Puerto Rico is a hidden gem…I’m not sure why it’s not more popular, but I think it’s a fantastic destination for a family with older kids or teens, or a couples getaway! Since it’s part of the U.S., there’s no passport required, no currency exchange, and your cell phone works with no extra fees. It has a wonderful mix of history, rich culture, beautiful beaches, and the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. forest system. There’s so much to see and do there, and it’s generally very safe. Just avoid hurricane season (June through November), otherwise the weather is always warm and humid. I’ve been there once for work, and once with two of our teenagers for their spring break, and they loved it too. If you’re looking for a new destination to try for your spring break, check out this week-long itinerary and start planning your vacation now!
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Here is a sample itinerary for 6 days in Puerto Rico based on our trip in March:
DAY 1: POOL / OCEAN DAY AND FOOD OR COCKTAIL TOUR
Assuming you have a full travel day to start your vacation (let’s call that Day 0), here are some of the basics! You’ll want to fly in to San Juan airport (SJU), as San Juan will be your home base for the week. Traffic can be a little hairy in the area, but I’d still recommend renting a car at the airport. We took Ubers when we went to Old San Juan to avoid having to deal with parking, but the island is small enough that you’ll want to explore other areas and it’s nice to have your own transportation. As far as hotels go, I highly recommend staying at the Fairmont El San Juan. It’s got everything you’ll need…restaurants, beach-front, pools with cabanas and food service, a nice gym, a casino, even a Starbucks! It’s in a safe area and is close to the airport.
For week-long beach vacations, I generally like to plan activities every-other day, and then spend the other days at the beach or pool (weather dependent of course…we did have one afternoon of heavy rain during our stay). Since you probably had a long travel day on Day 0, spend Day 1 getting familiar with the hotel accommodations and relaxing on the beach or by one of the pools. We rented a pool-side cabana in advance so that we were assured to have a nice spot to relax for the day. The beach at El San Juan is really nice as well; they have chairs and umbrellas reserved for guests, there are jet ski and other water sport rentals nearby, and its a great beach for walks and watching the sun set too.
For your evening activity, I recommend booking either a walking food tour (great for the whole family) or a craft cocktail tour (if the kids aren’t with). I booked these through Trip Advisor and Get Your Guide, and they were one of the favorite things we did on both trips! You’ll meet your guide in Old San Juan (take an Uber!), and with a small group, stop for local food and drinks as you walk all around Old San Juan, learning about the history and culture. It’s so informative and fun, and they take you to the best spots! If you do the craft cocktail tour, you’ll need dinner after…ask your guide for their recommendations in the area; that’s always a great way to find amazing places to eat.
DAY 2: EL YUNQUE RAIN FOREST AND RUM FACTORY TOUR
You’ll want to fuel up before starting this active Day 2! Most mornings we grabbed breakfast at the Starbucks in the hotel. We started early so that we could get to El Yunque right when it opened. It’s about a 30-40 minute drive south of the El San Juan hotel, depending on traffic. Be sure to pack water, snacks, bug spray, and an extra pair of socks and shoes in case you get wet!
To visit the El Yunque Rain Forest, you will need to reserve a spot to enter 30 days in advance. Set a reminder to do this, because it sells out fast! You’ll get three hours to spend there. We chose to tour the visitors center (not really worth it if you’re short on time), do some hiking, and check out the water falls. We hiked Mt. Britton Trail and Tower which is just under 2 miles in and back, but it a pretty steady uphill climb, ending at 3,000 ft of elevation. The views from the top of the tower are worth it though! If you still have energy to spare, you can continue on to the top of El Yunque from there. There are options for zip-lining in another area of the rainforest, and guided day tours through sites like Viator if you would like to go that route instead.
After your time in the rainforest, time to get cleaned up and head back toward Old San Juan, but a little bit South in an area called Bayamon. Book a tour at the Ron del Barrilito Rum Factory. They give tours throughout the day, with the last tour generally at 5:00PM. We did the tasting tour, which included a tour of the grounds, the original home of Ron del Barrilito, the factory, and your choice of one of their really tasty cocktails at the end! Older kids can join as well for a smaller fee, with no tasting or cocktails included. It was about a 30-minute tour, and then we stayed for a couple of their cocktails and purchased some rum to take home. It’s a beautiful spot to enjoy your drink and take in the views. The Bacardi tour is a more popular one (reviews are not stellar), but this one was recommended by a local and was definitely a great find!
There are some fun restaurants in the Bayamon area, but it was World Baseball Classic time when we were there, and we couldn’t get in anywhere that night (Puerto Ricans LOVE their baseball!), so we ended up at Olive Garden out of desperation…ha!
DAY 3: POOL / OCEAN DAY AND CASTILLO SAN FILIPE DEL MORRO
Day 3 was our day to relax, so we grabbed some chairs by the pool and had lunch and drinks poolside. The kids rode jet skis that they rented right on the beach near the hotel as well. El San Juan has full service all day by the pool, which is great. We also ate at Cana a couple of times, which is the restaurant right off the pool area, and a good option for breakfast or lunch.
In the afternoon, grab an Uber and head back in to Old San Juan to visit the historic Castillo San Filipe del Morro. It is over 500 years old, and the structure and its walls are really impressive. You probably need about an hour to explore it fully. Then I recommend walking along the outside of the wall from there to La Fortaleza (the governor’s home). You’ll see lots of stray cats along the way…they just live in the area. There’s even a public cat “house” that you might see along the path! It’s about a 30 minute walk.
For dinner, one my favorite spots in OId San Juan is The Mezzanine, which is actually more of a cocktail bar with appetizers. It would be ok to bring the teenagers, but maybe not older kids. In that case, get dinner at Al Fresco, which is in the same building. The building itself has historical significance that you can read about there as well.
DAY 4: SNORKEL TRIP TO CULEBRA ISLAND OR KAYAK IN A BIOLUMINESCENT BAY
In addition to the main island, Puerto Rico has several outlying islands that can be reached by ferry or small plane. There are snorkel trips, kayak tours of the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo or Vieques (the water glows at night from the microorganisms in the water…there are only 5 in the world, and 3 are in Puerto Rico!), or you can just take the ferry across to explore the island on your own.
We had booked the snorkel trip to Culebra Island for our last day, but due to windy weather, the trip was cancelled. Lesson learned…don’t book weather-dependent trips at the end of the week! We tried to take a ferry across, then tried to visit another beach but couldn’t find parking anywhere, so we gave up and went back to the hotel pool with what little bit of the day was left!
Assuming you’re successful and are able to do a day trip or evening trip to one of the other islands, I’d recommend grabbing dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel. There are a ton of great options, from steak to sushi to pizza and more. The kids chose Crudo Sushi, and my husband and I ate at Il Sole, which has great pizzas, pasta, and really good bread…we ate there twice! There’s also a beautiful bar called the Chandelier Bar right in the lobby that serves some small bites and great cocktails as well.
DAY 5: AGUADILLA BEACH DAY
There are so many different types of beaches throughout Puerto Rico…in researching before the trip I found Pinones Beach (just East of the hotel), Las Salinas (pink sand beach in the Southwest corner of the island), Carco Azul (blue pools in Vega Baja, 40 miles West of San Juan), and Black Sand Beach (in Barceloneta, also 40 miles from San Juan). There were so many to choose from, but we had planned to go to Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla, which is about 2 hours West of San Juan. We ran out of time to get there on our trip, but I’d recommend checking it out if you have the time. It’s a great place to watch surfers, there are water sport rentals, and a Cococabana Beach Bar. It looks like a super fun place to spend the day. Next time we will do this for sure!
We met friends who are ex-pats in Puerto Rico for dinner one night, and they recommended Bottega…probably the best meal we had all week. It’s locally-owned, and has an amazing wine list and beautiful outdoor patio too. Don’t miss this one!
DAY 6: POOL / OCEAN DAY AND SUNSET CRUISE
For the last full day, I think it’s always nice to enjoy one last day at the pool and on the beach, soaking in those last few relaxing hours before a busy travel day home the next day. I also try to catch one last ocean sunset on the final night. At some point in your trip, be sure to take a sunset harbor cruise (we booked this one through Viator). We had a bit of trouble finding the right spot in the marina, but once we figured it out, the crew took great care of us. They put on a really fun and informative tour, complete with Puerto Rican music, drinks, and snacks. It’s not the biggest boat, so it got a little rough when we got close to the ocean, but otherwise it was a relaxing time. The only other negative is there is no bathroom on the boat (it’s a 1.5 hour tour), so be sure you’re prepared for that!
For our final dinner, we went to a place near the harbor called Jamon Jamon. It was a mix of Tapas and Italian food, with a great wine selection too! The place was packed and lively, as there was another Puerto Rico baseball game on that night. We had one last drink at the Chandelier Bar to officially end our time in Puerto Rico.
ADDITIONAL IDEAS FOR THE ADULTS:
If you’re doing this trip without kids, spend one evening in Condado. There are lots of great bars and restaurants in the area, and cool hotels that are fun to stop for dinner or a drink. One of our favorites is the lobby bar at the Vanderbilt Hotel. It’s a beautiful space with really dark, rich decor…cozy place to relax and cool off from the heat and humidity outside. And in Old San Juan, be sure to check out La Factoria. It’s seven bars in one, each with a different vibe. It’s supposed to be an amazing spot for salsa dancing too!