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It is a beautiful island of mountains and beaches.
Puerto Rico may be a territory of the United States of America – they still use the US dollar as their currency and US visitors don’t need any visas – but it is a blend of Spanish, African and Caribbean influences.
Come here to enjoy the tropical climate and the relaxing beach vibes or, alternatively, to spend your time more actively. Beach activities include snorkelling, scuba diving, surfing and spearfishing. If you take a boat to the bioluminescent bays of Lajas during the new moon you can experience glowing microscopic organisms in the water or if you go to the rainforest of El Yunque you can hike the mountainous region to waterfalls. El Yunque is the sole tropical rainforest in U.S territory. Taking into account the fact that it is located on a Caribbean island, it is extraordinarily big with 28,000 acres of tropical palms and dense foliage. There are also lots of great hiking trails that you can explore and they are home to amazing wildlife and plants. You can rest easy though because, no poisonous snakes roaming El Yunque. It rains a heck of a lot though! 365 days a year in fact.
Puerto Rico is known as the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean. Besides fabulous restaurants with world-class chefs, it would be a sin to leave without tasting mofongo (plantains stuffed with seafood, pork or vegetables), asopao (soup with chicken, vegetables and rice) or lechon (pig roasted on a spit). You know what they say, where there’s a lechon, there’s a party!
The Taino is the name of the people indigenous to Puerto Rico. The country was inhabited by Taino Indians long before the Europeans came to Puerto Rico. This was a group that lived right across the Caribbean. The Spanish settlers fell victim to a revolt in 1511 as Indian leaders rebelled against them. The revolt however, was quashed by the Spanish military ruled by Juan Ponce de León. In the current day, very few Puerto Ricans of Taino descent are still alive.
Uninhabited islands are plentiful in Puerto Rico. People visiting the country can visit via boat on a day trip to some of these amazing places. Among the most iconic islands are uninhabited islands and has drawn comparisons to the Galapagos. Cayo Icacos, Caja de Muertos and Isla Palomino are other popular islands.
English and Spanish are both the official languages of Puerto Rico, but English is not widely spoken. There is currently a move towards providing bilingual education which means that there are plenty of opportunities for English teachers. If not in the state system, there is a need for teachers in the private international and language schools, which are mostly situated in the bigger cities of San Juan and Ponce. If you’re Canadian or American you’ll be especially appreciated for your accent.
The salaries in Puerto Rico are high for the area, but the cost of living is not as cheap as you would expect, so saving is not really an option here. However, schools may offer accommodation or pay an accommodation allowance.
|Degree Requirement||Typical Contract Length||Peak Hiring Seasons||Visa Info||Typical Students||Average Monthly Cost of Living in £ GBP & Local Currency||Average Monthly Salary in £ GBP & Local Currency|
|BA/BS required||6 – 12 months||Year-round||Work visa||Students||$1 200 – $1 700 (£800 – £ 1 200)||: $1500 – $2500 (£1 000 – £1 700)|