This article originally appeared in Travel+Leisure.
Editor's Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.
As vaccines roll out and travel slowly resumes, Puerto Rico presents itself as a comfortable middle ground for those, including myself, who aren't ready to head abroad, but want to start taking steps forward.
Because Puerto Rico operates as U.S. territory, there's no U.S. Customs and Border Protection to go through, and a negative COVID-19 test result isn't required to return to the mainland, either. The currency is the U.S. dollar, making it easy for budget planning. And for those who rely on debit and credit cards to reduce potential exposure, that means there's no pesky foreign transaction fee (though I always recommend cash for tipping).