We have wanted to explore this Caribbean island for years. We heard of it’s beautiful beaches and affordable living. Plus, since it is a US territory it was easy to travel to. Unfortunately in 2017 Hurricane Maria hit, devastating the island and then as they were rebounding, Covid hit. So now in 2024, we decided to make the journey and see why so many had fallen in love with this island.

The Best Guide to Exploring Puerto Rico

For being such a small island and only have 5 full days we felt like we did a lot of planning and had a lot of questions leading up to the vacation. Even though Puerto Rico is a US territory, their first language is Spanish. We didn’t run across anyone who didn’t speak a little English, but well to learn a little Spanish beforehand. We would say “hola” to some of the locals and they would respond politely, “oh you are American.” The people here are incredibly nice even though they are navigating their way around rebuilding from the multiple hurricanes that they have had to endure. The scars are apparent, but the kindness of the locals stood them apart.

We have written this in 4 parts. Beautiful Beaches, Best Excursions, Food Recommendations & Tips, Tricks and Information!

Beautiful Beaches in Puerto Rico

Starting off with the beautiful beaches you are surely there to enjoy. There are many to choose from and depending on what you want out of the beach, you can find it. For us, we prefer quiet, laid back with soft sand. Here are our favorites that we were able to enjoy.

Seven Seas Beach

A small beach lined with palm trees. There are shade structures that you can rent. When we were there the beach was quiet and we had a section to ourselves. There are lifeguards that watch over a section of the beach. You will see red cones and they request that you keep chairs behind them. There are bathrooms at this beach, but no other amenities. Bring your own drinks and food.

Playa San Miguel

This beach had some of the best surf waves and beautiful water against the orange sand. You can walk for miles if you can get past the river that flows into the ocean. At low tide is the best. Other than starting next to two large condo buildings this beach is not developed. Make sure to bring a cooler if you plan on staying awhile.

Flamenco Beach

This requires a ferry to Culebra island. It was absolutely stunning. The perfect white sand and turquoise water. Some of the friendly local cats might come out and play! Just a short walk from this beach is a grouping of stands that have restaurants, bars and shops. You can find anything you may need to enjoy this beach at one of the kiosks.

La Pared Beach

Located in Luquillo, it is an easy walk to if you are staying close to the water. There are a few businesses right across the street and the next block over are multiple restaurants and shops.

Luquillo Beach

Luquillo Beach is located right behind the Luquillo Kiosks. You can grab some food and head to the beach!

The Best Excursions in Puerto Rico

Our post just before this is about our favorite excursions. All family friendly and packed full of fun. You can read about our Bioluminescent Night Kayaking, El Yunque Rainforest hiking and natural slide, day trip to Culebra Island and Old San Juan by: CLICKING HERE

Food Recommendations in Puerto Rico

La Fonda Gourmet in Yoquillo

La Parilla in Yoquillo

Yoquillo Kiosks

Verde Mesa in Old San Juan

Tips, Tricks and Information for Visiting Puerto Rico

For being such a small island there is a lot to know.

Renting a Car & Driving

Renting a car is very very easy from the airport. You literally walk across the street at the exit. I would suggest going through one of the major rental companies. Enterprise, Hertz or Avis. We had an absolutely horrible time with Thrifty and so did others. It is also very affordable so no need for shuttles or drivers.

Cell Service & Wifi

Our cell carrier is Verizon and once we arrived it switched right over and we had no issues getting 5G or 4G. Not all businesses had wifi to use, so this made it a lot easier.

Amenities

If you get here and realize you forgot something that you are used to getting in the states, the likelihood that it may be here is high. With CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Costco and many other US companies here, you can find almost anything.

Ferry

When going on an excursion to an island, I would double check to see if you are getting on the cargo ferry or the passenger ferry. These two things are very different. Yet, some will tell you it isn’t or that the cargo ferry doesn’t take that long. We didn’t know we would be getting on the cargo ferry, which also takes vehicles. It was a rough 1.5 hours, not the 45-55 minutes we were expecting. Multiple people on the island asked how many people threw up. We were then told it would be quicker on the way home and even with good weather it was not. It was an incredibly hard trip for me but on the way back I was able to stand outside at the top. Which made it bareable.

Tipping

Tipping here is the same as the US. 20% is expected whether it is warranted or not and you do tip your tour guides, valet, drivers, etc.

Alcohol

The drinking age here is 18! This is music to a lot of people’s ears. The drinks are cheap as well! You cannot drink in public areas, like city streets (even though locals do in some areas), but you can drink on the beach.

Marijuana

Marijuana is strictly illegal for recreational use. You will see dispensaries around the island but it is for medical use only.

Trash

A lot of the locals we spoke to were complaining about the trash problems they are having. This includes the other islands of Culebra and Vieques. They have been digging deeper holes to bury it and some of those holes are quiet close to the beaches. They ask that tourists be mindful of what they are buying and discarding, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

“No-See-Ums” or Biting Midges

We didn’t have too many problems with them until we were waiting for the ferry. We hiked through the rainforest and made multiple comments on how we were surprised that there were no bugs were biting. Then when we were waiting for the ferry after a rain, we got demolished. These things itch like crazy for as small of bites as they are. People suggest the wipe bug repellent but be mindful it is illegal to go into the water features in the rainforest with any bug repellent on. Also, when getting anti-itch cream, make sure to get the powerful stuff, not just the regular or original.

When getting in water within the rainforest it is illegal to wear bug spray or use wipes. Tour guides will make sure you wipe it or rinse it off. But like I said, I couldn’t believe that we didn’t encounter one mosquito or no-see-ums!

Hopefully some of these tips help you on your Puerto Rico vacation!

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