I had a super exciting trip to Puerto Rico this month and took my sister. We decided on this location because she didn’t have her passport and of course you do not need a passport to visit the beautiful Puerto Rico. San Juan Puerto Rico turned out to be a great option for a Sistercation idea.
Here are all the details about our visit to this popular tourist destination so that you do not need to worry about where to stay or what to do in San Juan Puerto Rico.
Let’s get into the vibes: Puerto Rico is FUN. As you might hear elsewhere it is so much to do on the islands* because there are different islands to visit within Puerto Rico. It is good place for nature lovers, vibrant culture, and is also a unesco world heritage site which makes it great to see historic landmarks. Read all the way through so you don’t miss important details.
Where to Stay in San Juan Puerto Rico
First this depends on what the vibes are for your trip. Are you wanting to be immersed in city life? Choose T-Mobile district where I stayed.
If you want the beautiful beaches and calm vibes then choose a beachfront hotel. This might be a little bit more pricey but would be the perfect place to stay and worth it in my opinion. Where you stay should be dependent on what mission you have in mind. They have every kind of stay from luxury hotels to bed and breakfast. Choose your type of stay wisely.
For me, it was to show my sister a great time! So some place that is lively would make for the best time and is also a popular spot.
Best Hotels in San Juan
The Aloft hotel San Juan was very reasonable and you definitely should join the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program for the best value!
I am a member and was able to get a $35 daily food credit. Complimentary shuttles to the nearby beach and Old San Juan that start at 9am daily, and a casino credit.
I also was able to use accumulated points for FREE night for a hotel when I got back to Atlanta. The best way to travel is to stick with ONE hotel chain that way, you can accumulate points and other rewards to use.
The service at ALOFT San Juan was incredible and I found that Puerto Ricans in general are very friendly. From check-in to check out I enjoyed it all. The hospitality was great and so were the food! They had the BEST pina colada I had on the island.
Would I stay there again– of course but that’s only if I was going for city vibes. I would love to return for a more private beach-driven secluded stay.
There are several because I took a trip to three beaches to give you my full honest opinion on beaches in Puerto Rico. While there, the waves were sooooo massive that they were literally holding surf olympic competitions on the island. I don’t like it. They even had signs up in our HOTEL that said “These waves are crazy right now, don’t you get in that water” but of course stated in a more professional way.
What to do in San Juan Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Tourist Attractions
The second day that we were there we started off with a walking tour. The tour lasted about two hours and we got to explore Old San Juan and learn about the rich history of this old town and popular spot, which held views of the Atlantic ocean from 3 sides. We saw Castillo San Felipe Del Morro, Cuartel de Ballajá, and so many other 16th century landmarks that were in the historic district. The tour was $35 each.
Everything was a short walk from each other when roaming around the streets of Old San Juan and other San Juan National historic sites.
I was very tired after the guided tour so I wanted to go to the pool and relax. But while you are in San Juan, check out the ice cream shop, Senor Paleta.
There was also plenty of shopping to do and we went to the Mall of San Juan as well because I needed a dress for dinner at Ruth Chris that night.
On our third day we had so many options for adventure from snorkeling to ATVs to tours. My sister wanted to be adventurous and we went ziplining. The cost of our San Juan zipline experience for two was $240.
The ATV & UTV experiences booked up so fast and even though several businesses do this, I only saw two that I personally would trust. The first company, Hacienda Campo is about 20 minutes from San Juan and the other is Carabali Rainforest at the foot of the rainforest.
Hacienda Campo was where my sister and I visited in Puerto Rico.
They had ziplining and she asked so I wanted to make sure we did it. We did a total of 5 ziplines and 5 bridges which had me nervous. Ha! I did not know she had an adventurous side but she led the way up several hills for a short hike.
They also have a bar area where you can get food and drinks along with merch. One thing to note is that the activities such as zipline and ATVs are all separate and ran by different people (booking processes).
Carabali is at the foot of the rainforest and about 30 min away from San Juan. We did not get to visit but I would check them out next time.
But Carabali offers:
ATV Tours in the El Yunque National Forest
UTV Adventures in Puerto Rico
Horseback Riding on the Beach
Go Kart Riding
Rainforest Hayride
And More!
Casa Bacardi Puerto Rico
The 3rd day we also visited Casa Bacardi and did the Legacy tour. This was a basic tour of the facility and was just enough to learn about the history of the -BA-car-DEE as they pronounced it there.
The prices were very reasonable $45 and came with a cocktail. In my opinion if you drink Bacardi then you need to visit this place!
Later that night we also hit up La Placita and Downtown San Juan for an amazing time partying in the streets of San Juan.
Best Beaches in San Juan Puerto Rico
The Best Beaches in Puerto Rico
The last day I just wanted to go to the beach. Speaking of beaches, I had every single Uber driver tell me what their favorite beach on the Island was. Ironically, the winner was Flamenco beach which was not on the main island.
Keep reading to see where the beaches are.
Puerto Rico is one of the top places for beach lovers. We went to three beaches in Puerto Rico, El Escambrón, Isla Verde, and Playa Vega Baja. They are all beautiful natural wonders that you need to visit.
El Escambron and Isla Verde were about 15 min from our hotel. The free hotel shuttle takes you to the El Escambron. If I had to pick a beach it would be Isla Verde because it was less crowded and the waves were not as vicious.
I tallied up beaches and the most loved was one on Culebra Island: Flamenco Beach also known as Playa Flamenco. It is on a small island located off the coast of Puerto Rico.
How to get to the best beach in Puerto Rico
Where is Flamenco Beach?
It’s not on the main island of Puerto Rico. But known for its calm waters on this caribbean island you can see coral reefs, participate in water sports, and see the most popular beach on Isla Culebra.
The city of Ceiba is a short drive via uber from San Juan to this city. You can only access Flamenco beach via a ferry that you MUST book in advance.
The ferry departs from Ceiba which is about 30 min away from San Juan. Therefore you need to know that you must tickets to get to Culebra which is the smaller island that the beach is located on. You also need to have tickets back. Unless you will be left on the island. You can book tickets online here.
In my opinion, if you are looking for a beach with calm crystal clear waters–Flamenco Beach is the best beach. I did not visit it, however if I go back to Puerto Rico, it’s no way that I will not be taking a day trip here.
Final Thoughts on Puerto Rico
Would I return? Absolutely yes! Here you can honestly find some of the most beautiful places that you will 100% enjoy. My goal would be to go with a plan in mind and schedule as much as you can in advance. Happy traveling.
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