The Home Warrior and I are taking our first vacation of the year together on Sunday, and are headed to Puerto Rico for a week. To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement. I can’t WAIT. We are staying in San Juan in Condado, and have a number of activities planned. We are going to hike in El Yunque, kayak in the Bio Bay (if you don’t know what the Bio Bay is, click this link, the pictures are even more amazing than I had dreamed), explore the forts and architecture of Old San Juan, eat excellent food, and lay on the beach. Oh, and play in the casinos a tiny bit. Does that sound like heaven or what??
I will still have posts go up like normal, but getting comments through moderation may take a little extra time. Thanks in advance to my fabulous step-sister for her assistance, and to you all for your patience.
Does anyone who has been to PR have any must-do, must-see, or must-eat items to add to our list?
My mother’s ex-boss (she’s still there, he retired) had a condo in Isla Verde that employees could use. We went there every year from before I can remember to my mid-teens.
I liked El Morro and, when my parents were able to sneak me in, the Bacardi tour in Cataño.
Eat at Dragonfly in Old San Juan. Great tapas places right in the center of town. And the home warrior will need to wear pants, not shorts, or they will wrap him in a sarong! Enjoy!
have a great time!!! we went there over thanksgiving. the bacardi tour was fun (and free!). the presentation is a little cheesy, but you get a couple free drinks right off the bat.
this place had really tasty food – roasted meat! http://www.el-twirpo.com/zenphoto/albums/2010/2010-11-26-puerto-rico/c8958.jpg it was on a main street near the airport.
if you can find this food truck (featured on man vs. food), let me know how it was. El Churry: Avenida Isla, Calle Jupiter, Carolina, PR 00979 we found the cross streets but the food truck was no where to be seen. 🙁 also really close to the airport.
at el yunque, try to tag along behind an adventurous small tour group bc those guides know the best way to get up close and personal to the waterfalls. wear a bathing suit and shoes that are okay being submerged in water.
I actually got married there in August of last year and barely got out before a hurricane!!
The bio bay is really neat. I did the one on the south coast and the one in Fajardo. I liked Fajardo more but they only let you kayak in the bay, no swimming like the south 🙁
Definitely take a ferry to Culebra. It has one of the top beaches in the world in Flamenco and lived up to its hype. You can camp there if interested. If you want good snorkeling, it’s only a short walk from the “main” Flamenco beach.
El Yunque was a disappointment for me because I expected to see at least 1 animal. Still very pretty though and you should definitely make the hike all the way up to the lookout tower. Both my parents and in laws were able to make it so anyone can 😀
Eat at some local food stands! Try to find a good one before you go because some are A LOT better than others.
Enjoy your trip!
Having been born and raised in PR, I think most of the main tourist items have been hit except for La Bombonera in old San Juan: http://www.labombonerapr.com/site/Default.aspx Make sure you go for breakfast and have a “mallorca” pressed sandwich with ham, egg, and cheese, YUM!
As far as eating where the locals eat, here are my suggestions:
Antojitos del Mar (a literal hole in the wall): http://www.facebook.com/pages/antojitos-del-mar/139421229449524
La Casita Blanca (a house converted to restaurant): http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/purepuertorican/gr/LaCasitaBlanca.htm
Lechonera Los Pinos (best Roast Pork in Guavate [the area best known for roast pork]. A bit of a drive, but worth it): http://www.goodiesfirst.com/2010/05/lechonera-los-pinos.html
Enjoy your trip!