Trip readiness checklist for Puerto Rico

What to pack

Puerto Rico is beach by day, rainforest by afternoon and salsa by night, often on the same day. Pack for all three and leave room for the coffee you will bring home.

• Insect repellent you will actually use

  Dengue mosquitoes bite in daylight. Repellent with DEET or picaridin, reapplied after swimming, is the only prevention there is.

• A light rain shell

  El Yunque is a rainforest and behaves like one; showers roll through the whole island most afternoons and leave fast.

• Water shoes

  Rocky entries at Culebra and Vieques, slippery river rocks on the waterfall hikes, and the bioluminescent-bay kayaks all go better with covered feet.

• One outfit for a night out

  San Juan dresses up for dinner and dancing; shorts and flip-flops get you a polite table by the kitchen.

When to go

Mid-December to April is peak: winter escapees plus cruise ships in Old San Juan, and the San Sebastián street festival in mid-January fills every room. Hurricane season runs June to November, with August to October the wettest and cheapest. May, early June and November are the sweet spot: warm, open, and you can see the fort without a queue.

Money & getting around

US dollars, US cards, US tipping (15 to 20 percent), plus an 11.5 percent sales tax added at the register. In San Juan, Uber and taxis cover the tourist districts and the airport. Everywhere else needs a rental car; toll roads bill the car's transponder automatically, so expect the charge on your rental bill, not a toll booth.

Local quirks worth knowing

Puerto Rico is the US with the volume turned up: Spanish first, English everywhere, and a pace that makes the mainland look twitchy.

• Puerto Ricans are US citizens

  Talking about 'going back to the States' lands badly; you are in them. 'The mainland' is the phrase locals use.

• Greet first, then ask

  A buenos días to the shopkeeper or the driver before the question. Launching straight in reads as cold, and the answer gets shorter.

• Buen provecho is said to strangers

  Walking past a table of people eating, you wish them a good meal. They will say it to you too; a smile and gracias is the reply.

• The coquí sings all night

  The tiny frog's two-note call is the island's soundtrack from dusk. Earplugs if you are a light sleeper; fondness by day three either way.

• Chinchorreo is a Sunday verb

  Driving the mountain roads from one roadside kiosk to the next for lechón, fritters and music. Guavate is the famous stretch; go hungry and go slow.

A week in Puerto Rico, the list starts here

Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.

• Passport & travel documents1
• Phone charger & adapter1
• Wallet, cards & some local cash1
• Toiletries bag1
• Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
• Underwear7
• Socks7
• T-shirts / tops5

• Everything in my carry-on, and why each thing earns its spot
• The packing trick that got me through 3 countries with one carry-on