intense stomach pain; bloody vomit, stool, or gums; and extreme fatigue, typically develop after the fever has passed. Individuals who contract the illness twice, from two different strains, are at a  much higher risk  of developing severe dengue or dying. The disease  cannot be passed directly between people , but a person with dengue in their blood can pass the infection on to a mosquito, which can infect other people. 

Some 340 people have been hospitalized so far this year in Puerto Rico with severe dengue symptoms. More than half of the island’s dengue cases have occurred in San Juan, the territory’s capital, and surrounding municipalities. The Puerto Rican government did not restrict travel into or out of the island, but the department of health said the infection had reached epidemic levels. The emergency order, which will remain in effect for three months, allows the department of health to tap government resources more quickly as it works to detect and control mosquitoes.

Last year, a small but unusual number of locally acquired cases of dengue popped up in  California ,  Texas , and  Florida . The risk to people living in the contiguous United States still largely comes from travel to countries where rates of the illness are much higher, though that could  change in years to come  as temperatures continue to rise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently  advising Americans to take precautions  against dengue when traveling to many countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. In Brazil, which has registered  1.5 million cases of dengue so far this year  and recently became the first country in the world to launch a  public vaccination campaign against the viral infection , 17 cities declared emergencies. 

There is no one solution to controlling mass outbreaks of dengue. Governments are trying out a multifaceted response that includes public education and vaccine campaigns, spraying mosquito-killing insecticides, draining swamps and puddles of standing water, and deploying new technologies. Brazil, for example, has had some success  releasing mosquitoes that have been infected with bacteria that prevents them from carrying dengue  in Rio de Janeiro and a handful of other urban centers across the country. Still, the best line of defense for people in affected areas is reducing exposure to mosquitoes by spending time indoors when possible, sleeping in mosquito netting, and frequently applying bug spray. 

This story was originally  published by Grist  and is part of  Covering Climate Now , a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

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