Weekend Getaway to Paradise: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico! La Isla del Encanto! What can I say say about Puerto Rico? Other than the fact that this trip was absolutely breathtaking. Don’t have a passport? No problem! You can still fly out to Puerto Rico with a Valid Drivers License since it’s US Territory. It was June 2016 and my boyfriend and I decided to plan a little birthday weekend trip for him, just Thursday – Sunday. We got a few of our closest friends together (it was 9 of us to be exact) and we were off.

Arriving in Puerto Rico

After a quick flight from Miami to San Juan, we arrived at our destination and rented a car to commute to our HomeAway rental, right next to the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rican Resort. We had a little trouble finding our HomeAway, but it was exciting to be somewhere new! And once we arrived to our home for the weekend, all our troubles faded away. It’s hard for me to even describe the HomeAway- once you step through those double doors, you walk into a tropical themed living and dining room area. The bedrooms included bunk beds to accommodate the amount of travelers we had, and the kitchen had awe inspiring views of the Island. Let’s not forget the balcony, the balcony was my absolute favorite spot in our place, with lounge chairs and all. You can see the ocean and mountains with one glance. Can life get any better? We booked both the flight and rental car through Expedia, where we typically find great prices and can bundle. Also, HomeAway’s or Airbnb’s are a great idea when traveling in large groups. By splitting the costs, you save.

El Yunque Forest

First word of advice, plan in advance! And that’s just what we did. We tried to book all our excursions back at home just in case, so we had that set and ready to go. The first activity of our trip was to go 4-wheeling in El Yunque Rain Forest. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to book that in advance (they don’t take reservations) and the morning session was booked so we had to improvise. Instead, we decided to take a little trip up the mountains and straight into the rain forest. With our little rental car, we took on the challenge of driving up the rough terrain to arrive at La Coca Fall.

The next stop was La Mina Falls (Cascada La Mina), photos below! This was a tough hike up due to elevation changes, some rough terrain and steep steps, but the views were great on the way; lush forest and plant life (we even got some rain in the rain forest, who would have thought lol). The end destination was mesmerizing. We had arrived at La Mina Falls and we scurried to take our shoes off and jump into some (ice cold) water. Do: Bring hiking shoes and comfortable apparel. Do: Pack a swimsuit and a towel. Don’t: Look at your phone on the way up or down the hike (you may miss a step).

Catamaran Snorkeling Tour

After a long day of hiking and enjoying some freezing water, we ate some dinner at a near by restaurant and enjoyed some delicious Puerto Rican mofongo, a MUST when in PR. We headed back to our HomeAway for a quick nap before taking on a bioluminescent night kayaking tour, since Puerto Rico is a prime location to experience this. Highly recommend checking that out! The next day we were ready for our Catamaran Snorkeling Tour. It was an all day excursion that included food and drinks! We were ready for the open bar. Daydreaming of those drinks now. The tour guides were phenomenal and so friendly. Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen on these trips! It was a scorching hot day, but we were able to immerse ourselves in the beautiful tropical waters and explore the underwater landscape and marine life.

Can’t forget our nights out! We had some interesting nights during our time in PR. From driving all night trying to find the perfect lounge, to finding a private beach near our HomeAway rental, to just playing card games in the dinning room and concocting interesting drinks…

On our final day before our flight, we were able to explore Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan). We had just a few hours to spare and decided to take a stroll around the area. If you’re planning to visit Puerto Rico, this is a must do on your list. Absolutely stunning architecture and the people are so sweet, inviting, and lively. That was our last stop of the weekend! Reality awaited. Summer ’16 was a good one.