It is likely that most national parks visitors do not think of national parks located in the Caribbean. However, the National Park Service manages two major sites in the Caribbean. One is located in historic Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, the San Juan National Historic Site.

The other is in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the collection of five national parks, historic sites, recreational areas and ecological preserves, and monuments centered around Christiansted, St. Croix, and St. John.

Underwater activities in the U.S. Virgin Islands national parks and recreational areas include viewing colorful marine life (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service).

Visitors to the Caribbean will find rich cultural experiences in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In San Juan, for example, there is a long and old colonial history about which to learn, music, theater, food and drink, and exciting recreational activities to enjoy.

The historic old apartments and other buildings of Old San Juan are part of the experience when visiting San Juan National Historic Site (Photo by Bruce Garrison).

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We focus on San Juan. We offer feature articles about the people and the historic nature of the San Juan National Historic Site's two forts, San Cristobal and San Felipe del El Morro. We also describe the life and culture of the surrounding area of Old San Juan, a community within the larger San Juan with a history spanning five hundred years.

The U.S. Virgin Islands national parks and sites offer spectacular scenery (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service).