If you're organizing a trip for athletes or sports fanatics, your group may want to learn about the Island’s rich sports legacy. There are several museums, monuments, and venues that celebrate Puerto Rican athletic achievements. Many of these are close to stadiums, coliseums, and other sporting facilities where your group can then take in a game or even schedule a training session.
The biggest sports in Puerto Rico are baseball, basketball, volleyball, boxing, and golf. Depending on what your group may be interested in, there are local professional leagues and tournaments happening year-round in different disciplines, so it’s easy to attend a sporting event no matter when you visit.
Here are some of the most iconic sports sites to visit in Puerto Rico:
Roberto Clemente Stadium is in the slugger's hometown of Carolina.
Roberto Clemente Monument
If you want to pay homage to Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, then head to his hometown of Carolina where you can visit the Roberto Clemente Monument, a striking statue in front of the Roberto Clemente Municipal Stadium (not to be confused with the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, which is also worth a visit). This is the home of local professional baseball team the Giants of Carolina (Gigantes de Carolina). Come for the selfie and stay for a ballgame!
Puerto Rico Sports Museum
The Puerto Rico Sports Museum houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Puerto Rican and Caribbean sports memorabilia. One of the museum's main attractions is the life-size statues of renowned Puerto Rican athletes, including baseball legend Roberto Clemente. The museum is also walking distance to the Mario Quijote Morales Coliseum, home of the Guaynabo Mets professional basketball team.
Hiram Bithorn Stadium is named for the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues.
Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a baseball park in that was built in 1962 and is part of the National Register of Historic Places. The stadium is named after Hiram Bithorn of the Chicago Cubs, the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues. The Caribbean Series, the World Baseball Classic, and off-season and in-season MLB games have been played in this historic stadium. Along with being a baseball park, the stadium is also a concert and festival venue.
Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame
The Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame (Pabellón de la Fama del Deporte Puertorriqueño, in Spanish) is located in San Juan's Parque del Tercer Milenio. This museum, which opened in 1958, honors Puerto Rican athletes and other important figures that have contributed to the development of sports on the Island. Behind the museum is El Escambrón Beach — a great spot for snorkeling, swimming, and sun-bathing — and Sixto Escobar Stadium, named after Puerto Rico’s first world champion boxer.
Grande Reserve Golf Club in Río Grande is home to the Puerto Rico Open, part of the PGA Tour.
Grand Reserve Golf Club
Come play a few rounds at the course that hosts the annual Puerto Rico Open, part of the PGA tour. Grand Reserve Golf Club's championship course is on a beachfront peninsula with El Yunque rainforest as a backdrop. One of only two championship courses in the Caribbean, Grand Reserve gives you the chance to walk in the footsteps of elite players while taking in some pretty epic scenery.
Museo Olímpico de Puerto Rico puts the Island's impressive Olympic history on display.
Olympic Museum of Puerto Rico
The Olympic Museum of Puerto Rico, located in the Albergue Olímpico sports complex, showcases the history of Puerto Rico’s participation in the Olympic Games. The museum is dedicated to the collection, conservation, and promotion of Puerto Rican sports through permanent and temporary exhibitions. The first of its three exhibit rooms covers the 30 sports represented by the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, while the other two recount the Island’s Olympic history during the 20th century. While at the Albergue, your group can visit the training center’s facilities or, if they go during the summer, enjoy the Olimpia Water Park.
Paseo del Litoral "Shorty" Castro
Paseo del Litoral "Shorty" Castro, known locally as Parque del Litoral, is a 2-kilometer waterfront park in the city of Mayagüez. The park was created when the city hosted the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, and is an enduring legacy of that event. On the northern end is Central American Plaza, where the flags of the competing delegations are displayed. There is also an open-air amphitheater, beach volleyball courts, and a skatepark. On the southern end, the park meets with the José Antonio Figueroa Athletics Stadium and the Isidoro García Stadium, where local team the Mayagüez Indians (Indios de Mayagüez) play during baseball season
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