UTUADO. A two-hour drive west of San Juan is worth it to see this fascinating park with 13 acres originally used by the Taino Indians for worship and recreation. A small museum contains artifacts and explains the significance of the 800-year-old site, which includes carved stone monoliths, petroglyphs and a field where a game, similar to soccer, was played. A botanical garden grows and displays the vegetables and plants that were used to sustain the ancient population.

OLD SAN JUAN. If you are in San Juan on a Tuesday, plan to visit this lovely chapel with an exquisite silver and gold altar. Built in 1753, the chapel commemorates a young man who was killed in a horse race down this very street. Some versions of the story say he survived and the chapel was built in honor of this miracle. Other versions of the story say the rider died and the chapel blocks the street so a similar accident could never occur again.

OLD SAN JUAN. This beautiful cathedral was begun in 1540 to serve as the Catholic center of the city. Its original wooden walls and thatched roof were blown apart by a hurricane in 1529. After a subsequent looting and another hurricane, it was well into the 19th century before the building gained the graceful gothic vaults and the central spiral staircase you see today. In 1908 the remains of the island's first governor, Juan Ponce de Leon, were moved here. Mass is still celebrated daily.

Visitors to this cemetery, officially opened in 1814, are urged to visit during the daytime hours and to use caution since the area is known for petty crime. But aficionados of old graveyards will love the Victorian funeral statues, intricately carved mausoleums and antique marble headstones. A neoclassical chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene is a centerpiece in these picturesque burial grounds.

OLD SAN JUAN. On the north side of the old city, you'll find a convent originally built by Dominican Friars in 1523. Through the years it has served as a religious building, a fortress against Carib Indian raids and the island headquarters of the United States Army. A small museum is located in the chapel. The convent also houses offices of the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. If you are looking for souvenirs of your time on the island, baskets, masks, the famous cuatro guitars, santos and reproductions of Taíno artifacts are for sale here.