Puerto Rico

bargainsgirl · ‎01-13-2012

Heard it is quite beautiful.. If you have been, can you offer any suggestions about traveling there? Places to stay, things to do, weather...

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

Haven't been there recently but IMO it's the only worthwhile Caribbean island. Has history, good beaches, restaurants. More diverse than many of the other islands.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

My sister and I booked a cruise that left from San Juan and arrived a day early so we could see the city. Our taxi driver was so personable, we hired him to take us touring.

He took us all over the city and seem to know of features that aren't on the usual tourist list. We'd see other old forts so didn't bother with El Moro, too much walking.

The old part of town reminded me of New Orleans with lots of shops and restaurants. We had a really good lunch at the Cafe that invented the Pina Colada. Of course we each had to have one.

We asked for a dinner restaurant that served Puerto Rican food. Only time I ever ate plantain; I've not gone looking for another. The food was just okay.

It seems it rains there, if only a brief shower, every day. It was very warm even in late winter and the humidity was even worse than Houston. I imagine summer would be unbearable.

I'm sorry we did have time for a trip to the rain forests which are some distance from San Juan. The fauna and flora there would be very interesting. We didn't go to the beach there.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

I lived near San Juan for four years as a kid. Left when I was twelve but I remember how nice it was on the beaches and around our neighborhood. There's a dark side to that place as well. Poverty like I've never seen before.

I am still oxox · ‎03-09-2010

@kaydee50 wrote:
Haven't been there recently but IMO it's the only worthwhile Caribbean island. Has history, good beaches, restaurants. More diverse than many of the other islands.

@kaydee50 If you have never been recently how can you judge. My favorite Island is St Thomas and second favorite if Turks and Cacios. We sailed into San Juan on a repositioning cruise, what I saw saw was not impressive

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive what could go right.

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

@I am still oxox wrote:
@kaydee50 wrote:
Haven't been there recently but IMO it's the only worthwhile Caribbean island. Has history, good beaches, restaurants. More diverse than many of the other islands.

@kaydee50 If you have never been recently how can you judge. My favorite Island is St Thomas and second favorite if Turks and Cacios. We sailed into San Juan on a repositioning cruise, what I saw saw was not impressive

I guess because it's the only Caribbean island I would consider revisiting. I'm not a "beach" person and there were a lot of non beach activities there. Regret not going to Arecibo when it was open.

amyb · ‎04-05-2010

Been there twice...once many moons ago, stayed at "Caribe' Hilton" was very nice, open air hotel, lovely bar & restaurant areas, beautiful pool and it's own private beach. I believe it still exists but have no idea what it's like today, I'd imagine still nice. That trip was in August, nice weather.

2 years ago, to the day, we visited friends who had a place in Luquillo, not too far from San Juan, maybe 30 min outside of it. Funky, rustic, eclectic places to eat and hang out, fun, nice local beaches, more local & relaxed, less touristy. Then we extended our stay after they went home, and stayed at "La Concha", a Marriott Resort Hotel...very very nice...3 pools, also right on the beach, nice open air indoor bar area, lovely outdoor restaurants, good food. I'd love to go back. Nice weather in March also.

I'd recommend Puerto Rico, and I'd go back.

cjm61 · ‎09-07-2014

Sorry @bargainsgirl , I have to say, we did not like Puerto Rico when we visited years ago. I agree with @I am still oxox , we have no desire to return.

I'm sure there are nice places but it can be a very unsafe place so be sure you go where the "touristy" places are. We were told not to branch out sightseeing on our own. There were several in our group and there was an attempt to steal from us. Luckily we realized it in time and left with our money. Will not return. We loved St. Thomas, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

@I am still oxox wrote:
@kaydee50 wrote:
Haven't been there recently but IMO it's the only worthwhile Caribbean island. Has history, good beaches, restaurants. More diverse than many of the other islands.

@kaydee50 If you have never been recently how can you judge. My favorite Island is St Thomas and second favorite if Turks and Cacios. We sailed into San Juan on a repositioning cruise, what I saw saw was not impressive

The Virgin Islands are beautiful....at least they were when we went twenty years ago! Beautiful beaches with turquoise water!

Tshirtgal · ‎04-01-2011

In March 2025 we spent a week in Puerto Rico, our first visit.

We rented a VRBO on the beach in Isle/Verde/Carolina for a week. Great beach. Clean. Safe. We rented a car which was a good idea because we traveled to the El Yunque National Forest, a must see. Don't skip the visitor center. It is fabulous and educational. We made a stop Serra,Les Castillo, a historical rum distillery. A rustic, interesting drive to Caguana Heritage Center was another opportunity to learn about the indigenous people of Puerto Rico.
Traffic and parking is challenging in Old San Juan. We took an Uber several times. Expensive, but the convenience and time saving driving around for a postage size spot to park made it worth every penny. Don't rush Old Town Juan. Take your time in the historic district walking around. It is full of shops, cocktail bars, corner open air restaurants, shaded courtyards, art scultures and cobblestone streets. The Museum of the Americas is well worth a stop and the historical El Morro fortress is a very interesting place to wander around. We also took a ferry from Old Town to tour the Bacardi Rum distillery.

You will need very comfy shoes with good soles, and the ability to walk up and down hilly streets. Our 83 year old friend went with us. He did fine with some rest breaks. March was a good time to visit because it was not too hot to walk around.
We had a great time. We enjoyed beach time every day but a little hot sun goes a long way for me so having other things to do was perfect.
I hope this inspires you and others to give Puerto Rico a try.