The beaches facing both the Atlantic and the Caribbean front emerald blue waters that are warm throught the year: Most hotels and many guest houses also have fine pools and attractive areas to sunbathe.

Puerto Rico has hundreds of miles of coastline plus offshore islands and cays on which to enjoy the sun and surf. The beaches facing both the Atlantic and the Caribbean front emerald blue waters that are warm throughout the year. Most hotels and many guest houses also have fine pools and attractive areas to sunbathe.

You don't have to leave San Juan to find a great beach. Condado, Ocean Park and Isla Verde have wide sandy beaches, replete with palm trees and refreshing ocean breezes. Lunch or a cool drink is available at the beachfront restaurants, guest houses and hotels that are found throughout the three areas. Vendors, selling cold drinks and snacks, walk up and down the beach or work from nearby stands.

The undeveloped coast at Piñones, just east of Isla Verde and the airport, runs from Boca de Cangrejos to Loíza. (Take Route 187, off Baldorioty de Castro.) The area, though minutes from San Juan, offers a taste of island life. The coast is lined with palms, and waves crash against rocks and reefs just offshore. The winding road passes rustic shacks and simple restaurants selling various local delicacies, such as alcapurrias, pinchos and bacalaítos. Opposite the beach, a few houses dot the landscape, which is marked by tropical trees, lagoons and mangrove swamps. The area also has a nature reserve. Piñones is almost deserted during the week, but on weekends it gets packed with islanders, and a carnival-like atmosphere prevails. The many establishments along the beach are a great place to watch the sunset.

The government of Puerto Rico has also established 13 public beaches called balnearios, where bathrooms, showers, lockers and food and drink stands are available. One is located at Carolina, between Isla Verde and Piñones, and another is at Escambrón, in Puerta de Tierra outside of Old San Juan. The Luquillo balneario is particularly attractive and can be visited during a day trip from San Juan. Some Island municipalities also operate their own public beaches. To get ready for the beach, make a stop at Emotions (283-5555)in Trujillo Alto or Caribbean Paradise (839-5885) in the Patillas/Arroyo area.

The nearby El Comadante Race Track (located on Route 32, Canóvanas) has year-round thoroughbred racing with bets taken on each race. The track is open Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and some holidays. The gates open at 12:30 p.m., and post time is 2:30 p.m.

Cockfighting, quite popular throughout the Island, can be witnessed at Isla Verde's Club Gallístico. Fights are held Saturdays from November through August.

Baseball is the national pastime in Puerto Rico just like in the rest of the United States. A winter baseball league, which runs from October through February, draws major league players, such as sluggers Juan González and Carlos Baerga. Teams compete throughout the Island. The Santurce Crabbers and San Juan Metros play at Hiram Bithorn, on Roosevelt Avenue in Hato Rey. Games are inexpensive and lively. Piña colada and various local snacks are served. Every year, the winning team from the Puerto Rico league plays in the Caribbean Series against championship teams from Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and other countries in the region.

A thriving, semi-pro baseball league plays during the spring and summer. The Island also has two competitive basketball leagues, with games throughout the Island (check the sports sections of The San Juan Star or El Nuevo Día).

There are many other annual sports events that visitors might want to watch. The last stop of the Senior PGA Tour as well as celebrity matches are played at Island golf courses, and there are also professional tennis tournaments. Guayama holds its Dulce Sueño Fair featuring Paso Fino horses in March. Other horse shows take place in Bayamón, Dorado and Manatí in January, April and February, respectively. The Ingenio Polo Club hosts the Rolex Cup polo tournament in March.

Fishing tournaments are held throughout the year, but the largest is the International Billfish Tournament, which takes place around Labor Day at Club Náutico de San Juan. Sailing races, like Fajardo's Las Américas Regatta in March, are popular, as are power boat races, such as the Caribbean Offshore Race. Puerto Rico also hosts several beach volleyball and track and field competitions.

A wide array of water sports are practiced in Puerto Rico (check under Water Sports, Scuba Diving, Fishing/Sport).

Kayaks, jet skies, windsurfing boards and all types of boats can be rented in San Juan. Water sports instruction is also available through a wide variety of businesses. Information on local providers is available in most hotels and guesthouses. The Condado Lagoon is a popular place for kayaking, and rentals are available there. Windsurfing classes are offered in Isla Verde. The large San Juan Bay Marina, outside of Condado, offers fishing trips and boat rentals.

Boat charters are also widely available at marinas throughout the Island. Several other companies offer full-day sailing and snorkeling trips aboard large catamarans or other vessels. Lunch, equipment, instruction and transportation from San Juan is provided. The boats often depart from Fajardo, on the island's northeast coast, and leisurely visit several deserted offshore cays. The Caribbean waters, filled with coral reefs and marine life, make for good snorkeling. The catamarán, known for their comfortable ride, also pull up to beaches, so you don't have to be an adventurer to sign up for a trip. The Club Náutico (860-2400) has both boat charters and catamaran day-trips leaving from its docks.

Scuba instruction is available at several large hotels and independent businesses throughout the Island. Several hotel courses are open to non-guests as well. To get a taste of the sport, you only need a few hours of instruction to take a beginning dive with an instructor. But it's also possible to become a certified diver within a week through more intensive courses. Several outfits can give you information on trips, equipment and lessons. In Fajardo, try the Diving Center (860-0183) or Puerto Rico Diver Supply (863-4300) for any of your equipment needs.

Popular diving sports are off the coasts of Fajardo and the offshore Islands of Vieques and Culebra, as well as in the waters surrounding Ponce and the southwest. The uninhabited islands of Mona and Monito, in the waters west of Puerto Rico, offer exceptional diving for the more experienced.

Fresh water runoff from the island's many rivers brings underwater visibility a bit lower than other Caribbean islands, but the general range is still out to 70 feet. The fresh water also attracts a large number of fish. The abundant marine life includes octopus, lobsters, sting rays, sea horses, spotted drum fish and large French angel fish. Divers can also glimpse rare manatees and sea turtles. The underwater terrain is marked by coral reefs, tunnels, walls, caves and overhangs. Most popular spots offer diving from 25 feet to 100 feet, but there are drop-offs that plunge 1,000 feet or more.

Puerto Rico is one of the few places in the Caribbean that has the waves to attract surfers from around the world. The island's swells begin forming far up north off the east coast of the United States. Once here, they are shaped by the island's trade winds. The surf is especially good during the winter and along the Island's northwest coast, where thriving surfing communities have formed in Isabela, Aguadilla and Rincón, which twice hosted the World Surfing Championship. Other surfing beaches are found across the north coast, and there are good surfing spots within San Juan.

Excellent fishing grounds lie just off the coast of San Juan. It's possible to bag a big game fish in the morning and be back on shore by early afternoon. Marlin, tuna, sailfish and dolphinfish ply Island waters. Juvenile blues, wahoos, tarpon and red snapper are also abundant. Several world record catches have been made in Island waters. Charter trips are run from San Juan's Club Náutico and the adjacent San Juan Bay Marina, located across Fernández Juncos Avenue from the Dos Hermanos Bridge. A wide variety of vessels can also be privately rented.

Other hot fishing spots are found off of Fajardo, Humacao, Dorado and Mayagüez, from where charter trips are run or fishing boats can be rented. Fresh water fishermen might want to try their luck at one of the island's large interior lakes.

In addition to San Juan's marinas, Fajardo's Puerto del Rey Marina and Villa Marina house a large number of sailboats, yachts and other vessels. Sailboats are available for hire throughout the island. Some sailboats also run daytrips for tourists. Other popular places for sailors to tie up are at Boquerón, Culebra and Vieques. Try the Fajardo Traveler Tours Catamaran (863-2821).

Golf enthusiasts of all levels will find challenging courses in beautiful settings throughout the Island. With over a dozen golf courses and more on the way, it's no wonder people call Puerto Rico the "Scotland of the Caribbean." Puerto Rico's many professionally-designed championship golf courses.

Río Grande, a quick trip from San Juan, has several courses, including the Bahía Beach Plantation Public Golf Course (256-5600) is one fine 18-hole course, which is located in the two Hyatt resorts in Dorado are home to four of them. Others are located in Fajardo, Humacao, Río Grande and Aguadilla. The latest to open is the new course at the Westin Río Mar Beach Resort and Country Club. Most courses have golf pros, equipment rentals and are open to the public.

There are also more than 100 tennis courses islandwide. Most large hotels have facilities and tennis pros. At San Juan's Central Park, 17 lighted courts are available for a nominal fee. (Call 722-1646 for reservations. Located at Cerra Street exit off Route 2.) Another public court, with a dramatic view of San Juan Bay, is located between El Morro Fortress and the gardens of Casa Blanca in the historic zone. Most large hotels, some smaller ones, and several condominium complexes also have courts.

Horseback riding is quite good in Puerto Rico, as it's possible to gallop along beautiful beaches or through lush forests. There are horse rentals and instruction in San Juan, Humacao and the Río Grande-Luquillo area. Hacienda Carabalí has beach and rain forest trails, and an equestrian center at the Palmas del Mar Resort offers beach riding. Polo is played at Loíza's Ingenio Polo Club.

Sports enthusiasts may want to cycle, jog or roller blade through one of San Juan's parks. Muñoz Marín Park, on Piñero Avenue, Hato Rey, has playgrounds, paths and small lakes. The tree-filled Muñoz Rivera Park runs through Puerta de Tierra alongside Muñoz Rivera Avenue. There is a walkway to the balneario and sports complex across the road at El Escambrón. Central Park also has a running track, several paths on which to walk or jog and exercise courses.

A linear park now in the works will eventually hook up all of the city's parks via paths. A completed section runs along a canal adjacent to Central Park.

The Old City, Isla Verde and Condado are all good places to start a bicycle trip. Rentals are available throughout the greater San Juan metropolitan area.

For the more adventurous, Puerto Rico presents opportunities for such daredevil sports as sky-diving and hang-gliding. Check out San Juan's Puerto Rico Skydiving Center (726-0326).