faqs about puerto rico

As many of you might know, I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Because of this I get asked very frequently about it so I decided to do a post that has some of those frequently asked questions.



When is the best time to go to Puerto Rico?
In my opinion, the best time to go to PR is between November and May. The summers in PR are very hot and humid. Plus, it's hurricane season from June to October.

Where is your favorite vacation spot in PR?
That spot is Vieques. Vieques is part of PR but it's not on the mainland, it's an island right next to it. And it is amazeballs. OMG. It's so relaxing. The beaches are out of this world. And the food in the whole island is crazy good. Matt and I went for our honeymoon and it has been one of the best vacations that we have ever taken.

Where should we stay if all we want to do is hit the beach?
- El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo. This hotel is on a cliff, so the beach that they use is on a private island and it is beautiful. They provide free boat rides to the beach and back.
 - W Retreat & Spa in Vieques. This hotel is on the pricey side so if that's too much you can rent a place or stay at one of the many B&B's in the island.

Where should we stay if we want to hit the beach but also be close to the city?
There are 2 towns that will be perfect for you. One is called Isla Verde and the other one is called Condado. I prefer Isla Verde but maybe that is because I spent all of my childhood going to that beach. Here are some of my favorite hotels in those areas:
- InterContinental San Juan in Isla Verde.
- El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde.
- Embassy Suites San Juan in Isla Verde. The 5-7pm free happy hour can't be beat. This is where all of our guests stayed at our wedding.
- La Concha in Condado.
- San Juan Marriott in Condado.
- Caribe Hilton in Condado.

Where should we stay if all we want to do is explore Old San Juan?
I have never stayed in Old San Juan. Crazy. I know. But I do love the Hotel El Convento. It used to be a convent like 300 years ago and it's beautiful.

What are some of the main things that we should do while we are there?
- You have to spend at least an afternoon walking around Old San Juan. Walk by the Paseo la Princesa and go all the way to the end. You might see Dolphins. Definitely, check out the fort El Morro.
- Go to El Yunque Rainforest. This is a great day trip. You can go hiking (there are different trails that you can do) and you can also see some of the amazing waterfalls that are in there. In some of them, you can even go in and swim.
- Go kayaking one night at the Bioluminescent Bay. I've done it a couple of times with this company and it is amazing.
- Go on a sailing excursion with the Spread Eagle II. Super fun.

What type of food should we try?
You definitely need to try mofongo. My mouth just waters thinking about it. Also try yuca, rice and beans, sweet plantains and lots of fresh fish.

What is your favorite place to go when you are in Puerto Rico?
Every time I am home I go to Old San Juan. There is no place like it.

Do I need a passport?
If you are a US citizen, you don't need a passport. PR is part of the United States.

Do people speak English?
Most people speak English, especially in the touristy areas. 

I just looked at the forecast and it says it's going to rain every day!
PR is a tropical island so it's very common for it to rain every day. In most cases, it just rains for a couple of minutes and that's it. So don't panic. If it does rain and you are super bored in your hotel room, I recommend going to Plaza las Americas. It's a ginormous mall. So you can be entertained in there for a couple of hours.

-----

If you have additional questions, feel free to leave me a comment below. I love my little island and would love for you to go explore it one day.




No comments