Hot air balloons at sunset in my hometown – Indianola, Iowa
Our family recently returned from a six-day trip to Puerto Rico for spring break. Originally, we planned to go on a cruise to Mexico over the break but had to change direction a couple of months out due to some scheduling issues. My oldest child and husband are both scuba-certified, so we were trying to find somewhere that they could dive. Additionally, we wanted a nice vacation that wouldn’t break the bank. Finally, one member of our family currently does not have a passport, making an international trip a no-go.
The first destination we considered was the US Virgin Islands. However, flight prices were prohibitively expensive. Flights to Puerto Rico were a steal, however. In fact, I had enough Southwest Airlines points to get all four of us there round-trip.
Finally, Puerto Rico dropped all Covid-19 entry restrictions on March 10; no test or proof of vaccine is required to visit from the mainland (or to return).
Accommodations
Puerto Rico is not a large island; it is about the same size as Maui, Hawaii. Therefore, it is easy to stay in one location and make day trips around the island. We chose to stay in San Juan because of the proximity to the airport and the large number of hotels from which to choose.
Location is one of the most important factors for me when choosing a vacation hotel, followed by amenities, price, and date of the most recent renovation. All considered we booked a five-night stay at the Caribe Hilton in an oceanview room with a balcony.
The Caribe Hilton is a historic hotel and the first Hilton property built outside the continental United States. Although built in 1946, the property has been renovated multiple times – most recently following Hurricane Maria in 2017. It is located on Isla Verde, just to the east of Condado and about two miles from Old San Juan.
Our room had two double beds and a fold-out twin bed. My kids do not like to share a bed, so this is a great setup for us. The balcony faces the ocean and features two chairs and a small table. The bathroom is large and the room is relatively spacious. We have a mini-fridge and a coffee machine, as well as all the standard Hilton amenities.
The hotel also features a large pool complex, tennis courts, a nice gym, a beautiful spa, a small playground for kids and a beach area. It is one of the only hotels in San Juan that caters to families, and we saw lots of families enjoying the facilities. Additionally, there are nine restaurants located on the hotel property as well as a large convention space.
The hotel was lovely and clean, and we generally enjoyed our stay. There were a few cosmetic issues in the room, but nothing that got in the way of our stay. We had a few challenges with hot water, but that was intermittent. The staff at the hotel were wonderful, and our room was cleaned daily – something that is not consistently happening at Hilton properties on the mainland. I would not hesitate to book a room here again.
Activities
Puerto Rico is an ideal vacation destination for active families. Options include hiking, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, riding ATVs, horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, and more. Old San Juan is a must for history lovers as well, featuring two forts and narrow cobbled lanes.
My older child is more adventurous in spirit, while my younger child prefers to stick to activities in his comfort zone. At times, it is a challenge to find the balance between activities in order to please all four of us!
On our first full day, we headed up to the central mountains of Puerto Rico for ziplining and a trip down the Pork Highway. The Pork Highway is a narrow road with several traditional lecherón eateries where a whole pig is roasted, chopped and served. We were there on a Sunday, and things were busy! Ordering was an adventure, as our Spanish is not great and most of the employees did not speak much English. We may have ended up with a bowl of tripe. However, the roast pork was tasty and the sausages were delicious. Full of meaty goodness, we headed up the mountains to ToroVerde Adventure Park. The elder child and Zach signed up for a zipline ride called “The Beast”. This is one of the longest ziplines in North America, and they had a blast.
El Yunque, the National Forest Service’s only tropical rainforest, was our destination on the second day. It protects a really unique ecosystem, and is the only known home to the Puerto Rican Parrot as well as the Coqui Tree Frog. The visitor center is a work of art, and I highly encourage anyone who comes to the island to visit the park. You have to make reservations, but it’s easy to do and costs only $2 per car. The forest charges an admission fee as well, which is covered by the National Parks Pass.
Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the hike I chose. We ended up in a steep, muddy mess and after several slips and falls, we returned to the car without reaching our destination.
One of the primary reasons we came to Puerto Rico was so that our older kid could scuba. There are two main areas that people go diving in PR. Fajardo, on the east coast, is more suited towards beginners, while the west side of the island has some more challenging diving. Kiddo and my husband decided to do a two-tank dive from Fajardo. They enjoyed the trip and saw spiny lobsters, rays, turtles, tons of fish, and so on. The water was a bit rough, which made my husband slightly seasick after the first dive but he said he would definitely go again.
One day, we took a drive over to the west side of the island. We stopped at a lighthouse park that had a sort-of-cheesy-but-great-for-kids pirate play area and a small aquarium. The town of Rincón is known for its surfing and sunsets; although we did not experience either, it looked like a fun place to hang out for a few days. Dinner that evening was seafood overlooking the ocean.
We spent our last day in historic Old San Juan, including a visit to El Morro at San Juan National Historic Site. El Morro was originally built by the Spanish nearly 500 years ago, and has six levels guarding the entrance to the bay. El Morro was fired upon several times throughout its history, and served as an active military base during the two world wars. Visitors can walk on the walls and go inside the sentry towers. Plus, where else do you find a public restroom with an ocean view?
Food & Drinks
According to local legend, the Caribe Hilton is the birthplace of the pina colada. Naturally I had to try one. I’m not normally one for sweet alcohol drinks, but this was quite tasty – pineapple and coconut and rum, but not sickly sweet.
By happenstance we found a bakery in Manati frying up really good pastellilos, a fried dough pocket stuffed with meat or cheese or guava. Food trucks and kiosks abound, many selling fried stuff. We tried a corn cake with cheese inside that had an almost-sweet lemon taste, as well as a crispy fried flatbread.
Beyond some local snacks, we often opted for what was easy. When traveling with our kids, it’s more important to make sure bellies are full than to always find the most local thing available. In this instance, that meant eating more than one meal in the Caribe Hilton – so I was glad there were several restaurants to choose from. We also found a really amazing gelato place in Old San Juan.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad we decided to come to Puerto Rico. The island is beautiful, the weather is gorgeous and the people are welcoming. Many places on the island are still suffering after the twin disasters of Hurricane Maria and the covid-19 epidemic; we saw several closed stores, even in Old San Juan.
One thing that took me a bit by surprise was how overwhelmed our youngest seemed to be the first day that we arrived. I didn’t really understand what was going on until my older child suggested that perhaps he was suffering from culture shock! This was really the first time that my younger kid has traveled anywhere with an unfamiliar language, unfamiliar food and unfamiliar culture. It made me think about how we might prepare a bit differently when we travel abroad with him for the first time. Luckily, he bounced back pretty quickly and was rolling with it by the second day.
Puerto Rico is a perfect vacation destination for active families, especially those with older children. It would also be a fun long weekend for a romantic getaway. Families with very young children might not find as much to do here, and the beaches have fewer amenities (like showers and changing rooms) than you’d find on the mainland. Puerto Rico would also make an excellent destination for those looking to just dip a tiny toe into a place that feels very different than the mainland USA, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of passports or return testing in the times of Covid.
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