Paradores, small historic inns or bed and breakfasts, were established by the government of Luis A. Ferré in 1973 in order to boost the tourism industry of Puerto Rico outside of San Juan.

[11] Since 2000, Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) has expanded its passenger service into and from destinations such as New York, Newark, Orlando and Tampa, making Porta del Sol more accessible to visitors from outside of Puerto Rico,[12] and it was designated a "free trade zone" (FTZ) on February 20, 2012 by the United States Department of Commerce.

[20] The route, consisting of a network of at least 40 secondary roads, traverses the entirety of Puerto Rico from east (Maunabo) to west (Mayagüez) and provides access to a number of tourist attractions located throughout Porta del Sol such as the Maricao State Forest.

[6] The heritage trail follows a driving route centered on the landmarks of Porta Coeli in the San Germán Historic District, the Central Presbyterian Church of Mayagüez and the Ermita de Espinar in Aguada.

[23] and an unofficial sign marking the start of the route was installed by farmer Francisco Negrón and it remains a popular cultural landmark of the area.