A Guide to Exploring Puerto Rico

When I came home from Puerto Rico and raved that it was “The Hawaii of the Caribbean”, I was VERY quickly corrected by my Puerto Rican friends that “Hawaii is the Puerto Rico of the Pacific”. I’ll leave it at that….

I had been to Puerto Rico as a kid (without a passport), and it was as tropical as I had ever seen! After spending more time in the Caribbean, I have to say the landscape here is lush, tropical, and a bit more exotic than some of the other islands. The whole family was shocked when we arrived at the Dorado Beach Reserve and it felt like we were in the rain forest…. which of course we weren’t, but they have one here!

The Dorado Beach, Ritz Carlton Reserve

This was an amazing property on the north shore of the island and a 45-minute drive from the airport. It is newly re-opened after a hurricane that did damage to much of the island. The rooms are EXCEPTIONAL!! I don’t know that I have seen many hotels that can compare.

The beach was extremely well maintained, and there were even rocks clearly placed to break the waves in some areas to make the water crystal clear and calm. The pool was also a work of art. An infinity edge overlooking the ocean was magical. Service was amazing, as I was greeted each morning with staff to set up our chairs and bring my coffee (or pina colada???). Given the location (and luxury of the hotel), it was hard to see as much of the island as was possible, but given that we were just clearing the COVID lockdowns, it was PERFECT!

Activities

Waterfalls

Our waterfall experience was a little limited given that the rain forest (El Yunque) was closed to the public. If we were to go back, I would do more research on options to combine an amazing trip to the only rain forest in the United States with swimming in waterfalls!

Old San Juan

Absolutely a MUST SEE!!! We took a car service the 45 minute drive (reasonably priced, actually) which was a solid win because parking did not exist. We first went to El Morro, the original Fort protecting Puerto Rico. The kids couldn’t process how big and daunting it looked. We weren’t able to do the inside tour, but we did walk the grounds, and let the kids run (roll) down the massive grassy park area where everyone was having an amazing time!

We walked the city (which could have been a small town in Spain, if you didn’t know it). There were colorful, cute shops, bars, restaurants, and little parks every few blocks. Strangest thing? They have millions of random cats all over the city!

Dinner was at a beautiful hotel/restaurant called El Convento (old convent). It was across the street from the Church JLo and Marc Anthony got married! The food and atmosphere were amazing!

Spa

For my self-indulgent day I was able to make an appointment at the spa. Book early, as I only got in on the waitlist! I’ve truly never seen anywhere so beautiful. The entire spa property was luxury at its finest. If you can swing it, this may be my favorite spa in the WORLD!

Boat Tour to Isla Palomino

It wasn’t a boat….it was a YACHT! The hotel concierge helped us book and we were able to haggle to get a better price with all the food and drinks, PLUS the 1.5hr transportation each way included! It was truly FANTASTIC! Jet skiing, underwater power toys, snorkeling, collecting sea shells, and LOTS of pina coladas! There are all types of trips at any price point to spend the day on the water…this was our splurge and I would encourage you to pick something like this for that splurge!