8 days in Puerto Rico: Your ultimate guide to exploring San Juan, Vieques, Culebra and more
Hola! We spent 8 days in Puerto Rico and it was incredibly refreshing to get away from the chill of a very typical East Coast winter. Sunshine, warm blue waters, fun salsa moves, catchy music and extremely hospitable and warm folks – Puerto Rico truly lives up to what it translates to – a ‘rich port’.
We flew into San Juan and spent most of our time in the northern parts of Puerto Rico (San Juan, and the islands of Culebra and Vieques), though ideally, if you choose to be on the main island throughout your trip, you could go around the island down to the west coast, and/or visit the southern coast and central PR for the lush green coffee plantations. As my dad noted when I called home during the trip, Puerto Rico sits on a latitude very close to New Delhi, India – so if you are from India, you may feel the vegetation and weather are familiar. There are bougainvilleas galore, the distances are in kilometers and coconut water can be found in abundance. 🙂
A couple of things to note:
Langauge: While most of Puerto Rico speaks Spanish, the San Juan area is quite diverse and touristy, so you will most likely not face a language barrier here if you do not speak Spanish. That being said, I did go prepared with a month of Duolingo lessons which definitely came in handy on some other parts of the island!
Weather: The weather in Puerto Rico is warm and humid. Rain usually doesn’t last for too long, unless you are visiting during the rainier months. It is usually quick drizzles and then the sun is out before you know it.
Cash: You should carry some cash – some vendors and food stalls on the street accept only cash, and this will come in handy if you plan on visiting the islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Accessibility: Old San Juan is quite walkable but apart from that, you will need a car to get around. If you plan to be in the same vicinity, Ubers are easily available. Also, a lot of tours offer pick up and drop service – just account for the extra time it will take which usually results in an early pick up time. For most tour/experience bookings, we used the Viator app – will highly recommend.
Vegetarian Food: Vegetarian food is a little bit of an issue in some parts of the island – but is fairly easy to find in the broader San Juan area.
The itinerary below is heavily detailed as I have mentioned and linked everything I could remember, including the things you need to carry on any of the trips/experiences. I hope this helps – and if you like this itinerary, please be sure to leave a comment, send me a note or just share my page @thedancingcookbook with more folks so I can keep these coming. 🙂
Day 1: Fly into San Juan + Where to stay
- We flew in from EWR and landed in San Juan. We stayed at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. I cannot say enough nice things about this place! It is a short Uber ride away from old San Juan, is located at the beachfront and has the nicest staff and vibes. With 4 huge pools, a variety of restaurants on site and within walking distance and some top notch service, this was such a nice stay. The breakfast buffet each morning was a DREAM. We were here for the first 4 nights of our trip.
- You could spend the day at the beach and grab dinner at the hotel, or take a short ride to old San Juan and spend the evening exploring. Old San Juan is quaint, colorful, with lots of character – and is extremely walkable.
- Where to stay: I recommend staying in the nearby Condado or Carolina areas, which have a lot of great hotel/Airbnb options at different price points. I do not recommend staying in Old San Juan, because of the narrow streets, older homes which can get really noisy at night – depending on which part of old San Juan you decide to stay in.
Day 2: Explore Old San Juan
- Start the day at the gate to the old city – Puerta de San Juan. Walk around, take in views of the water and the cobblestone streets leading the way into the city, and say hi to the many cats that you will find on the street! 🙂 We walked through the Princess Pathway right outside the gate and saw the beautiful fountain: Fuente Raices.
- Walk over to Catedral de San Juan Bautista – a beautiful church in the area. They do not have an entry fee, but there is a ‘pay what you wish’ donation.
- Walk over to Calle de la Fortaleza (popularly known as the Umbrella Path). Fun fact: they have different decorations at different times of the year! While you are there, I will recommend trying the unique and refreshing Pina colada popsicles from Señor Paleta! If you need coffee, check out Cafe del Nino.
- Walk over to, or walk past the nearby Parque de las Palomas – it is a small park, very touristy, and only recommended if you don’t mind lots of pigeons. We passed by this on our way to La Casa Estrecha – this is the narrowest house in old San Juan and just really cool to look at!
- We then tried the Pina colada at Barrachina who claim to be the inventors of the Pina colada (this claim is shared by the Caribe Hilton hotel). We tried both, and I will recommend the Pina colada at Caribe Hilton – please skip Barrachina.
- For lunch, walk over to La Casita de Rones (you can totally go here for dinner too – just note that they do not take reservations and it can get crowded), or if you’re feeling more like a light bite and some coffee, stop by Cafe Cuatro Sombras! One of the best specialty pastry items that we tried in PR are called ‘quesitos’. They are cheese filled puff pastry rolls – absolutely divine. Cafe Cuatro Sombras has a guava quesito that we quite enjoyed, and a nice grilled veggie hummus sandwich.
- If you love chocolate, definitely stop by Chocobar Cortes – it is a family owned business that has been making bean to bar chocolates since 1929! We tried the hot chocolate here and it was delicious!
- Another specialty is the local Mallorca bread – you can try it at Cafeteria Mallorca.
- Most of this walking route and surrounding streets are extremely picturesque, vibrant and make for wonderful photo-ops! Take advantage!
- Post lunch, take an Uber to Castillo San Felipe del Morro – this is just such a beautiful spot right on the water. There is a $10 entry fee, but the views are spectacular. Bonus if it is a sunny, good weather day. The views of the water and the lush green land surrounding the castle make this spot totally worth it. You may spot people flying kites here too!
- Take another Uber to Castillo San Cristobal – we didn’t go in here, just took in the views and sunset. If you are done with this earlier, you can head over to Condado or Carolina beach to enjoy the sunset!
- If you want to explore traditional Puerto Rican cuisine – I recommend grabbing dinner at Cafe Berlin (some vegetarian options) or the highly renowned La Casita Blanca (no vegetarian options).
- If you’re looking for fine dining in San Juan, we had a five-course tasting at Marmalade. This is a really great place if you’re celebrating (there was at least one veggie option in each course).
- Other restaurants in San Juan that we tried and loved: Azalea (Asian fusion) and La Cucina di Ivo (Italian).
Day 3: El Yunque Rainforest Tour
- I highly recommend taking a tour instead of a self-planned excursion to the rainforest for two reasons: it is safer (life jackets provided), and you will have an absolute BLAST! This is one of our top experiences from the trip and it was so, so memorable and fun.
- Things to buy beforehand: Please buy water shoes for the rainforest tour ahead of your trip. These are really handy – you do not need to wear socks, they do not retain the water, and are lightweight and are easy to clean. The rainforest trails are muddy and slippery and you will be stepping into water, so make sure you get ones with decent traction. These are the ones I got – linked here.
- Things to carry: I recommend dressing in a bathing suit with additional clothes layered on top and wearing your water shoes. Carry a change of clothes, flip flops and extra towels from your accommodation. You do need a waterproof pouch/bag if you plan to carry your phone and any valuables along on the tour. Most tour guides will ask you to leave them in the tour van – but if you must carry them – make sure you have a sealing waterproof bag of some kind.
- The tour is a lot of fun – pick up from the hotel is available on most tours, followed by a stop at a local fruit stand for snacks and then once you get to the rainforest – there is a moderate hike, followed by natural water slides (scary but fun), swing jumping or diving into the water – which is a whole lot of fun! Our trip also included two hours at the popular Luquillo beach – the water is warm, calm and beautiful. Luquillo beach also had a lot of food stands to choose from. All in all, this was a wonderful day and I highly recommend the experience.
- Luquillo beach also has jet ski rentals – this was our first time riding one and it was a lot of fun! We went back to this beach another day too for a fun afternoon.
- Grab dinner at your hotel/accommodation or surrounding restaurants.
Day 4: Snorkeling & Day Trip to Culebra
- Culebra is an island off of the main island of Puerto Rico – it is about a 45-50 minute ferry ride away. You can get to Culebra by: flight from San Juan airport – can range from $180 one way depending on when you book; local ferry from Ceiba (1.5 hour drive from San Juan) – $5-7 but needs to be booked in advance; or via a tour (most tours depart from Fajardo – again a 1 hour drive from San Juan).
- Culebra has the bluest and calmest waters in PR, and is home to one of the top beaches in the world: Flamenco beach. There is also another island called Culebrita that is a 15-20 minute boat ride from Culebra, which is supposed to be even better. The logistics of traveling to 2 islands was too much, and we also wanted to snorkel, so we went with the tour option – this includes snorkeling and a trip to Flamenco beach on Culebra.
- Wake up early, grab breakfast and coffee and drive to the pick up point for the snorkeling tour.
- The tour typically includes: breakfast and lunch as well as access to snorkeling equipment.
- Things to buy beforehand: Dramamine – less drowsy (if prone to motion sickness)
- Things to carry: Again, I’d recommend dressing in layers – bathing suit with a cover-up/additional clothes. Carry towels, sun-block, flip flops, a change of clothes and take the dramamine an hour before getting onto the boat.
- After a day of fun, head back to the hotel and grab dinner.
Day 5: Bioluminescent Kayaking in Vieques
- Vieques is another island off the coast of Puerto Rico, ~30 mins ferry ride away from Ceiba. It can also be accessed via flight, ferry or tours. I recommend booking the local ferry ahead of time here.
- Bioluminescence is a wonderful natural phenomenon and this kayaking experience was our #1 experience on the trip. There are a few bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico – with the Mosquito bay in Vieques being the brightest bay. For this reason, we chose to make the trip to Vieques – since the tours happen in the dark, you will need to stay overnight. If possible, choose the tour with clear kayaks – it is totally worth it! This is the tour we booked.
- We booked the local ferry to Vieques ahead of time and drove to the Ceiba terminal an hour ahead of the ferry time. They do have overnight parking available for $15/night and it is a huge lot, quite safe. There is a shuttle that takes you from the parking lot to the ferry terminal.
- Vieques was definitely the most rustic island we have been to so far. While it is populated, it is on the wilder side, you will see a lot of horses in the wild. There are no Ubers, only taxis and a taxi can transport multiple people at a time (will recommend carrying cash if visiting this island).
- There are car rentals available, but they are quite far from the ferry terminal, so even to get to a car rental office, you need to take a taxi.
- We stayed at the El Blok Hotel in Vieques and I will highly recommend. It is the best hotel on the island, renovated, with a modern, edgy aesthetic. It definitely felt very homey, almost like a modern hostel but with a great community feel.
- We took the afternoon ferry to Vieques, and then a taxi from the ferry terminal to El Blok. Make sure to get the phone number of the taxi drivers you encounter, as you will need to call for a taxi the next day. Most of them are found close to the ferry terminal, and this hotel is ~20-25 minutes away from the terminal.
- Enjoy the sunset and a drink at the El Blok rooftop, or walk over to the nearby Esperanza beach, and grab an early dinner at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant: Duffy’s.
- Things to carry: For the tour, I recommend dressing in a relaxed t-shirt, full length comfortable pants and flip flops. Since the kayaks are clear bottomed, the guide will have you go into the kayaks barefoot. Carry a small hand towel to wipe down your feet after.
- Walk over to the pick up point for the tour. The tour guide will drive the entire group over to the bioluminescent bay and take you kayaking.
- Kayaking in the dark is a surreal experience and the bioluminescence is mesmerizing! During our tour, it started raining, and every rain drop falling into the water would create additional bioluminescence. Prior to the rain, the sky was clear and our guide was pointing out different constellations. I have no words to describe how jaw-dropping and spellbinding this experience was.
- Post kayaking, return to the hotel, take a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep with starry dreams! 🙂
Day 6: Return to mainland and beach day/trip to Ponce or Utuado or Cabo Rojo
- Get breakfast, check out of the hotel and get a taxi to the Vieques ferry terminal.
- Important: I recommend calling for the taxi at least 2 hours in advance to see when the taxi driver can actually come and get you. The front desk at the hotel can also help with this – but be sure to contact them in advance in the morning. Do not cut it too close to your ferry departure time (an hour is not enough – start calling 2 hours ahead).
- Get onto the ferry and once back at Ceiba, drive to your next accommodation/hotel.
- There are a couple of ways to spend this day, and for each of the below – I recommend booking a stay in that area for this night, as the distances are a lot to cover in one day.
- Trip to the historic town of Ponce located on the south coast of Puerto Rico – it is around 1.5 hours from Ceiba, but it is a 2.5 hour drive back to San Juan.
- Trip to Cabo Rojo, a scenic coastal town located on the west coast of Puerto Rico, famous for the Los Morellos Lighthouse, stunning blue waters against limestone cliffs and birdwatching!
- Trip to Utuado, a lush green area in central Puerto Rico that consists of rainforests and coffee plantations. If visiting Utuado, I recommend this mountain retreat for your stay (my friends who visited loved it).
- We underestimated the distances and had planned on visiting Cabo Rojo. While we skipped it, I will still highly recommend Cabo Rojo or Utuado as I have heard great reviews from anyone and everyone we met in Puerto Rico!
Day 7: Drive back to San Juan and explore the nightlife
- Drive back to San Juan late in the afternoon, after enjoying a day in Cabo Rojo/Utuado/Ponce.
- For our last two nights, we stayed at the Caribe Hilton hotel. It is the first international Hilton hotel to have opened in 1949. It is a huge property with standard rooms, but the pool area and resort overall will give you major beach vacay vibes. Also, this is where you should try the coveted Pina colada.
- Grab an early dinner and then get ready for tonight’s experience!
- You can explore the nightlife or take an evening salsa class. We did both – the salsa class we booked was taught by a local who was really nice to work with. It was a group class held in a local park – the weather was nice and the people were so much fun!
- A trip to Puerto Rico is incomplete without experiencing the nightlife – namely the most popular place to experience the nightlife – La Factoria – the famous bar that was the filming location for the iconic Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber song, “Despacito”.
- La Factoria is made up of 4 bars: you walk from one into the other, and it is a really cool experience. Ideally, you want to go on a Sunday or Monday night – those are ‘Salsa’ nights! They have a live band playing and you will see locals doing the salsa SO SO well, it blew my mind! The drinks at each of these bars are different, and equally phenomenal.
- Despite the huge crowds, you will see the bartenders taking their time and crafting stunning drinks to perfection. Definitely a vibe and totally worth the hype!
- If you want to enjoy an even more local dance scene, you should definitely check out La Placita de Santurce. It is a two-tiered market square with lots of outdoor dancing space, cocktails and in general, a very festive vibe!
Day 8: Chill beach day and fly back home
- Wake up early and enjoy a morning on the beach or at the pools.
- Spend the rest of your available time as you’d like and then drive to the airport.
- Just like in Hawaii, your baggage needs to undergo an agriculture and customs inspection scan before being checked in with your airline, so make sure to head to that counter before you check in your luggage.
- Enjoy your flight back home!
Hope you have a wonderful trip! Our experience was delightful and since we didn’t explore the west coast this time around, we are happy to have another chance to go back. Honestly, I’d pick Puerto Rico over Miami now – same flight time and SO much more to see and explore. Until the next trip!
