Prices are for a standard double room in high season, excluding taxes, service charges, and meal plans.

San Juan's high-rise beachfront hotels cater primarily to the cruise-ship and casino crowd, though several target business travelers. Outside San Juan, particularly on the east coast, you'll find self-contained luxury resorts that cover hundreds of acres. In the west, southwest, and south -- as well as on the islands of Vieques and Culebra -- smaller inns, villas, condominiums for short-term rentals, and government-sponsored paradores are the norm.

Some paradores are rural inns, some offer no-frills apartments, and some are large hotels, but all must meet certain standards, such as proximity to an attraction or beach. Most have a small restaurant that serves local cuisine. They're great bargains (prices range from $60 to $125 for a double room) but can get noisy on weekends when local families descend for minivacations.

In the off-season, or summer months, rates at some hotels can drop 20% or more. For hotels outside of San Juan rates most often do not include airport transfers. Be sure to ask when you book. If you're traveling with several people, villas and condominiums are an affordable option.

For information on the paradores, contact the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (787/721-2400, www.gotopuertorico.com).

Puerto Rico Vacation Apartments (787/727-1591 or 800/266-3639, FAX: 787/268-3604) represents some 200 condo properties in San Juan's Condado and Isla Verde areas.

Small Inns of Puerto Rico (787/725-2901, FAX: 787/725-2913), a branch of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, is a marketing arm for some 25 small hotels island-wide.

For condos or villas on Vieques, contact Connections (Vieques, 787/741-0023).

Island West Properties & Beach Rentals (787/823-2323) can help you rent condos in Rincón by the week or the month.