Introduction to Palmas del Mar

46 miles (74km) SE of San Juan

An hour east of San Juan, the residential resort community of Palmas del Mar lies near Humacao. Here you'll find one of the most action-packed sports programs in the Caribbean, offering golf, tennis, scuba diving, sailing, deep-sea fishing, and horseback riding. Palmas del Mar's location is one of its greatest assets. The pleasing Caribbean trade winds steadily blow across this section of the island, stabilizing the weather and making Palmas del Mar ideal for many outdoor sports.

The resort is no longer what it was in its heyday in the early 1990s. Today it is a real-estate conglomerate that promotes vacation properties to investors, although outsiders can stay here as well. Many of the occupants are residents of San Juan who come here on weekends. Tourists are welcome, but most first-time visitors will find better accommodations up the coast, at the Westin Rio Mar or the Wyndham El Conquistador.