Over this past winter break, I was fortunate enough to get to travel to Puerto Rico with my mother for seven days. I had an amazing time exploring the colorful streets of Old San Juan, the El Yunque Rain Forest, the beaches, and so much more. I took plenty of pictures and figured I would compile a little photo diary to show what my Puerto Rican trip was like:
The Fortresses – Old San Juan
The first full day of our trip, my mom and I decided to see the fortresses in Old San Juan. We started off walking around Castillo San Cristóbal and eventually made our way to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. Both fortresses were built by the Spanish to protect and defend San Juan from attackers trying to enter the harbor.
Panoramic view of Castillo San Cristóbal
A “garita” at Castillo San Cristóbal. A single guard would stand inside and watch the sea for hours to act as a lookout.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Ocean View from Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Old San Juan Streets
One of my favorite parts of San Juan was walking around the narrow streets of the Old Town. The streets are full of beautiful, vibrant houses painted an assortment of colors.
Narrow Street View in Old San Juan
A Collection of Colorful Homes
El Yunque Rainforest
If you go to Puerto Rico, I would definitely recommend checking out the El Yunque Rainforest. It’s a vast rainforest that I really only saw a small portion of.
View from the Yokahu Tower
La Coca Falls- a hiking destination within the El Yunque Rainforest
La Cueva Ventana
This was by far the coolest “window” I have ever looked out of. La Cueva Ventana, or Window Cave in English, is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. To get to it, you must walk through a cave with a hard hat and flashlight in hand.
The Cueva Ventana View
A Scenic Silhouette
The Beaches
My mom and I traveled around a lot by car, and we made it to a few different beaches scattered throughout Puerto Rico. Here are a few of the beaches we made it to.
Random Little Beach We Stumbled Upon
Luquillo Beach, PR
Beach in Ponce, PR
Driving Around Puerto Rico
As I mentioned above, my mom and I drove around a lot by car. Although driving in Old San Juan can be very difficult and people don’t follow all of the traffic laws we are used to in the United States, I thought having a car was a good way to get out and see more of Puerto Rico.
Driving Through Arecibo
The Food
I am a BIG foodie and so is my mom. We had a fun time eating lots of local dishes and trying new things.
Chicken Mofongo: chicken surrounded by fried plantains
Empanadas from The Parrot Club (a restaurant on Calle Fortaleza that I would highly recommend. The coconut fried shrimp and empanadas were delicious).
Pigeon Rice, Sweet Plantains, and Pork
Coconut Ice Cream from King’s Cream in Ponce, PR
Bioluminescent Bay
Although the window cave was beautiful and all of the food I ate was delicious, my top highlight of the trip was kayaking in a bioluminescent bay in Fajardo, PR. My mom and I kayaked through a pitch-black mangrove forest out into a bay full of bioluminescent algae. It was basically a Life of Pie moment. Unfortunately, you can’t capture the awe and beauty of a bioluminescent bay with your average camera, so I don’t have any pictures to show except for a picture of me and my mom in a kayak to prove it happened.
Kayaking at night in a Bioluminescent Bay
Overall I had a great time in Puerto Rico. I loved trying new foods and exploring the streets, beaches, rainforests, caves, and mangrove forests with my mother. Hopefully this article gets you thinking of traveling to Puerto Rico or reminds you of the time you did. If you haven’t been, definitely check out the glass bottom kayak place in Fajardo- you won’t be sad you did!