Last updated on July 25th, 2023 at 06:25 pm

Puerto Rico, although an official US territory, is, in fact, an island in the Caribbean. We flew from the US East coast to San Juan in less than 4 hours by direct flight. And being a part of the United States, it is considered a domestic flight; no passport or travel visa is necessary if you have a US driver’s license. This means a perfect long weekend destination!

We spent one of our most memorable 3 days on the Island of Puerto Rico a year before Hurricane Maria struck in 2017. As disheartening as it was to hear about the devastations caused by Maria, we are happy to hear that the island is getting back into action and can definitely use the boost in tourism again.

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Puerto Rico 3-day Itinerary (details follow)

• Day 1: Landed late afternoon and headed for Bio bay tour in Fajardo at night.
• Day 2: Went on an El Yunque adventure day tour and strolled around Old San Juan city in the evening.
• Day 3: Took the Catamaran tour to Culebra and snorkeled on Flamenco beach.  Spent the evening in Condado.
• Return: Visited the Del Morro fort in Old San Juan in the morning before flying back home early evening.

Where to Stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico

We stayed near the side of San Juan in Miramar, although a lot of people choose to stay across the lagoon in Condado. Condado, in my opinion, looked like a replica of South Beach Miami so we don’t feel we missed much by not staying there. 

If you really want a taste of old charm, then consider staying in Old San Juan, which is only about a 10 -15 mins drive from Miramar or Condado. We really didn’t hang out at the beach in Condado. Instead, we went to Culebra Island’s famous Flamenco beach.

Another place we’ll highly recommend for its pristine beaches is Vieques Island. TIP: Try to stay overnight in Vieques and experience the exquisite show of nature in Mosquito Bay. What’s that? We’ll tell you all about it in a few.

Getting Around San Juan, Puerto Rico

Driving & Parking

We rented a car to be able to drive to the different excursions around the island on our itinerary. Like us, if you drive to Old San Juan, there are plenty of parking garages in the town. There was a $5 parking for the entire day in the parking garage opposite Racies restaurant (red color building). 

Walking

The best way to see Old San Juan is by walking around the entire city. TIP: Grab a map of old San Juan from your hotel and go exploring the old way. Our weekend visit to San Juan was very different than weekdays. It was busier and a lot of more active with several local vendors out on the streets as the cruise ships docked at the port on weekends. 

Free Trolley in Old San Juan

If you are not much of a walker then consider taking the free trolley service in Old Town San Juan. This is a mode of public transport and not a guided tour. The trollies run from 7am – 7pm on weekdays and 9am – 7pm on weekends.

Things To Do in Old San Juan

To some the old town San Juan’s charm is fascinating and to others, it is too Americanized. Either way, it’s hard not to fall in love with this colorful town. Don’t miss out on these San Juan attractions –

1. Walk the Colorful Streets of Old San Juan

As we said before, grab a map and explore the hidden gems on foot, from colorful houses to beautiful doors there is a photo op at every corner in Old San Juan.

2. Paseo de la Princesa Promenade 

This promenade walk is a wonderful way to soak in the charm of old San Juan during the day. Start your walk from the water fountain all the way till the San Juan Gate which leads you into the old city. Then stop by again in the evening when it’s lit up and enjoy a view of the bay in the moonlight. 

3. Paseo del Morro 

Del Morro trail follows the San Juan fort walls on the outer side. TIP: Check for any closures in this trail before you go, we had to take a detour on the trail at Old San Juan Gate. 

4. Old San Juan Gate 

The Paseo del Morro trail will take you to this old gate which happens to be a historical landmark.

5. La Rogativa 

You’ll get panoramic views of San Juan from this plaza from El Yunque rainforest in the distance to the fortified city by the bay. But pay attention to the lovely sculpture of La Rogativa which is near Old San Juan gate, it has a great story to tell too.

6. Castillo San Felipe del Morro 

This Spanish built older of the two forts in San Juan, Castillo Del Morro sits on top of a hill overlooking the Bay. Del Morro offers some postcard views of San Juan along with harsh history lessons.

7. Castillo San Cristobal 

Fort San Cristobal was built a couple of centuries after Del Morro. We didn’t have time to visit both forts so we skipped this and visited the bigger Fort Del Morro.

Places to Eat & Drink in San Juan

Nothing can stop you from getting into a food coma in Puerto Rico, the food is so good. We must have ordered the local dishes Muffongo, rice & beans, and flan at almost every place we went to in San Juan. Not to forget a little dash of rum in your drinks. Below are some of our favorite restaurants amongst the ones we ate at.

Delicious Food & Desserts

• Orozco’s – Best Muffongos/Triffongos we had was at this restaurant in Condado.
• Raices – This place has one of the best Pina Colada flans (dessert). Also tried an interesting and rather unique local appetizer here called Malanga chips & chicken dip which was fab.
• El Jibarito – This place was suggested to us by a local (our tour guide) but it goes last on my list. The yellow rice (which I didn’t try) was a recommended dish here.

Must-try Coffee Shops

Puerto Rico is known for its coffee plantations and we certainly recommend these two coffee shops in San Juan.

• Cafe Cuatro Sombras – They brew their own plantation picked coffee, how can you beat that! Try their Guava cake while you are at it.
• Cafe Don Ruiz – Where do I begin – This place made our rather sleepy & tired morning on the last day the freshest morning of our trip. My husband got his coffee with rum and was set for the day. I wanted to have a regular chai latte but the barista suggested adding an espresso shot in my chai. I was horrified at the suggestion, imagine mixing tea with coffee! They belong to two different worlds. But on his insistence, I gave their specialty a try. Boy was it the best drink ever! I can’t stop raving about it.

I had originally recommended Nuyorican Café for nightlife but unfortunately, this place is shut down since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

What To Do in Puerto Rico Outside of Old San Juan

I understand there are so many things to do in old San Juan but you seriously need to get out and explore the rest of this island. This is where our adventurous itinerary kicks in.

There are a lot of different activities to choose from so pick wisely. We selected the following three adventures to fill our weekend getaway to Puerto Rico. You can either go for an organized tour like us to save time or drive around and explore the island yourself.

1. AdventureS in El Yunque Rainforest

You can easily explore El Yunque and go on hikes on your own. However, we wanted to add some adventure activities so we went with a tour consisting of hiking, zip lining, and 180′ waterfall rappelling. The best combo ever!

But this was also before Hurricane Maria. As I am updating this post and looking for similar tours, not many companies offer them anymore. Here are the 3 companies we looked at when we were booking our adventures –

• EcoQuest Adventures – We went with Eco Adventures and had a fabulous time. It’s too bad that they are not offering the same tours anymore which I am guessing is due to Hurricane Maria.  They do offer other adventures though.
• Acampa tours – The only option with Acampa now seems to be the Mona island camping tour.
• Rocaliza adventure tours – Rocaliza seems to be the only company now offering similar adventures to what we did in El Yunque. Check out all their different excursions to make your choice.

TIP: Carry a change of clothes and shoes depending on what adventure tour you choose. Carrying a towel is also not a bad idea. Don’t forget to carry your camera, the guides usually have a waterproof bag.

2. Experience the Bioluminescent Bay 

What is that? 

Glad you asked because this is something you definitely don’t want to miss in Puerto Rico!

Only a handful of places on Earth there exists bioluminescent microorganisms in the ocean water. These organisms light up as a defense mechanism when disturbed in the water. And if you happen to go on a dark night you will see the water glow when touched as if there was Disney level magic happening around. Trust me on this one!

Where to see this bioluminescent glow near San Juan?

There are a number of companies that run boat and kayak tours from Fajardo, Puerto Rico and nearby islands. We chose the kayak tour over a boat to be closer to the water and create a magical glow with our oars. But if you want to take stable photos and not have to work-out for the view then go on a boat tour. PS: It is very difficult to capture this glow on hand-held camera.

Mosquito Bay in Vieques is considered one of the best places to view this bioluminescent effect in the world. Remember that you will have to spend the night on Vieques island since there is no transport back to mainland PR from Vieques after 6 pm. 

The second best option which we took was Fajardo’s bio bay in Puerto Rico with Yokahu kayak tour. We kayaked our way past rows of mangroves in pitch darkness to reach Fajardo lagoon where not only the water but the sky was glittering it’s Milkyway. The drive to Fajardo from San Juan is roughly 45 mins. 

Best time to see this effect?

Choose your bio bay tour date closer to the darkest night (new moon day). Even then, from personal experience, there could be other factors that might affect the bioluminescence. The reason we did not get to see a glorious glow was because the seaweed had been covering Fajardo bay hindering the recharge process of microorganisms from sunlight. 

3. Snorkeling in Flamenco Beach, Culebra

We booked a catamaran tour with East Island Excursion which took us from Fajardo to the island of Culebra. It roughly took us 45 mins to get to the pristine Flamenco beach in Culebra. Other ways to get there would be local ferries from Fajardo. PRO TIP: Drive the scenic road 187 which takes you through rural Puerto Rico when going from San Juan to Fajardo or on your way back. 

Flamenco beach is ranked as one of the top 10 best beaches in the world and true to its hype this was a less commercial beach with transparent blue-green water. The best part of this catamaran tour was not only discovering the under-water life but also the unlimited rum-based alcohol as Reggae music played in the back. Gotta love the Carribean!

Another company to consider snorkeling in Flamenco beach is Kayaking Puerto Rico. We met another couple went on a kayak ride with them and got to swim with sea turtles along with other underwater life. TIP: Definitely read reviews of several companies on TripAdvisor before deciding which one to go with.

What to Wear in Puerto Rico

It gets very hot and humid during the day in Puerto Rico so carry light, airy and comfortable clothes. Don’t forget to carry walking shoes for Old San Juan.

No matter what you do make sure you guys have a wonderful time in Puerto Rico. If you liked this post don’t forget to share with friends and family.

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Happy Traveling!