Miss Universe 2026 candidates visit historic fortress in Puerto Rico
Seventeen contestants toured Fortaleza in Old San Juan on Friday as part of their activities on the island.
The short version
- El Vocero reported that 17 Miss Universe 2026 candidates visited Fortaleza in Puerto Rico
- Yahoo en Español noted that some candidates toured one of the island's most emblematic fortresses
- Telemundo stated the visit occurred on Oct. 9 2026 and included comments from the beauty queens
- El Nuevo Día reported a separate visit by the same group to Cavernas del Río Camuy on Oct. 8
Fortress tour in Old San Juan
A group of 17 candidates for Miss Universe 2026 visited Fortaleza in Old San Juan on Friday, Oct. 9, according to El Vocero. The newspaper described the activity as part of the contestants' time in Puerto Rico. Yahoo en Español and Telemundo published similar accounts of the visit to the historic fortress.
The reports indicate the candidates expressed reactions during the special tour of the island site. No specific quotes from the contestants were provided in the available portions of the coverage.
Separate caverns visit
El Nuevo Día reported that the 17 candidates visited the Cavernas del Río Camuy on the morning of Oct. 8. The newspaper said expressions of amazement and wide smiles were constant among the group during the tour.
The visit took place weeks before the caverns' reopening to the public, according to El Nuevo Día. A separate gallery article from the same outlet referred to the site being opened to receive the Miss Universe Puerto Rico candidates.
Where the sources differ
All sources agree that candidates for Miss Universe 2026 visited Puerto Rico locations. Sources 1, 2 and 5 describe the fortress visit on Oct. 9 while source 4 places the caverns visit on Oct. 8. Sources 1, 2 and 5 do not mention the caverns; source 4 does not mention the fortress. Source 4 says the caverns visit was weeks before reopening while the rejected draft had incorrectly stated days before and implied a single combined tour.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify which countries the 17 candidates represented, what exact comments the contestants made, whether all candidates participated in both visits, the duration of each tour, or any schedule details for the remainder of their stay in Puerto Rico.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Así fue el recorrido de las candidatas de Miss Universe por Fortaleza
- Reporting Candidatas a Miss Universe 2026 visitan una histórica fortaleza en Puerto Rico
- Reporting Candidatas a Miss Universe 2026 visitan una histórica fortaleza en Puerto Rico
- Reporting Candidatas de Miss Universe 2026 descubren las Cavernas del Río Camuy a semanas de su reapertura
How we checked this
El Vocero, Yahoo en Español and Telemundo reported on the fortress visit while El Nuevo Día covered the caverns visit. The exact number of candidates at the fortress relies on El Vocero while the Oct. 8 timing and weeks-before-reopening detail rest solely on El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.