A local's guide to Puerto Rico

Isabel Rullán loves Puerto Rico so much, she wants as many Puerto Ricans as possible to return to (and stay on) the island. Through ConPRmetidos, a nonprofit she cofounded in 2012 to help improve life at home, Rullán has been advocating for innovative and sustainable ways that Puerto Rico can address the challenges it has faced in recent years. Whether it’s getting her hands dirty replanting coffee trees after Hurricane Maria or organizing foreign investments for local start-ups and other nonprofits or persuading Puerto Rican expats to bring their talents back to the island, 33-year-old Rullán is committed to empowering her compatriots to help build a better Puerto Rico.

This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveller in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.

Tell us about your connection to Puerto Rico, and how does what you do fit into the current narrative of the island?

I am one of the founders and the executive director of ConPRmetidos, a nonprofit organisation with a mission to create a stable, productive, and self-sufficient Puerto Rico. My country is amazing but has faced many recent challenges: Hurricane Maria and an economic recession that has been raging since 2006.

However, we are a strong-willed, resilient people. So we work with other NGOs, community leaders, and the private sector on programs that promote economic development that will hopefully lead to an improved quality of life for all Puerto Ricans. We also recently launched El Comeback, which is aimed at retaining and bringing Puerto Rican talent back to the island. There are many companies launching and expanding here, so we are hoping to attract locals who have relocated to come back to Puerto Rico.

We have 24 hours on the ground. What should we do?

Definitely have breakfast at Café Regina. Go early to beat the crowds, grab coffee and avocado toast, and then walk to the beach; it’s just a block away. Then spend the rest of the morning soaking up sand and sea in Piñones. Tell your Uber to drop you off at the beaches located farther down the street. Hit up one of the beachside kiosks for lunch. I would recommend a local fritter called alcapurria de Jueyes, which you can fill with different ingredients; I like mine with crab. Wash it down with coconut water.

Back in San Juan, I love shopping at Mima on Calle Loiza. It’s owned by Puerto Rican designer Marimerce Santiago. She designs eclectic collections inspired by a bohemian lifestyle. It’s a small boutique filled with stylish treasures, from statement jewellery to vacation-ready handbags. For pre-dinner drinks, go to El Coco de Luis at la Placita de Santurce. They make the best vodka with fresh grapefruit juice. And finally, grab dinner at trendy Santaella, where there is a bit more of a nightlife atmosphere but the food and cocktails are exceptional.

Which book about Puerto Rico would you say really captures what the island is all about?

There are many talented Puerto Rican writers, but you should go to Libreria La Esquina, also on Calle Loiza. It’s owned by writer Luis Negrón, who can give you a curated recommendation.

What are your all-time favourite spots that you return to again and again?

Through my work I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to connect and build relationships with Puerto Rico’s incredibly hardworking farmers, and so while visitors to PR might prefer the island’s beaches, I do love exploring our more mountainous regions. There are many hiking trails and rivers to enjoy, but, as you know, it’s best to travel with a local who can show you beautiful, secluded, hard-to-find places. I recommend Fernando Irizarry to take you on private tours.

When you travel, what do you miss most about Puerto Rico?

A nice plate of rice and beans. The warm weather.

Tell us a secret about Puerto Rico we might not know.

We have the longest Christmas! It’s almost an entire season that starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs until mid-January, with Las Fiestas San Sebastian in Old San Juan. During this ‘season,’ Puerto Ricans spend a lot of time celebrating with friends and families, often in the mountains, eating roasted pig, and drinking too many glasses of pitorro, our version of moonshine; there’s always a relative who mixes his or her own version. But the best part of Christmastime, however, is the parrandas, where we visit a bunch of houses in one day, singing traditional Puerto Rican songs. It’s like carolling, but we get loud! The point is to wake the owner of the house; they have to let you in and feed you. Then they join for the next house. It lasts well into the night until we reach the final house where we all share asopao, a type of chicken soup.