We flew to Puerto Rico in February and had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks on this beautiful tropical island. The amazing blue waters in Puerto Rico are enough to leave you speechless. They are definitely the bluest ocean waters we have ever seen!
In those 3 weeks, we were able to visit a lot of different places on the island, including Fajardo, Old San Juan, Rincón, Isabela, Ponce, and Cabo Rojo. In this Puert Rico travel guide, I am going to share some of the best things to do in Puerto Rico, along with beautiful Puerto Rico destinations!
How to Get to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is one of the Caribbean Islands but is also a U.S. territory. If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not even need a passport to visit, which is great for those who do not have one, but want to visit a tropical paradise.
The easiest and, usually, cheapest way to get to Puerto Rico is to fly into the San Juan Airport, or Luís Muñoz Marin International Airport.
Jacob and I always compare flight prices and airlines using Google Flights before making any purchases. In our case, we found that it was cheapest with a layover in Miami.
If you plan to visit multiple places on the island, I highly recommend renting a car, so you have the flexibility to go where you want.
Spanish is Puerto Rico’s official language, but you can easily get by with English, as most people also speak it as a second language.
One Week in Puerto Rico
Fajardo
With our first week on the island, we decided to stay in the town of Fajardo (where my mom and aunt were able to join us). Fajardo is in the eastern region of Puerto Rico, and it is about a 1-hour drive from the airport.
We chose to stay here first, due to its proximity to the El Yunque Rainforest, the islands of Vieques and Culebra, as well as being close to San Juan so we could spend some time in the historic district.
Things to do in Fajardo
Fajardo Lighthouse
The Fajardo lighthouse was unfortunately closed for construction while we were there, and we were unable to walk all the way up to it. Even so, it is situated in a beautifully paved park along the ocean shore, and we loved walking around the park. Plus, we were still able to get some glimpses of the lighthouse and great views overlooking the ocean!
Seven Seas Beach
We ate at a restaurant along Seven Seas Beach called Costa Mia Restaurant. The food was yummy, and the view was even better. We didn’t get to spend too much time on the beach, but it was very beautiful and definitely worth checking out!
Playa de Luquillo
After striking out with trying to go to a couple beaches, we ended up at Playa de Luquillo and it was not at all a disappointment. We even went back to this beach a second time because it was so beautiful. The water was an incredible blue color, the beach was lined with lush green palm trees, and you could see the mountains of the El Yunque Rainforest in the distance. It is the perfect beach to spend the day on!
El Yunque Rainforest
Puerto Rico is home to the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service. There are many trails you can hike in El Yunque. We ended up hiking the Angelito Trail due to a recommendation from a friend. It was a relatively short, but beautiful trail through the rainforest that led to a clear water swimming hole.
Jacob and I would have loved to do a couple more trails, but after doing some research we found that a lot of the trails were very muddy, due to having a lot of rain (of course, it is a rainforest).
After our hike, we drove the road through the rainforest, which offered some beautiful lookouts.
Day Trip to Vieques Island
Vieques Island was by far one of our favorite parts of our trip to Puerto Rico! We took a ferry over to Vieques Island for a full day of beach hopping.
We drove to Ceiba and bought our ferry tickets the day before, to ensure we would be able to get on the ferry the next morning at 8 am (On Google Maps: Terminal de Lanchas de Ceiba). The two-way ferry tickets only cost $4 a person, and it was about a 45-minute ferry ride each way.
I recommend booking a car or golf cart before going to the island. Vieques is far too big to get around on foot, and we almost were unable to get a car due to a lack of planning. Everywhere we called said they were out of cars or golf carts for the day. By luck, Avis ended up calling us back and telling us someone returned a car early. We were very happy we ended up with a car because we were able to see a lot of the island this way.
We spent the day beach hopping to all the beautiful beaches the island has to offer. Our favorite beach ended up being Sun Bay. It had the clearest and most blue waters we have ever seen! There are so many amazing beaches to see on this island though.
Old San Juan
Old San Juan is a beautiful historic city. It was founded in 1521 by Juan Ponce de León and he named the city Puerto Rico, meaning rich port. There is so much history in this city, and for it to be appreciated, you have to visit yourself.
We spent a couple of days near the historic district of San Juan. I do not recommend trying to drive in Old San Juan, as the streets are very small and congested. Not to mention it would be extremely difficult to find parking. We ended up parking in the Doña Fela Parking Garage, which was very reasonable, and were able to walk everywhere.
There are so many great things to do in San Juan, but I enjoyed simply walking down the historic streets and taking in all the beauty.
Things to do in Old San Juan
Castillo de San Cristobal
You cannot go to Old San Juan without paying a visit to the San Cristobal Castle! The forts in Puerto Rico are absolutely incredible. It costs $10 per person, and this also gets you into San Felipe del Morro Castle.
We enjoyed walking around the forts, reading the informative signs, and all the while catching great views of the city and shoreline.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Another must visit in Old San Juan is the San Felipe Castle! As I mentioned above, you can get into both forts with a $10 ticket, and it is definitely worth it. Allow yourself plenty of time to walk around each of the forts.
Walk the Paseo del Morro
The Paseo del Morro is a boardwalk along the outer edge of Castillo San Felipe del Morro. It offers beautiful views of the ocean on one side and the towering fort walls on the other.
Once you reach the Gate of San Juan, a giant doorway that gives access to the inside of the city walls, the walk becomes one with the Paseo de la Princesa.
Paseo de la Princesa
As you probably gathered from above, the Paseo de la Princesa is a sidewalk along the inside of the city walls. It is a beautiful walk and leads to a fountain with a great overlook for the sunset.
Plazuela La Rogativa
I had to include this one because of the story behind the statue. Rogativa is a word meaning procession, and the statue symbolizes a legend of a catholic bishop and his companions who made a procession in faith holding crosses, torches, and chanting during an invasion by the British in 1797.
According to the story, the British thought they were Spanish Army reinforcements, and called off the attack.
La Casita de Rones
Upon seeing this cute, little pink bar along the bay, I decided we needed to stop for a drink. They also serve food, but we did not have any while we were there.
La Fortaleza
It doesn’t matter where you go in the city. The streets are beautiful, and you can just feel the history in them. Fortaleza Street is no exception, and it ends at the historical governor’s house, La Fortaleza.
Two Weeks in Puerto Rico
Rincón
If you are looking for a chill, surfer beach vibe, then Rincón is the place for you. There are so many beautiful beaches to explore in this town, and I think we went to a new one every day. Not to mention, Rincón has some of the best sunsets, with its location on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
Things to do in Rincón
Sandy Beach East
This is a fairly large beach with a couple of bars along the shore. We ended up at this beach when it was extremely windy, and the water was very choppy, so we did not spend a lot of time here, but I would have loved to return.
Sandy Beach West
A beautiful beach that is small and pretty secluded! Supposedly it is a great beach for finding sea glass, but I did not have much luck. We spent the morning here reading, lounging, and swimming. I highly recommend this beach if you are looking for a small, quiet place to relax.
Domes Beach
Domes Beach got its name because there is a large dome right behind the shoreline, that was once a working nuclear power plant. This is a great beach for surfing, lounging, and watching the sunset. There is also a trail along the beach that you can follow to another quiet beach by foot.
El Faro Lighthouse (Whale Watch)
The El Faro Lighthouse is right next to Domes Beach, and it is a perfect spot for whale watching! January through March is peak time to see whales in Puerto Rico, and since we were there in February, it was perfect timing.
It is best to go early in the morning, while the waters are calm, if you want to see whales. We did just that, and sure enough we spotted a whale within minutes of arriving to the lighthouse!
Maria’s Beach
Another beautiful beach with rocky shore. While not the best for swimming, you will often see many surfers enjoying the waves.
Go Surfing
Rincón, also known as the “Surf Capital of the Caribbean,” is known for its long breaking waves. This area for sure offers the best surfing beaches in Puerto Rico, and you never fail to see people out riding waves. There are tons of shops and stands that rent out surf boards or offer lessons if you want to try.
Jake rented a board at Maria’s Beach one morning, for a few hours. I personally prefer to watch the surfers while lounging on the sand.
The Beach House Restaurant
We stopped here for breakfast one morning. The food was good, and the restaurant is situated in a great location with an overlook to the ocean!
Steps Beach
Steps Beach literally got its name because there is a set of washed-up concrete steps on the beach. The beach is beautiful, and I enjoyed walking along the shore. It is not the best for swimming because the shore is very rocky, but it is one of the best beaches if you are looking to do some snorkeling.
The Juice Box
This is the place to go for acai bowls, smoothies, and fresh juice. I went once for an acai bowl and once for a smoothie, and they were both delicious! I am craving one right now as I write this.
Sunset Cruise
We booked a sunset cruise with Taino Divers and we had a lot of fun! The cruise includes drinks and snacks and lasts about 3 hours for the sunset. We were hoping to also see whales on the cruise, but the water was too choppy the night we went out.
Taino Divers also offers scuba diving and snorkeling tours if you would prefer that instead!
Playa Doña Lala
This beach is in downtown Rincón, and in my opinion, it is one of the best swimming beaches. It is also a great beach to catch the sunset on! It is a large, sandy beach, and in our experiences, there were not too many people.
Thursday Art Fair
Every Thursday evening (after sunset), downtown Rincón holds an art fair. There are lots of vendors set up, and it is a great place to buy a souvenir from a local artist!
Rincón Beer Company
If you are in downtown Rincón, don’t forget to stop in and have a beer or cocktail at the local brewery!
Karibe Kombucha
I love kombucha, so of course I added this place to my list. The kombucha did not disappoint!
Isabela
Isabela is a little North of Rincón, and we decided to spend a day exploring a few of the beaches in this area.
Things to do in Isabela
Playa Jobos
This beach is a beautiful surfers paradise. It is also surrounded by a lot of nice little restaurants and bars, which would have been fun to hang out at. We would have loved to spend more time here, but it was a rainy morning.
Pozo De Jacinto
Right next to Playa Jobos, this is a natural rock bridge that is worth stopping for. It is incredible to watch the forceful water crash against the rocks. You are able to walk out on to the natural rock bridge, which is crazy to experience.
Survival Beach
You have to do a short hike to get here, and it is a secluded beach with unique rock formations and caves. We had fun spending time exploring here and taking in the beauty.
Three Weeks in Puerto Rico
Toro Verde Zipline
Toro Verde Adventure Park is home to the world’s 2nd longest zipline. Jake’s parents joined us for our last week in Puerto Rico, and they had the pleasure of riding “The Monster” with us.
The zipline is 2.5 km long and takes you high over the rainforest. I was nervous before doing it, but once I was on the zipline it was super fun! It was a great experience to have. I highly recommend this to all the adrenaline junkies out there!
Ponce
After going on the zipline, we had to drive through Ponce to get to our next destination, so we made a couple of stops.
Things to do in Ponce
Museo Castillo Serrallés
This is a mansion that was built in the 1930’s, and belonged to Juan Serrallés, a sugar cane manufacturer. The home later belonged to his son, the founder of Don Q Rum.
We did a tour of the mansion (offered in English), and they give you a lot of information and history of the home and family. Not to mention the mansion is situated with a great overlook view of the city.
Eat at El Bohío
This little restaurant ended up being one of the best authentic Puerto Rican meals we had. It is a family-owned restaurant with home cooked meals. Jake’s dad was all about having the best Puerto Rican food, and this place delivered!
Cabo Rojo
We spent our last week in Cabo Rojo relaxing, enjoying the beaches, and eating Puerto Rican cuisine. Cabo Rojo is a quiet area that doesn’t have a lot of tourism.
Things to do in Cabo Rojo
Playa El Combate
A beautiful beach that we spent a few days relaxing and swimming at! Again, the water was beautiful and great for swimming.
Los Pozos Beach
Another beautiful beach if you are looking to relax and swim. It is a pretty close drive from Cabo Rojo.
Drive East to Parguera
Our friends recommended that we spend a day exploring the mangrove cays here! We took a boat over to Mata La Gata (one of the cays) and spent part of a day there. You could also rent kayaks and spend your time exploring more of the clear water cays!
This area also has one of the famous bioluminescent bays, and many places offer night time kayaking! We didn’t end up doing this, but it looks amazing.
Puerto Rico is an amazing tropical island that offers something for everyone, whether you enjoy beach going, surfing, hiking, boating, diving, eating delicious food, or exploring a city.
Three weeks was a great amount of time in Puerto Rico, but if you do not have that much time, don’t worry! You can choose a location that seems to fit you best and plan to spend time in that area. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter where you choose to go, every corner of the island is beautiful.
Whether you plan to visit each one of these locations, or just one, I hope you find this guide useful to plan your Puerto Rico vacation. If you’re not planning a trip, I hope this guide inspires you to get to know this amazing island. We are so happy we did!
-Morgan
Puerto Rico Travel Vlogs
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