About 110 miles long by 40 miles wide, Puerto Rico is part of the Greater Antilles, along with Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola. Its tourism industry hasn’t developed as fully as might be expected, despite the island’s status as a self-governing territory of the United States. This is partly because its beaches do not offer the powdery white sand found in many parts of the Caribbean. The exception to this rule is the offshore island of Vieques, which was relinquished by the U.S. Navy in 2003. New hotels have opened there, but as yet, none meet the required standard.