Looking for somewhere to spend your next Holiday? Get immersed into the island of Puerto Rico. Wake up to the roosters crowing. Fall asleep to the distinctive sounds of the Island’s national bird, El Coqui. Dance and become one with the afternoon rain. Debut at night to the vibrant nightlife of La Placita. Whether you’re going for nature or nightlife, or somewhere in between, Puerto Rico has endless possibilities.
To enjoy the island’s authenticity, I recommend staying in the home of a native through Airbnb or similar platforms. I was able to wake up to the view of the mountains, say hello to other native neighbors and overall enjoy the local experience without the cloud of tourists. This homey two-floor cottage in the mountains of Rio Grande cost $113 a night and was a 30-minute drive to places like San Juan or Condado.
Though it may be feasible to rent a car, most Ubers were less than 10 dollars and an upwards of 40 when going to farther places such as San Juan. For a 4-day trip and 2 additional people, I spent $150 USD on transportation.
Traverse Luquillo beach where a strip of 30+ restaurants, bars and souvenir shops lineup after your day of tanning or swimming like mermaids. Additionally, they have jet ski and kayak rentals available for you to partake in.
Indulge in snorkeling on Condado beach and swim with the manatees, touch coral reefs and burn some calories.
Explore on your own for free or take a paid guided tour of the national park, El Yunque, where you will trek through mud stairs, hike to high altitudes, get the history of what makes this rainforest so important to its natives and jump from 17ft cliffs into a pool of water so fresh you could drink it.
Be adventurous and book a horseback riding afternoon, whether through the rainforest or the beach, and you will feel the exhilaration and excitement as your horse gallops throughout. Be wary of some not-so-great smell at times and some chaffing from holding onto the rope to guide your horse. As you begin to feel the rush of air, hear the pounding of hooves and see wildlife such as bulls or black-and-white geese, you will begin to feel tranquility.
No matter what it is you want to engage in, the app I found to be best to search for excursions was Viator, which included a variety of activities ranging from salsa classes to renting a boat for a day to glow-in-the-dark kayaking.
Whether it was our Uber drivers giving us the norms of the island or other travelers simply wanting to mingle, I learned something valuable every day. On the last day, an older lady who had traveled hundreds of states and countries and been in the army, shared some wisdom that I would like to extend: Be careful who you travel with. Make sure your goals of the trip are aligned and that they all have the means to accomplish them. This means: Do you want to be immersed into the local community or do you want to stay enclosed in the resort, and do you have the money to pay for it? Does everyone in the group know each other and are they reliable? These simple questions can save you heartache, frustration and money later on.
Whatever you choose to do or partake in, remember that not everything will go as planned and it is best to go with the flow at times. You are paying for an experience and being upset or sad is not included in the price.