Why Here
May 2018- I wanted to go on a trip for my birthday with my girlfriend, but she didn't have a passport. So, I had to choose a place that was warm, outside of the continental US, and didn't require a passport.
Getting There
ORD to SJU via I can't remember which domestic US airline. Uber from airport to San Juan- Condado, 15 minutes.
Money Exchange
Not necessary
Visa
Not necessary
Hotels
The first 2 nights were spent at Serafina Hotel, an uber-chic modern, newly constructed (at the time) hotel on the beach on Condado. The look from the street is very unassuming, but the minute you walk into the all-white lobby and see the view straight through to the beach, you will be mesmerized. The beach isn't for swimming (very rocky), but there's a nice infinity pool overlying the sea, and you can watch the pelicans dive for fish. In the early afternoon, you can stick around for the poolside DJ, playing top 40s and EDM.
View from the Room
View from Poolside
The second 2 nights were spent at the El Yunque Rainforest Inn. A magical hideaway in the jungle. We accidentally came upon this place. After getting our jeep in San Juan, we were headed to Fajardo to buy ferry tickets for our trip to Culebra and then go for a hike in the Rainforest. We didn't have a hotel yet for the night but planned to figure it out before the day ended- depending on where we ended our day. On our way to Fajardo, we stopped in Luquillo at the Kioscos and had lunch at JIbaros. While researching hotels for the night, I came upon the El Yunque Rainforest Inn. They didn't have online reservations and said they required a 3-night minimum, but I called anyway to give it a try. The owner answered, and luckily, they had openings and allowed me to book for just 2 nights. So, after lunch, we changed plans and headed to the Inn/Rainforest instead.
The last night was spent in Old San Juan at CasaBlanca Hotel.
This is a small boutique hotel. The lobby has several TVs that play the eponymous movie on repeat. The rooms are small, and not all have a window, but they are cute with Moroccan like designs.
What to do
Condado
Besides the beach, there is not much to do in this area. Locals actually live in this area in the surrounding mid and high rises.
You can chill poolside at the hotel during the day and venture to the more touristy areas of San Juan (i.e., where most of the cruise ships dock). There are also plenty of casinos to check out.
When we planned to set out on our road trip from San Juan, we initially tried to rent a jeep from Charlie's Car Rental in Condado.
After finally finding (no visible signage out front), I found out they were out of Jeeps, despite a reservation. So, we grabbed an Uber to the airport with hopes to find a last-minute rental Jeep… we did, at Allied Car Rental.
Luquillo
Tons of Kiosks selling food, drinks, and sweets. A great way to find authentic, inexpensive Puerto Rican food and mingle with locals.
El Yunque Rainforest
Several routes are available that vary in level of difficulty.
You can look at maps online to decide your path ahead of time
From our Inn, we set out on a 45-minute medium experience hike. Here are our views at the end.
Culebra
Puerto Rico has 2 small islands off the eastern coast, Vieques and Culebra. Initially, we were planning to go to Vieques, but after a night out at a dive bar we chatted with the locals. One, in particular, encouraged us to change our plans to visit Culebra instead. Vieques has the world-famous bioluminescent bay, which we didn't see, unfortunately. But Culebra has one of the world's best beaches.
Old San Juan
We opted to take an uber ride to Old San Juan.
At night, even on a weeknight, this area was lively, and the streets were full of people bar hopping. I checked out a few bars, including La Factoria. Use it at a stopping point. The drinking age is 18 FYI.
Check out the local dive bar El Batey.
Admire the Spanish architecture influence:
Check out la Perla if you're brave or have a guide, our Uber driver "hosted" us.
Puerto Rico served as the Spanish gateway to the New World for nearly 400 years. The city walls and fortifications are most apparent in the two sites below, both part of the National Park Service.
Entrance fee for adults is $10 and includes both sites
Castillo de San Cristobal- a fortress built in the 18th century.
