Last summer, I went on a Carnival Cruise with the kids and my mother where we sailed the Caribbean. It was amazing and I love cruising because it gives you a snapshot of places around the world, I just hate not having additional time to explore more of the beautiful places past the allotted 5 to 7 hours you typically get per port. Due to a discrepancy with my birth certificate and social security card, I don’t have my passport, so I decided to go back to a part of the Caribbean I didn’t need one for … Puerto Rico.
Exactly 2 weeks ago I was hopping on a plane for San Juan to spend a glorious week in the warmth and sunshine we were desperately lacking back in Charlotte. Rather than stay in one place, we rented a car and opted to tour the island, searching for what else was out there. We did a circle of the island, picking a few places we thought would be interesting to stop in.
Puerto Rico Travel Guide – Rio Grande
Stay
This is actually where we stayed for the week, at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort. We’ve got two Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare properties, so we switched over points to use on this RCI property. It’s actually a Margaritaville property, so we were greeted with margaritas before we made our way to our gorgeous room. It was complete with a living room and full kitchen that also included a margarita machine and glasses; we opted for drinks downstairs at 5 O’Clock Somewhere.
There were 3 pools to choose from – family, quiet, and activity. The activity pool bar hosted a daily Mixology class at 2 pm that we chose based on the bartender. Some did a full class with samples and drink giveaways, while others just had you watch them make drinks. We skipped the latter.
Unfortunately, the elevators weren’t working for the first few days of our stay but they did have a shuttle or it was a quick walk around. There’s a daily parking fee of $15, plus tax, but you will be grateful to have a car.
The property is right on the water, yet if you look in the other direction, you’re staring right at the mountains, which brings us to the rainforest.
Play
I never thought I’d be walking through a rainforest, so it was extremely exciting to go to El Yunque. There’s a decent portion of the rainforest you can’t actually get to due to Hurricane Maria and while we set out to take a hike on an open trail, we ended up driving through and having our breakfast mountainside.
The views are absolutely breathtaking and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in some prehistoric territory as jumbo-sized lizards and insects passed by. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
We climbed the stairs of the Yokahu Tower to look out over the trees … word of advice, should you plan to purchase something from the gift shop, do it prior to climbing the steps. This is what we did and no one was there. By the time we came back down from the tower, it was a madhouse trying to get out, let alone trying to stop and even look at anything for purchase.
We actually did park and walk a small trail leading to La Coca Falls. It’s not a flat walk, it’s actually a series of jagged steps that you feel are never going to end but it’s actually not that bad and the view is beautiful. You would think there’d be a ton of people everywhere you look but there were only 3 other people at the top and 2 more frolicking around in the water.
Eat
Bakery La Familia – We went to this bakery just about every morning for breakfast because it was that good. The sandwiches are made on fresh pan sobao that melts in your mouth and is just the perfect amount of sweet. The pastries are picture perfect beautiful and taste just as good.
Dos Panzas – Really good Mexican with daily happy hour specials. They give large portions and the food is seasoned to perfection. Should you get chicken tacos, I’d recommend getting them on soft shells because they contain a liquid that will make hard shells less appetizing.
5 o’Clock Somewhere – There are plenty of restaurants on site at the hotel, but this was our go to. The food is a bit pricey but it’s also quite good. If you’ve got an appetite but want to spend a little less, I would recommend getting a kids meal. The portion is just right for about half the cost.
El Yunque Nachos and Havanas and Bananas Frozen Cocktail
Antonino’s Pizza – I will admit, this was not the absolute best pizza but it was pretty decent and not very expensive. They have personal size options for about $4-$6, depending upon toppings, so we got two to try out. There was just enough sauce, it was cheesy and not overdone, the crust was crispy and that of a pan pizza … I was happy with the decision.
Puerto Rico Travel Guide – Ponce
Next stop was Ponce. We walked around the historic square of Plaza Las Delicias taking in all the sites. The Parque de Bombas is striking and one of the first places I wanted to go to. The fountains were in the process of being painted, so we didn’t get to see them working but they were beautiful to look at nonetheless.
We didn’t do any eats but we did grab a couple of drinks from Utopia, which houses not only a coffee shop but souvenirs. I grabbed some iron-on patches and monogrammed keychains for the kids.
We wanted to explore the boardwalk and take the ferry over to Caja de Muerto but it was blocked off, so we made our way to another beautiful beach, Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla.
Puerto Rico Travel Guide – Aguadilla
Free parking. Free of many tourists.
There were a few stands open along the road behind the beach, but I’m guessing as the summer months roll in all the others open as well.
Puerto Rico Travel Guide – Arecibo
We went to La Cueva Del Indio and this was intense. It’s $5 per person to park in the lot and they only accept cash, so be prepared. You take a little trail up to the rocks, which I’m pretty sure is actually coral, so don’t be like me … wear sneakers. The view from the top was incredible and the color of the water is the stuff that dreams are made of. Should you climb to the top, make sure to come down and continue on to the left for a view of the seven arches. Apparently, there used to be a rope ladder that took you into the caves but it’s been taken away. Watch your step for holes that will drop you off into the water.
