Discover Puerto Rico for Your Next Sports Event
It’s time to book your sporting event in Puerto Rico. If you’re looking for easy, passport-free travel, an incredible year-round climate, and countless attractions and adventures, then our Caribbean gem is the perfect place to host your next event. Of course, there are also unparalleled sporting facilities, including pro-ready baseball fields, basketball arenas, PGA-caliber golf courses, Olympic-style swimming facilities, and much more. Our colorful culture, passionate people, and natural beauty will make sure your athletes know they’ve arrived in paradise. Let the games safely begin. Find out more at DiscoverPuertoRico.com/sports.
About Discover Puerto Rico
The team at Discover Puerto Rico is passionate about all the island has to offer when it comes to sports and tourism at large. “Puerto Rico can serve as your platform for training, official competitions, tournaments, and more. We are ready to host sports year-round,” Carlos Deliz, Regional Sales Manager at Discover Puerto Rico, says.
Mission
Bring prosperity to Puerto Rico by collaboratively positioning our diverse and unique Island as a premier destination for leisure, business, and sports events.
Featured Facilities
Olympic Training Center – Albergue Olímpico German Rieckehoff Sampayo – The Olympic Training Center, or The Albergue Olímpico German Rieckehoff Sampayo, is a world class, expansive multi-purpose venue. Located in Salinas, this sports center is used by professional athletes and the public for sports, recreation, and wellness. The venue spans 1,500 acres and features various multiple-use courts, a baseball complex, an aquatic complex, a tennis complex, gyms, and various sports halls. The Training Center also boasts a water park, an aviary, botanical garden, playgrounds, and the Puerto Rican Sports Museum. “This is the go-to place for our national teams to train. Teams also like to travel here that are looking to separate from the noise of everyday life to train and stay here,” Deliz shares.
Honda Tennis Center – On the northern part of the island in Bayamón, this pristine public tennis facility is surrounded by palm trees and lush greenery. The Honda Tennis Center boasts 16 tennis courts that are all lit. All skill levels of tennis and pickleball players are welcome to play here.
San Juan Natatorium – In San Juan’s Parque Central, the San Juan Natatorium is the most advanced natatorium in the Caribbean and 4th in the entire world. This Olympic level facility is home to an Olympic pool, practice pool, and diving pool and can seat up to 2,000 fans. The natatorium hosts a plethora of top-notch events including diving, synchronized swimming, and water polo.
Sites to See
Old San Juan – In 2021, the city of Old San Juan celebrated its 500th anniversary with a weeklong celebration featuring salsa dancing and local artists on display. This city is one of the most beloved places on the island, with cobblestone and colorful streets, beautiful historic structures, and plenty of fun restaurants. While you’re there, check out El Morro, Castillo San Cristóbal, Cuartel de Ballajá, and La Fortaleza, just a few of the historic sites.
El Yunque – El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the entire U.S. National Forest System. Located in Río Grande, El Yunque stretches 28,000 acres and is home to 25 waterfalls, several rivers, and ancient petroglyphs of Taíno deities. For a guided tour, choose between hiking, ziplining, or horseback riding to explore the forest and become immersed in this lush paradise.
Bioluminescent Bays – Puerto Rico is home to 3 out of 5 bioluminescent bays in the world. The natural wonder occurs when microscopic, single-celled organisms called dinoflagellates grow in quantities big enough to produce a “glow-in-the-dark” effect when stimulated by movement. These planktons exist in the ocean, but there are only 3 spots on earth where they are concentrated enough to glow. Whether you’d like to visit Mosquito Bay, Laguna Grande, or La Parguera, witnessing one of these breathtaking sites is a must on your trip.
300 Miles of Coastline – The island is home to 300 miles of coastline. With a tropical climate, Puerto Rico’s beaches are a year-round treasure to be enjoyed. Whether you’d like to kayak, surf, scuba dive, go boating, or relax in the sand, there is a perfect beach for you here.
Toro Verde Adventure Park – At Toro Verde Adventure Park in the mountains of Orocovis, The Monster is the second longest zipline in the world. This is the largest aerial park in the western hemisphere with several ziplines and courses that offer birds eye views to the island.
Upcoming Events
Dorado Beach Collegiate Golf – The Dorado Beach Collegiate Golf Tournament is a 54-hole men’s college tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The event will take place from February 25-28, 2022, at TPC Dorado Beach. Located at the stunning Dorado Beach Resort, TPC Dorado Beach features two world-class Caribbean golf courses: the East Course and Sugarcane Course.
IronMan Puerto Rico Escambron Beach, San Juan – On March 20, 2022, the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Rico will attract competitors from all over hoping to gain qualifying slots to the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. The race begins with a 1.2-mile swim in the calm waters of the Condado Lagoon, followed by a 56-mile bike ride along the north of the island beginning in San Juan. The last leg of the race will be a 13.1 mile run through Old San Juan along the Atlantic Ocean and up to the breathtaking Fort San Felipe del Morro. Overall, the race is an incredibly unique opportunity for athletes to immerse themselves in the beauty and history of the island throughout the course.
Caribbean Volleyball Championships – At the Puerto Rico Convention Center from April 1-3, 2022, the Caribbean Volleyball Championships is a 3-day world-class competition for 8U to 18U club volleyball teams from across the mainland and Puerto Rico. The event is the perfect opportunity for families and athletes to explore Puerto Rico while experiencing this high-energy event. More than 1,500 hotel rooms are within walking distance of the Convention Center, ensuring a stress-free experience for attendees.
PR Butterfly Table Tennis Open 2022 – The Butterfly Puerto Rico Open Teams Tournament is a USATT sanctioned 4-star tournament that will be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the weekend of April 8 – 10, 2022. This 3-day competition will feature players from all over the US, Latin America and around the world.
Puerto Rico Classic & Laurie Hernandez Champions Challenge PRCC – From December 15-18, 2022, the Puerto Rico Classic will be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. This women’s gymnastics event will be the final Laurie Hernandez Champions Challenge qualifier and will be open to levels 1-10, XCEL divisions, & NGA. At this international competition, the Top 2 ALL- AROUND winners of each division plus a “Judge’s Choice” will qualify for The Laurie Hernandez Champions Challenge, a women’s artistic gymnastics competition, also in December 2022.
Travel Tips
Traveling to Puerto Rico is simple. Once visitors arrive at the airport, there are multiple car rental companies onsite. If skipping the rental car, there are Ubers and taxis readily available to transport visitors to their hotel. There are over 14,000 hotel rooms throughout the island as well as a range of independent rentals.
“There’s never been a better time to find the right spot for you,” Deliz shares. The island is easy to explore. By car, it takes just 2.5 hours to get from one end to the other. “It’s easily accessible. Getting from point A to point B is simple. I recommend renting a good-sized car and exploring. Get around and see Puerto Rico!”
Out of those 14,000 rooms, about half are centrally located around the airport, with other properties spread out. “We have every option at every budget for different tastes. We have the Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, and our largest property, The Conquistador. You will also find plenty of options when it comes to boutique niche properties where you can experience an intimate level of service while also getting a cultural experience,” Deliz notes.
Sports planners should surely consider extending their stay in Puerto Rico and make a trip out of their event. Athletes, families, and coaches can stay a bit longer outside the days of their tournament, explore and have some leisure time. Discover Puerto Rico often encourages its partners and hotels to be flexible and extend rates outside the typical time block for families to enjoy the area.
Testimonials
“Puerto Rico makes an ideal destination race, not only for its year-round climate and beautiful scenery, but also for its wide hotel selection, strong support by local government agencies, professional local staff and the best volunteers in the world. These, along with other attributes, provide our athletes with the most memorable race experience.”
Alejandro Velasquez, Managing Director, BN Sports – Event Producer of the IronMan PR
Check out Discover Puerto Rico’s profile here to learn more about how this stunning island could be the perfect fit for your next event!
