Manu's secrets

While Ponce is a large city and generally not on the typical tourist route through Puerto Rico, its historic city center is a delight, with 17th-century architecture and open plazas. The Plaza Las Delicias is a good starting point for visitors, with cafés and park benches for convenient people-watching.

The Rio Camuy Cave Park features a huge cave system covering 268 acres and is thought to be the third largest cave system in the world. A trolley bus transports visitors to a 200-foot-deep cave, or sinkhole, which is now a preserved area known as Cueva Clara Empalme.

For an easy escape from the busy beaches of San Juan, Luquillo is a terrific option. Luquillo Beach, just a short drive from the city, is a palm-lined stretch of golden sand that offers a fair degree of tranquility, without surrounding high-rise buildings and development.

Often called "Pueblo del Surfing" (Surfing Town) and "Little Malibu," Rincón is known to Puerto Ricans as a "Gr**go Paradise." The dominant language in the area is English, with many foreign surfers and other expats making this town their home.

With all the beautiful beaches on the mainland, it may seem strange to want to get on a boat and go to another one. However, don't let that thought process derail you from one of the best things to do when visiting Puerto Rico.

Dating back to 1540, the Catedral de San Juan Bautista, also known as the Cathedral of San Juan is one of the most important religious sites in Puerto Rico. The church is famous for being the final resting place of Ponce de Leon, the Spaniard who undertook the quest for the Fountain of Youth.

Vieques, eight miles from mainland Puerto Rico, has become a popular beach resort with small, upper-end hotels, restaurants, shops, and galleries. With the departure of the United States Army from the island in 2003, Vieques turned its focus to tourism.

Although Culebra is often mentioned in the same breath as Vieques, this smaller island with beautiful beaches and lush hills has its own unique character. The pace here is unhurried, and the atmosphere relaxed. Eco tourism is big on the island, and many of the tourist establishments are run by expats.

Experience some of Puerto Rico's lush inland beauty at El Yunque National Forest. Spread along the Luquillo Mountains, including Pico El Yunque, El Yunque National Forest is home to the only tropical rainforest in the National US Forest System.

Hiding in plain sight but still in the shadow of the more famous El Morro (which gets all the fame), Castillo de San Cristóbal is definitely worth a visit. Bring your walking shoes – San Cristobal is bigger than El Morro. In fact, it is the largest Spanish fort ever built in the New World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wander through the well-kept grounds of this national park and give some thought as to what life would have been like here nearly 500 years ago. Explore the dungeons, walkways, ramps, and tunnels, much of it built in the mid to late 1800s. Be sure to ascend to the top of the walls and walk out to one of the guard towers for fantastic views out over the ocean and back towards Old San Juan, the modern city towering in behind.