We finally made it to Puerto Rico! This beautiful island sit in a string of islands along the border of the Atlantic Ocean and the Carribean Sea. Known for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We chose to visit Puerto Rico because it is one of five of the United States territories, so it makes it an easy vacation for US passport holders who are looking for an affordable beach destination vacation. However, it isn’t just beaches, Puerto Rico is incredibly diverse. It is home to the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system, mountains, rivers and waterfalls!

The Best Things to Do in Puerto Rico

To be honest, I used to dislike doing excursions. I didn’t want to be on someone else’s schedule, forced to wake up early and not be done when I felt like it was time for some downtime. Which means that we didn’t do a lot of island vacations. In my mind, that was all there was to do, besides sit on the beach. Don’t get me wrong, sitting on the beach is amazing, but I get antsy really quick and my husband even quicker. Things have changed though. My mind has changed. Now, I like that someone else is taking care of transportation, giving me times that I have to be somewhere to catch a ferry or a ride to a specific location, parking, paying for entrance fees…the list goes on. We had heard a couple stories where people paid for ferry tickets but were not allowed on, parking was confusing sometimes because the parking lot would be on private property and timing was an issue for some. So when we decided we wanted to see as much as possible, it made sense to have someone help. Believe me it was worth the cost, especially since we were traveling with my brother’s family (two children 6 and 9). But the cost, was still very affordable.

In no particular order, here are the excursions that quickly made it to our must do list for any couple or family on vacation in Puerto Rico. These excursions are the best if you are staying in San Juan or east to Luqillo or Fajardo.

Bioluminescent Bay Kayaking

The pictures are not great because unless you have a very nice and expensive camera, you will not be able to capture how cool this is. I have always wanted to do one of these excursions, but it never worked out. This time, we made sure to book a head of time. Starting at 8:00 pm you get the very basics of kayaking. You would be amazed at how many people have not been in a kayak or canoe and their first time is in the pitch dark on an excursion.

You kayak through what feels like a tunnel made of old trees. At just under a mile, you will reach the lake. On a moonless night, it is some of the best star gazing we have ever seen. However, we were there for the glowing plankton. You may not even realize it at first, but then the guides will stop you and have you put your arms or feet in the water and move them around. Immediately you will see the bright blue glow. I can’t explain how amazing it is, but if you google bioluminescent kayaking Puerto Rico, you can see it captured by professionals. I highly suggest it. It was family friendly, but young kids will have to be comfortable in the dark at all times on water. They also weigh you and request that individuals are under 220lbs.

El Yunque National Forest

This was at the top of my list to do. El Yunque National Forest is the only national forest in the US national forest system. We were warned ahead of time that you would get wet and it would be very muddy. We naively did not really believe it. Initially you started on a nice gravel path, but that only lasts a couple minutes before your shoes get wet and muddy. There is no way around it. We were there on a dry day and we still had to walk directly through mud puddles as they do not allow you to hike off trail. Throughout the hike your guide will tell you about the local flora and fauna. The local frogs sound like birds and the diversity of plants was incredible. Bamboo, palm trees, touch me nots and glowing blue vines.

Once you make it to the waterfall and swim hole, you have the choice to relax or hike further to a natural water slide. This slide is short but it is pretty intense. Once you start hiking from the waterfall, you cannot turn back so make sure you are ready for the slide! Right at the waterfall is where there is a beautiful swim hole to jump off the cliff or use the rope swing. You can then actually swim to and under the waterfall and relax.

The Touch Me Nots were so cool, I have never seen a plant react to touch or move on its own. Check out the video. It doesn’t hurt them to touch them, it is a defense mechanism!

Day trip to Culebra and the famous Flamenco Beach

This was a really cool excursions and it lasted the entire day. So make sure you are ready to be gone from early in the morning to dark. This is a major forewarning for this excursion. You have to take a ferry to the island and we assumed that the ferry meant passenger ferry that you might see in Seattle or most other places. Boy were we wrong. They have them available but the timing of our tour put us on a cargo ferry. If you have any sort of motion sickness problem, this will be troublesome for you. Especially if there are any sort of waves or swells. I highly suggest sitting outside if you can. When we got off the boat, all the locals ask how many people threw up. Unfortunately our nephew did, but was able to bounce back pretty quick.

Your first stop is snorkeling. You swim along the shore to a coral reef and then if you are lucky some curious turtles may come out to swim with you. I did not snorkel, so I was entertained by the local chicks and cats that roam the island.

The second part of the trip is going to the famous Flamenco beach. This beach was at one point voted the third best beach in the world. The pristine sand and the turquoise blue water makes for some great views and beach walking. Another thing that has made this beach famous are the two M4 Sherman tanks that were left behind by the US Navy.

We loved that this beach was not commercialized. There were stands to get a drink and a bite to eat and meet more of the local chickens and cats. Another warning, I would not get pizza on this island.

This was a tour that I highly suggest hiring a company to do it with. They get you on the ferry, transport you, provide snorkeling gear and then get you back to the ferry. Rental cars are not allowed on the cargo ferry.

Old San Juan

Old San Juan is definitely doable on your own. Explore the cobblestone streets with colorful buildings. You can pay to go into some of the historical sites, take a strong along the water and visit a cat sanctuary! Make sure to grab a bite to eat at one of the locally owned places. We came across Verde Mesa and absolutely loved it.

What We Missed

The one thing we didn’t get to do, but really wanted to was a surfing lesson. The waves in Luquillo were great for beginners and there were multiple companies offering. We had heard a lot of good things about it and how fun it is, even if you don’t actually end up “surfing.” Next time!

Our next post will go over the beaches we explored, tips and tricks to visiting Puerto Rico and some epic food spots. So subscribe below to not miss the best guide for Puerto Rico! (We never send spam).

Love to pin, use this one!