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It's vacation time again. Flipping through countless travel magazines, surfing through enough travel websites to make your head spin and though you're chock full of information, the sandy beaches and pristine hotels all look the same to you by now, but.. you want more! You don't want the same old beach-side Caribbean outing. You're looking for something more exotic, something more exhilarating, maybe even a little wild? Welcome to Loiza, Puerto Rico.

Pronounced 'Loo-ee-zah', this is the ultimate destination for Island vacationers interested in sampling the exotic and mystical side of Puerto Rico as well as have a relaxing fun time in the beach and the sun. Loiza is an eclectic beach-town located in the northeast coast of PR and is east of Carolina and west of Rio Grande. It lies as one of the main landing paths for aircraft flying from the east into the Luis Munoz International Airport.

Its distinction as an old sea town since the early 17th century promises a boatload of opportunities to sample exciting ancient architecture, landmarks and a local culture to match. For example you can visit the Iglecia san Patricio' , the oldest Church in Puerto Rico built in 1670, you can explore the Cueva de Maria La Cruz caves with archaeological finds dating back to archaic days, or you can check out the Rio Grande from the Rt. 187 bridge.

There is no shortage of attractions and sights in Loiza . You can also take in local art in galleries and studios in the town square or even charter a boat and go offshore for some deep water fishing for Marlins, king mackerels or snappers.

Perhaps the single most exciting attraction of Loiza is it's culture and for more on that we need a brief history lesson(not boring, I promise). Way back in the 16th century , Loiza was formed as a settlement for freed African slaves, specifically those originally from the Yoruba tribe from Nigeria. A few years later, the Taino Indians, a Caribbean native American tribe also settled here. Add into this already eclectic cultural pot the Latin American and Spanish influences of Puerto Rico and what you get as a visitor in this town is a fun time!

We are talking ' fiestas patronales' , which are mind-blowing 9-day long festivals in February, March and July. There is salsa dancing, masquerades, colorful parades , can you say ' bomba' music?, tantalizing Taino and Afro-Caribbean cuisine with a Puerto Rican twist and much more. They don't call this town ' La capital dela tradicion' - the Tradition Capital-

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