Travel Guide
Open Your Mind at an Art Museum in San Juan
Are you looking for a little quiet culture in the heart of San Juan? Maybe something to do on a rainy or super hot day? The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico are just a few blocks apart, and they are full of interesting objects of art.
Follow La Ruta del Corazón Criollo in Caguas
Caguas is a wonderful small city, just 20 minutes south of San Juan, that offers many things to do for visitors. One of those things is La Ruta del Corazón Criollo (the Route to the Heart of Creole). It is a self-guided walking tour to 12 museums and places of interest, all within a few blocks around the town square. These museums provide visitors some insight into the history of Caguas and Culture.
Art, History, Museum, Music, Rainy Day, Tour, Central, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Help Out the Cats in Old San Juan
Save a Gato is a volunteer organization that manages the care and feeding of the colonial cats of Old San Juan around the El Morro and Paseo area. Through an agreement with the National Park Service, Save a Gato provides food, water and medical assistance for these cats. They do what they can, as a completely volunteer organization, run on donations. But every trap-neuter-release costs money. Find out how you can help.
Attend Carnival in the "City of El Yunque"- Rio Grande
Carnival — the word itself conjures up images of festivals and fun from around the world! And Puerto Rico is no exception. Almost every town holds a carnival — some big, some small. No matter what the size, you can always count on finding music, dancing and food. Carnival will be held in Rio Grande at the end of June. Stop by and take part in the fun!
Foodie, Music, Rain Forest, East, North, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Get Wet & Get Lucky on Noche de San Juan
Are you looking for a little good luck, or perhaps you just want to experience a local tradition? La Noche de San Juan, or Saint John’s Night, is celebrated annually on the night of June 23. To take part in this tradition, all you need to do is get yourself to a beach, be prepared to stay up late and get wet. Are you ready to get lucky?
Something for Everyone in the Town of Luquillo
When looking for day trips to do, I sometimes forget to look at places close to home. Luquillo is a great little town in the north east part of Puerto Rico. It is home to diverse natural beauty — both miles of beautiful beaches and acres of rain forest. It has a rich and interesting history and a decently active, modern social life. Most people assume they have "done" Luquillo if they make it to the food kiosks and Luquillo Beach, but there is a lot more for people to do and enjoy. So take some time and come explore Luquillo!
Art, Beach, History, Nature, Rain Forest, Rainy Day, Shopping, East, Adventure, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Meet the Original Puerto Ricans at Caguana
If you take a trip to the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park, you can learn about the people who lived in Puerto Rico (or Boriken as they called it) prior to the arrival of the Spanish. In this a small area in Utuado, archaeologists have uncovered many artifacts, petroglyphs and a number of stone-lined areas. Many years later, after further excavations, research and preservation, this area is said to be one of the most important Taino-culture archaeological sites in the Antilles today.
History, Museum, Nature, Central, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
A Melding of Sacred Symbols in Luquillo
If you are in the Luquillo area and enjoy seeing unusual artwork, a quick stop at Saint Joseph’s Church in Luquillo is worth a visit. Its old and lovely facade holds a rare treasure inside — some of the most beautiful wood carvings. While wood carvings are not unusual for a Catholic church, these ones are — they combine Catholic religious presentations, with nature and symbols from other cultures and religions. This is one of those rare and pleasant finds!
Cool Off at Charco Frio or Get Crazy at Las Tinajas
Here is another fun adventure made possible by the rivers that flow down from El Yunque. The Río Fajardo in Ceiba offers two types of fun — mild or rugged. For the mild type of nature lovers, there is Charco Frio, which is a series of pools in the river that you can enjoy cooling off in on a hot day. The rugged part is Las Tinajas, which, after a hike in, has a rope swing, a little rock water slide, pretty waterfalls, river views and some nice pools to enjoy.
Nature, Rain Forest, East, Adventure, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Hiking in Toro Negro Forest
Almost everyone that visits Puerto Rico makes the trip to El Yunque National Forest to see some waterfalls and get some great views. But there are other forests in Puerto Rico that offer all that, too. We had hiked in the Toro Negro Forest a number of years ago. I remembered it was very nice and parts of the forest looked very much like El Yunque. So we decided to go back again recently to take notes and write about it for anyone who wants an alternative to hiking in El Yunque.
Hiking, Nature, Rain Forest, Central, South, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Driving in Puerto Rico
Once you decide to venture away from the San Juan metropolitan area, your best bet (and the cheapest way to get around) is to rent a car. You may have heard horror stories about Puerto Rican drivers, but, in reality, it is not that bad! Here are some tips to make your experience driving in Puerto Rico as painless as possible.
General, Rain Forest, Rainy Day, Central, Culebra, East, Metro, North, South, West, Budget, First Timer, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Discover Petroglyphs at El Hippie and La Canoa Falls
We live on the north side of El Yunque National Forest, and I am pretty familiar with most of the trails and things to see in the rain forest in our area. But I have been on a quest to get to see the petroglyphs located in Rio Blanco on the south side of El Yunque for a long time. We were finally able to find them, along with swimming holes and a water fall.
Las Paylas or Las Pailas - A Natural Water Slide in Luquillo
Being a rain forest, there are plenty of rivers that come down from El Yunque. Over many years, the rushing waters have made some of these river rocks into natural playgrounds, complete with pools and water slides. There is a place in Luquillo called Las Paylas (or Las Pailas) were the rocks in this river are real smooth and make for some really fun slides.
Nature, Rain Forest, East, North, Adventure, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Los Prieto Falls on El Yunque's South Side
The El Yunque National Forest covers 28000 acres, and much of it is protected as wilderness areas. Ray and I are always looking for new trails to hike and, of course, elusive waterfalls. We recently went to the south side of the rain forest in search of Los Prieto Falls. We found a great hike and beautiful set of waterfalls, too!
Beaches & Views in Isabela
Isabela, the western-most town on the north coast, offers visitors great views and beaches. If you are like me, you will be in heaven watching the beauty of the ocean crashing onto the shore or over rocks. Though best-known for its beaches and surfing, Isabela also has a forest reserve, caves, lakes, rivers and historical sites all waiting to be explored.
Beach, Nature, Snorkeling, North, West, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
(Currently Closed) Enjoy Lago Dos Bocas- Eat, paddle, fish and maybe take a boat and just sightseeing!
Looking for a nice off the beaten path way to spend a weekend afternoon? You can hop in the car and head to Lago Dos Bocas toward the center of the island, where you can enjoy a lakeside restaurant and enjoy drinks or a meal while admiring the views, or have fun and rent a kayak and paddle around.
Foodie, Nature, Central, North, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Rio Espiritu Santo Waterfall in El Yunque
El Yunque National Forest has a lot more to explore besides the forest along Road 191. If you have a little extra time and want to get a little more rain forest immersion, you can take a short drive up Road 186, above the El Verde area in Rio Grande, and find a hidden waterfall just steps from the road.
Nature, Rain Forest, East, North, Budget, Off Beaten Path, With Kids
Saddle Up for a Trail Ride Close to San Juan
Campo Rico Trail Rides has a horseback riding excursion in Hacienda Campo Rico, just outside of San Juan. We had the opportunity to go on a horseback outing with them in their beautiful location and we had a lot of fun.
Nature, Tour, East, Metro, North, Adventure, Cruise Ship, With Kids
An Easy Boat Trip Get Away to Culebra for the Day
Culebra is a little island that is a nice day-trip away from the main island of Puerto Rico. We have been to a few beaches there and it is always beautiful. A power boat snorkel day trip gets you over to some Culebra beaches for the day and they provide all you need for a day of fun!
Beach, Nature, Snorkeling, Tour, Water Sports, Culebra, East, With Kids
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