Boricuas are the result of a multicultural tradition that began more than 500 years ago when the Spaniards arrived on the Island, inhabited at the time by the Taínos — an indigenous group with a significant presence throughout the Caribbean.

African influences were added to the melting pot years later when Spaniards brought slaves to the Island to work sugar and coffee plantations.

The fusion of those three races leads to the modern-day Puerto Ricans — good people who welcome visitors as part of their extended family. Puerto Ricans tend to be friendly and cheerful people who move their hands a lot when they talk and express their emotions with intensity and passion.

When you pass by locals walking through the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, they will greet you with a buenos días (good morning), even if they do not know you. And if they sit near you in a restaurant while you taste a mallorca (popular local pastry) and a coffee, they will say buen provecho (enjoy your meal), just for the sake of courtesy.

Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and the historic colonial district of the city of San Juan. The city celebrated its 500th anniversary last year, making it the oldest city in US territory! Described as a “museum of living history”, the city is home to a number of historical landmarks, including El Morro fortress, the Puerta de San Juan, cathedrals, museums and more. The municipality of Guaynabo in the metro region also offers historical significance: in the 16th century, Juan Ponce de León and the first Spanish settlers lived in what is now Guaynabo. The foundation of De León’s stone house still remains – today this area is the Caparra Ruins, a National Historic Landmark that is open to the public.