Traveling to Puerto Rico
September 15, 2016 1:57 PM Subscribe
Looking for thoughts or suggestion or trip to Puerto Rico in nov.
I'm thinking of going for 8-10 days solo to Puerto Rico in Nov. I have read that now is the time to visit for many reasons but I'm unsure. I just want to go for relaxation, to not do much but sit on the beach and probably stay in a hostel and hopefully have a few laughs. Perhaps check out a few things but definitely secondary.
I have done quite a bit of travel but I don't know very much about PR and I'm wondering what people here can share since it is so diverse. I read it is a fantastic place to go solo but any thoughts on that as well?
Cheers!
Thank you!
I'm thinking of going for 8-10 days solo to Puerto Rico in Nov. I have read that now is the time to visit for many reasons but I'm unsure. I just want to go for relaxation, to not do much but sit on the beach and probably stay in a hostel and hopefully have a few laughs. Perhaps check out a few things but definitely secondary.
I have done quite a bit of travel but I don't know very much about PR and I'm wondering what people here can share since it is so diverse. I read it is a fantastic place to go solo but any thoughts on that as well?
Cheers!
Thank you!
I asked a similar question earlier this year and got some good responses.
Hiking and swimming in waterfalls in El Yunque was the highlight of our trip. We visited La Mina. Go early to avoid crowds. We also spent a great day wandering around Old San Juan, visiting forts and eating food.
posted by gnutron at 6:29 PM on September 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hiking and swimming in waterfalls in El Yunque was the highlight of our trip. We visited La Mina. Go early to avoid crowds. We also spent a great day wandering around Old San Juan, visiting forts and eating food.
posted by gnutron at 6:29 PM on September 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you really want chill and beaches then I'd say go one step further and stay on Vieques. If you want to take that to the next level for super chill and one of the best beaches on the planet at playa flamenco (and little else unless you scuba maybe) then maybe Culebra.
Hell, with 8 to 10 days you might as well split your trip into big island time (which I would spend seeing old San Juan and bars) and some time on one of those islands I mentioned (to include a visit to the Biobay). In between the two would be a good time to swing through El Yunque for any hiking, rainforest, or waterfall times as you prefer on your way to the ferry or puddle jumper airplane ride to the islands.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:09 PM on September 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hell, with 8 to 10 days you might as well split your trip into big island time (which I would spend seeing old San Juan and bars) and some time on one of those islands I mentioned (to include a visit to the Biobay). In between the two would be a good time to swing through El Yunque for any hiking, rainforest, or waterfall times as you prefer on your way to the ferry or puddle jumper airplane ride to the islands.
posted by RolandOfEld at 10:09 PM on September 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh man, I LOVE PR.
Agree that splitting your time in a few places is a good idea. Culebra is so fantastic. Even if you don't dive you can see a lot by snorkeling. I saw more turtles in my life there than I've ever seen anywhere. I'm talking, no shit, like 30 turtles in 30 minutes of snorkeling. Ask the locals for good spots. It's a small island so it really will be just lounging on the beach with a book. You can hire a boat to take you to Culebrita, a small uninhabited island just off Culebra. There is an old lighthouse there that you can hike up to, and a lot of goats. There are three beaches and you can easily hike from one to the other.
Vieques has one of the bio-bays, if you want to see bioluminescent plankton. It's fun and the bio-bay in Vieques would probably be less touristy than the one on San Juan island. There is a ferry that goes between Vieques and Culebra daily.
I haven't been to Rincon but I've heard good things. I've also heard it's becoming pretty gentrified, so YMMV. I also recommend you spend at least a day in San Juan (the city). The old town is a lot of fun to wander around, the fort is pretty cool, and there are a million great little bars and cafes. Laguna Condado is gorgeous and I've heard that Santurce is a cool neighborhood but I haven't been there yet. My advice re Old San Juan is to ask around about the cruise ships before going. When the cruise ships are at port it can be a touristy nightmare.
Finally, if you like hiking or the outdoors you MUST do El Yunque. It's the only tropical rainforest in the US. There is a common hike or access point that a lot of people do, but we happened to find some local guides who took us in the "back way" I guess? Through someone's private land (we had permission) and following a river upstream. Our "hike" down was riding the waterfalls and floating the river back downstream. SO MUCH FUN.
posted by Brittanie at 12:51 AM on September 16, 2016
Agree that splitting your time in a few places is a good idea. Culebra is so fantastic. Even if you don't dive you can see a lot by snorkeling. I saw more turtles in my life there than I've ever seen anywhere. I'm talking, no shit, like 30 turtles in 30 minutes of snorkeling. Ask the locals for good spots. It's a small island so it really will be just lounging on the beach with a book. You can hire a boat to take you to Culebrita, a small uninhabited island just off Culebra. There is an old lighthouse there that you can hike up to, and a lot of goats. There are three beaches and you can easily hike from one to the other.
Vieques has one of the bio-bays, if you want to see bioluminescent plankton. It's fun and the bio-bay in Vieques would probably be less touristy than the one on San Juan island. There is a ferry that goes between Vieques and Culebra daily.
I haven't been to Rincon but I've heard good things. I've also heard it's becoming pretty gentrified, so YMMV. I also recommend you spend at least a day in San Juan (the city). The old town is a lot of fun to wander around, the fort is pretty cool, and there are a million great little bars and cafes. Laguna Condado is gorgeous and I've heard that Santurce is a cool neighborhood but I haven't been there yet. My advice re Old San Juan is to ask around about the cruise ships before going. When the cruise ships are at port it can be a touristy nightmare.
Finally, if you like hiking or the outdoors you MUST do El Yunque. It's the only tropical rainforest in the US. There is a common hike or access point that a lot of people do, but we happened to find some local guides who took us in the "back way" I guess? Through someone's private land (we had permission) and following a river upstream. Our "hike" down was riding the waterfalls and floating the river back downstream. SO MUCH FUN.
posted by Brittanie at 12:51 AM on September 16, 2016
We went to Puerto Rico last December and loved it. We spent 4 days in San Juan and 4 days in Rincon. I wrote a couple of blog posts about the trip.
San Juan
Rincon
Driving in PR
posted by COD at 6:24 AM on September 16, 2016
San Juan
Rincon
Driving in PR
posted by COD at 6:24 AM on September 16, 2016
I just spent several months there and am about to go back!
For sitting on a beach and chilling, I would also recommend Vieques. I would stay a few days in San Juan, preferably in Ocean Park (because I like the beach and it's pretty central), and check out Old San Juan, Ocean Park/Santurce, and hike El Yunque (El Mina and the mountain, if you feel up to both) during one of the days. I would then fly to Vieques and spend a few days there. You can go kayaking in the bioluminescent bay, go horseback riding on the beach, and chill a whole bunch.
posted by quadrilaterals at 9:53 AM on September 16, 2016
For sitting on a beach and chilling, I would also recommend Vieques. I would stay a few days in San Juan, preferably in Ocean Park (because I like the beach and it's pretty central), and check out Old San Juan, Ocean Park/Santurce, and hike El Yunque (El Mina and the mountain, if you feel up to both) during one of the days. I would then fly to Vieques and spend a few days there. You can go kayaking in the bioluminescent bay, go horseback riding on the beach, and chill a whole bunch.
posted by quadrilaterals at 9:53 AM on September 16, 2016
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posted by nicwolff at 3:06 PM on September 15, 2016