Puerto Rico's culture is a rich blend of Taíno, Spanish, African and American influences, as evident in its salsa music as in its flavorful sofrito, a staple of island cuisine.

The figure of el jíbaro, a country person from the mountainous interior, is an idealized folk hero, common in island literature and the arts. El jíbaro continues to fascinate artists of various disciplines, and everyday Puerto Ricans frequently use the phrase–usually as a term of endearment, but occasionally as an insult.

The Island's music is likely to create the greatest impression on visitors. Even before the Spanish arrived, the Taínos were dancing, singing and banging drums to the areito –and the tradition continues.

The first Puerto Rican composer of note was Juan Morel Campos, who spun out more than 500 compositions and is associated with La Danza, a lively derivative of 19th century European parlor music.

In the mountains of the interior, jíbaros derived their version of the seis, sung in 10-line rhyming cadences, as well as other folk music that uses the guitar, cuatro, güiro and maracas. Much of this music can be heard during the Christmas season, and it drives the songs of contemporary protest singer Andrés Jiménez. The African-inspired bomba and plena rely more heavily on drums, and both feature a call-and-response interplay between the singer and the chorus. The bomba's best-known performers are the Cepeda family of Loíza.

Elements of these genres combine with other influences to create salsa, which is heard throughout the island. A seminal figure in the music's development was Ismael Rivera. Rubén Blades, a Panamanian and the most famous practitioner, developed his craft with Island musicians in New York, and he has played with many, such as Willie Colón. Today, singers Gilberto Santa Rosa and Marc Anthony are the most popular Puerto Rican salseros.

Roy Brown is one of the main figures of the Island's nueva trova movement and has set the words of several Puerto Rican poets to music. Giovanni Hildago is one of the most sought after drummers in the world of Latin Jazz.

Manuel Zeno Gandía's series of four novels, written as the century turned, were among the first to chronicle Puerto Rican life: from the poverty of the mountains to the alienation of city life. Exile in New York has been a major theme, visited by two of the Island's finer writers, José Luis González and Pedro Juan Soto.

Lola Rodríguez de Tió and Julia de Burgos are two women who figure prominently in island poetry. Luis Palés Matos wrote of the island's African heritage, while Juan Antonio Corretjer was something of a poet-revolutionary. Luis Llorens Torres was another prominent poet. Contemporary writers of note include Ana Lydia Vega, Rosario Ferré and Luis Rafael Sánchez.

The first noteworthy painter on the island was José Campeche, born in 1751. He was followed a century later by Francisco Oller De Cestero, who became friends with Cezanne and other famous French painters. Both worked in the realistic mode.

More recently, a burgeoning art movement began after World War II. Lorenzo Homar and Rafael Tufiño were among the artists who came of age during that time. Because posters advertising various events were in demand and easy to sell, Island artists took up the practice, becoming expert printmakers, adept at silk screen, wood cut, and linoleum cut techniques. The tradition continues today at Island festivals, where artists hawk their wares made especially for the event. Other notable artists include Marcos Irizarry, Julio Rosado del Valle, Jack Delano and Antonio Martorell. The work of many more contemporary artists, such as Jorge Zeno, can be seen in San Juan's art galleries and museums.

Island artisans have become masters in the carving wooden statues of the saints, called santos. The wooden figures were originally made by devout Catholics in the mountains who lacked access to a church, but today are valued art objects. The skills were often handed down through generations, and there are well-known families of wood carvers.

The Ponce Museum of Art is a must-see for art lovers, with a well-regarded collection of antique European paintings, as well as a growing body of work of local artists. In 2000, the Puerto Rico Art Museum opened its doors in Santurce, and hosts the world's most comprehensive collection of Puerto Rican art as well as fine traveling shows of international artists.