My Trip to Puerto Rico
For Christmas this year, my wife Katy and I decided to visit the beautiful island of Puerto Rico.
We chose to visit Puerto Rico because we were both feeling incredibly burnt out and not really digging the snowy and cloudy weather back home in Michigan. We stayed in Ocean Park, a vibrant and upscale beach community in San Juan. Our travel included visiting the amazing beaches in both San Juan and elsewhere on the island, exploring the history of San Juan, and hiking through El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the United States.
The first thing anyone should know before visiting Puerto Rico is that it’s an island so the weather is constantly changing. It was raining when our plane arrived but quickly transitioned into sunny weather within 15 minutes. My advice to you is to bring an umbrella or poncho wherever you go in case the weather changes. It’s unpredictable and isn’t as simple as just checking the weather in the morning. You may find that it says it’s not supposed to rain all day but in two hours the forecast outlook will shift to expect rain in a matter of an hour. Even by then, it may rain or it may not.
If you are visiting Puerto Rico and want to explore further inland, renting a car is necessary. “Beware of hidden fees you may not be aware of prior to renting,” is what our host in Ocean Park told us. We used the car mainly to visit both El Yunque National Forest and Luqillo Beach.
Itinerary
Day One — Arrival from DTW to SJU
Katy and I arrived at Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín around 2 p.m. local time. We ordered an ride to our rental car destination and from there, headed to our hosts in Ocean Park.
Lodging: Ocean Park via Airbnb
I’ve heard some Airbnb horror stories before and I generally decide to book them if I find something unique that I couldn’t experience at a general hotel. Our hosts, Jorge and Ivette, were very welcoming. The wifi is quick and the place is within walking distance to Ocean Park’s beach, which was our favorite beach that we stayed at.
Eats: Pirilo Pizza Rustica
Yes, the first thing we did upon traveling to the Caribbean is order Italian food. However, this pizza was awesome and we were really hungry. The staff is very courteous to both locals and tourists. Apparently, this restaurant is a chain in Puerto Rico. There are many different restaurants to visit wherever you stay.
Day Two — Old San Juan
We decided to get all of the San Juan tourism activities out of the way for the rest of our trip. We walked around Old San Juan for the entire day, exploring both forts on the island, and seeing the very underrated architecture that this area had to offer.
The names of both forts in Old San Juan are Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal. Castillo San Felipe del Morro lies on the northwestern point of Old San Juan and was designed to guard the entrance of San Juan Bay during the island’s time as a Spanish colony. Castillo San Cristóbal, meanwhile, was built to protect from land-based attacks. The castle contains five cisterns that were used as bomb shelters during World War II.
Walking the streets of Old San Juan.
Eats: Cafetería Mallorca
Mallorca are Puerto Rican sweet rolls. It’s basically a type of bread roll with either butter, bacon, or cheese, or a combination of any, inside. They are delicious and I’d recommend trying them.
Shopping: Walmart
We chose Walmart rather than a traditional supermarket to do our grocery shopping because we knew that Walmart would have self-checkouts. This approach was fine but please know: the arrangement of this Walmart is crazy. The store itself is two stories but both sit on the sixth and seventh floor of the building. The entrance to the parking structure is a tight ramp that takes you to the second floor where you can begin to park. The wait in the line for the elevators is long so I would not plan on going to the store more than once.
Day Three — Beach Day No. 1
My “vacation style” is very much more exploratory than relaxing but I’m glad we were able to do both on this trip. The first beach we went to was Balneario del Escambrón, around 10 minutes from where we stayed.
The beach was beautiful but we were advised to be cautious when swimming.
Day Four — El Yunque National Forest
Our favorite day of the week was visiting El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the United States.
El Yunque is located in the Sierra de Luquillo mountain range and is home to several archeological sites relating to the indigenous Taino people, who considered the forest a sacred site. They referred to the forest as “the yoke,” meaning “land of the noble and brave lord.” Spain conquered the land in the late 15th century and used it to mine gold.
Following the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico became a United States territory. In 1903, the United States Department of Agriculture renamed the forest the Caribbean Forest. President George W. Bush signed an executive order in 2007 that renamed the forest El Yunque National Forest in an effort to better reflect the historical significance and feelings of Puerto Rican people.
The forest is home to the Puerto Rican Parrot, an endangered parrot endemic to the island. The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that around 250 of the parrots are remaining.
It is a beautiful forest and a must-visit for any tourist visiting Puerto Rico. Do not forget your hiking boots. I did and I think I’m going to throw away a pair of shoes.
The forest includes a natural pool that visitors can swim in, five minutes from the main road. That was more enjoyable than anything else I did on this trip. Several hiking trails are also available, including the most popular being Pico El Yunque with moderate difficulty.
Eats: El Yunque Rainforest Cafe
On the way back, we visited El Yunque Rainforest Cafe for food, which was also delicious.
Day Five — Beach Day No. 2 and a night out
Our favorite beach to visit was a five-minute walk from our stay in Ocean Park, a beach called Playa Ocean Park. The sand was soft and the waves were gentle. We were able to relax in the sun and go swimming for most of the day.
Eats: Ola Ocean Front Bistro
After hours in the sun, we went back to the Airbnb to wash off and get ready for a 7 p.m. reservation at Ola Ocean Front Bistro in the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. “Ola” is Spanish for “wave” and you’ll definitely feel this ocean-like atmosphere as you sit and listen to the waves crash in the Atlantic Ocean while eating seafood.
Christmas is a massive holiday in Puerto Rico. The restaurant was serving Coquitos on the house after meals, which are essentially a Puerto Rican version of eggnog (except a Coquito doesn’t actually call for eggs). The recipe for a Coquito is rum, coconut milk, condensed milk, cream of coconut, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Apparently, Jimmy Fallon is a fan. And so am I.
Day Seven — Beach Day No. 3
After a relaxing day of doing absolutely nothing, we spent another day at the beach, this time visiting Luquillo Beach and drinking Piña Coladas.
Day Eight — Departure from SJU to DTW
Eats: La Coffeetera
The morning of our departure day, we ate at La Coffeetera, easily my favorite meal. Ola was great but I’m biased toward breakfast. It was here that I’ve had one of the best mochas of my life. The staff was friendly and welcoming and the food was really good. Our total breakfast bill came out to around $50 but I would’ve paid more considering the experience we had.
Things to Know
Learn Spanish
I didn’t have very much difficulty as a native English speaker navigating Puerto Rico. However, you’ll feel far more confident in your politeness if you go out of your way to learn the local language when visiting.
I overlooked this because Puerto Rico is technically an unincorporated U.S. territory. With that said, Spanish is still the primary language spoken in Puerto Rico, especially in non-tourist locations such as local supermarkets or restaurants headed inland.
Rent a Car
Renting a vehicle is probably what made this trip really enjoyable. I’ve been on trips where cities were really spread out or getting around was difficult. San Juan does have a trolley in the city and a public transit system but navigating was easier with a car. Going outside of the city was only possible because we had transportation.
Metric or Imperial? How about both!
One of my favorite countries to visit is Canada, but going there is always interesting because I have to pay attention to things measured in metric units rather than imperial units. It’s fine because I know that instead of watching for miles and gallons (for gas), I just need to navigate using kilometers and liters. Puerto Rico is fun because they use both.
Speed limit signs use miles per hour which is confusing at first because the actual distance markers on highways are in kilometers. Gas also seems really cheap but it’s actually just that it’s sold by the liter, not by the gallon. For awhile, I thought I was speeding the entire time.
Bring an Umbrella
An umbrella will come in clutch on your visit. Rain is very unpredictable and can change by the hour. It’s best to be prepared and have either an umbrella or poncho you can bring with you. When it does rain, it’s usually not for very long. Rain lasts for around 10 or 15 minutes on average but one day it rained for an hour straight while we walked through Old San Juan.
Christmas is the perfect time to visit
I think visiting during Christmas was a great choice. It’s right after hurricane season on the island and Puerto Ricans love the festive season. The holiday generally lasts until mid-January, according to our Airbnb hosts.
Summary
Wow, what a trip. A beautiful, sunny island getaway to the Caribbean is exactly what we needed. I enjoyed my trip to Puerto Rico and everyone was so welcoming. I would love to return again during the spring to catch a baseball game because I hear people adore the sport here.
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