I spent all last week visiting Puerto Rico for the first time and it was incredible. The U.S. territory is a Caribbean island with historic architecture, tropical rainforests, beautiful beaches and more. Ever since I got there last Monday, I couldn’t wait to sit down and write about it. Now that I’m back in NYC, I’m ready to reflect on my amazing trip and share all of my tips with you guys. I highly recommend going when you get a chance and I hope you find this guide helpful!
Can you visit Puerto Rico in 2019?
In 2017, Puerto Rico was hit with two devastating hurricanes, Maria and Irma. The entire island lost power and some homes didn’t have it restored for more than six months. Lives were lost and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. So now, just two years after the tragedy, is it even okay to visit PR?
Yes, it is! In fact, much of my research and conversations encourage going now because tourism (a.k.a. spending your money there) helps them to rebuild and keep their businesses running. Although you may see some boarded up buildings and areas that have not been fully restored after the hurricanes, the people of PR have done an amazing job of getting it back up and running. There is still plenty to do and see — me and Kailena ended up having one of our best vacations ever!
Transportation and other logistics
The flight from New York City to PR was four hours, so not too bad. They are in the Atlantic Time Zone, so there was no time difference while we were there. And since they are a U.S. territory, they use American dollars, so no money conversions either. This also means that you can go without a passport. Basically, PR is like an international trip with the ease of traveling within the states.
While we were on the island, we got around by walking or Uber. However, if you are going a long distance (it can take a few hours to get to the other side of the island) you will probably want to rent a car. It’s easy to rent a car, however you’ll want to plan ahead. We tried to rent a car the day of to drive to one of the rainforests, but since we didn’t reserve one they didn’t have one readily available. So, take it from me and plan ahead. Other than that, Uber worked perfectly fine and it was pretty cheap. Most rides we took were under $10.
Where to stay?
We stayed in the Isla Verde area of Carolina. This area is known for their hotel strip, which makes it a great location for bars and restaurants. But, instead of staying in one of the hotels, we got an Airbnb for about $70 per night. It was a small, but cute apartment with tons of sunlight and a private beach entrance right outside our door. The location was only 10 minutes from the airport and about 15 minutes from Old San Juan. There was tons of places to eat in walking distance, as well as a CVS down the road.
I have used Airbnb for almost all of my vacations and I’ve never had a bad experience. Just make sure you read the reviews, research the area and really pay attention to the photos and accommodations. And that goes for everywhere, not just PR.
Things to do in Puerto Rico
- Relax on the beach: We spent most of our time on the beach — I mean, it is the Caribbean after all! We stayed off of Isla Verde Beach and it was clean with white sand and turquoise water. You can also jet ski, parasail, snorkel, and more. However, make sure you go heavy on the sunblock! I am mixed and I hardly ever burn, but I got the worst sunburn of my life after my first day on the beach there!
- Visit Old San Juan: Old San Juan is beautiful and so much fun! It’s a must-see while you’re in PR. It has cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and tons of bars and boutiques. It also a great place to see some historical sites. We visited Castillo San Cristóbal, which is a fort built by Spain in the 1700s. And make sure you get a picture under the colorful umbrellas on Fortaleza Street.
- Eat: There are so many good restaurants and bars throughout Carolina and San Juan. Some of the places we ate at right near our Airbnb were Piu Bello, Platos, Edith Cafe, and Lupi’s Mexican Grill. But, no matter what area you stay in, you have to order two things: a Piña Colada, which was actually invented in PR, and Mofongo, a Puerto Rican dish with fried plantains as its main ingredient.
- Shop: As I mentioned above, Old San Juan has tons of boutiques and souvenir stores. If you are looking for some more familiar stores, check out The Mall of San Juan. It’s a very nice mall with everything from H&M and Zara to Versace and Gucci. I bought a new Kate Spade bag while we were there.
- Nightlife: We went out in San Juan one night and had some drinks and hookah at Funky Buddah. There is also a popular club right next door called El Bar Bero. Be aware though that you won’t see a lot of people out until later at night on weekends. We went out on a Thursday and it was empty. You’ll have much more luck on a Friday or Saturday night, and don’t even bother until after 10 p.m.
- Hike the rainforest: This is one thing that we did not get to do on our trip, although I would love to go back and see El Yunque National Forest and swim in one of the waterfalls. This rainforest has many different hiking trails, however many of them are still closed from the hurricane. Some are 30 minutes and some take hours. Just make sure you do your research ahead of time and be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. You can’t Uber to the rainforest because you won’t be able to find a ride a home, so you have to order a Taxi for the day or rent a car. You’ll also need to make sure you have the right gear and clothing for hiking — it’s VERY hot and I’ve heard it’s very slippery.
Do you have any questions about visiting PR? Let me know in the comments or email me at kaylaschaos@gmail.com.
xoxo, Kayla
