“DeBi TiRAR MaS FOTos” by Bad Bunny

Anaylee Hough
9 hours ago
3 min read

With the recent Super Bowl LX and an iconic half-time performance by Bad Bunny, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist and superstar, let’s talk about the beauty of Puerto Rican culture. I've recently traveled there with two friends. A flight of less than four hours from Connecticut takes you to a tropical island with a beautiful culture, different sights to see, restaurants to try and more.

In the picture above are houses with vibrant colors in Old San Juan, a historic area in the Puerto Rican capital. The area has many different buildings with different shops that sell things such as ice cream, jewelry and gems.

**(Photo by Anaylee Hough - view from the second floor of Airbnb)**

The weather during my stay wasn’t the best. It would alternate from cloudy to sunny. However, the temperature stayed warm and comfortable. I stayed in an Airbnb in Carolina, in a neighborhood that gave a more authentic experience of the island. There were stray roosters walking around in the street, which was very interesting to see. The neighborhood was quiet and had colorful houses as well.

The sunset, with the trees swaying in the cool breeze, was delightful and serene. During my stay, I had gone to many restaurants, most of them in tourist locations, but nothing was better than the local shops in the neighborhood I stayed in. Supporting local businesses on vacation helps the island financially and gives you a more authentic experience on your trip. You don’t always have to go to a fancy restaurant to get good food!

In Old San Juan, the scenery is breathtaking and there are many historical buildings to visit. The first picture above is one of my favorite views from my stay, where the clouds were stretching across the sky. The North Atlantic Ocean provided more scenery. I’m a sightseeing enthusiast and love to capture a beautiful view when I see one. This is the perfect place to learn more about Puerto Rico’s history and be on the old grounds yourself.

There is a famous purple basketball court in La Perla, Old San Juan, (pictured above). The basketball court was renovated by The Carmelo Anthony Foundation and is called “Mi Gente” basketball court. I did not know the meaning behind it, but when I was enlightened, it intrigued me even more. La Perla is a calm neighborhood in Old San Juan with beautiful nature aspects and friendly people. There are restaurants nearby with different varieties of food for people to enjoy.

One of my favorite things about the country is the trees. Here up north, we don’t have palm trees, so it’s always amusing to travel and see them elsewhere. I highly recommend going to this area to get a historic background on Puerto Rico. An ice cold Pina Colada in hand and a walk around Old San Juan is undoubtedly a must.

I can't talk about Puerto Rico without talking about its nightlife! La Placita is the place to go for clubs and bars. Music is blasting all throughout the streets, with people spread out all over, conversing and bar hopping. La Placita is able to bring out an extroverted side in anyone who visits. Talking with locals and people from different parts of the world is always fun. All types of music are being played, from rap, reggaeton, EDM and more. The bars have free entry, which is definitely a plus. There was a guy on the street who had a row of different colored parrots on a rack. It was my first time seeing parrots up close and personal.

An island can’t be mentioned without talking about the beach! The water was warm and the sun was hitting the beach perfectly. There's a different nature to being on an island’s coast. The beach is the perfect place to tan.

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance has definitely put a spotlight on Puerto Rico for mainland Americans. With everything happening in our country today, like ICE and the government discriminating and harming innocent people, mainly people of color, I felt it was important to add to the conversation about Latin countries and their beauty. Puerto Rico is overall a beautiful place to visit and just like Bad Bunny’s memorable album, “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” rich in culture.