Location: San Juan
Day 1 - 4 May 2019
Luis Munoz Marín International Airport
Content: Our vacation started in San Juan. Our one-week trip gave us the chance to see and do many things on the island. We took a flight that arrived at San Juan, is the capital and largest city of Puerto Rico. The airport was located at the Carolina, southeast of downtown San Juan. We took a cab to our hotel which was booked in advance.
Hotel El Convento
Content: We checked into the Hotel El Convento, located at the heart of the historic Old San Juan. It is a yellow building that attracted our eyes from the street itself. The hotel was well furnished with a restaurant and bar, a pool, a fitness center, and other amenities. The rooms are spacious with a clean bathroom. The interior was very attractive and beautiful. We spend the remaining time in the hotel and by late evening we went for a short walk around the Umbrella street.
Umbrella street
Content: We were ready for dinner, for that we headed towards Umbrella street or Fortaleza Street. It is the best dining spot in Old San Juan. We had dinner from Aguaviva. We ate seafood varieties and Jerk Spiced Grilled Chicken. The Jerk Spiced Grilled Chicken was amazing in its taste, overloaded in cheese and mashed potatoes. We enjoyed dinner in a great ambiance. After dinner took a short walk in the old city, and return to our hotel.
Location: San Juan
Day 2 - 5 May 2019
Hotel El Convento
Content: After breakfast from the hotel, we headed to the streets of Old San Juna. We believed that walking around the streets was the best way to impress yourself with the charm and beauty of the city. Our walking tour coved major attractions in the city. We got a map and other pieces of information from the La Casita Tourism Information Center. We came across many restaurants and shops. Old San Juan has excellent shopping, particularly for jewelry, local souvenirs, and clothes.
Castillo de San Cristobal
Content: Our first stop was at Castillo de San Cristobal. It is the largest fortification built by Spain to protect the city of San Juan. With the help of the map we walked and passed by the historic Tapia Theater and then arrived at Plaza Colon. From there we could recognize a white marble pillar atop which stands a statue of Columbus. It was a fort but from its architecture, it looks like a castle. The remarkable views over the city and over the Caribbean Sea attracted many travelers.
El Jibarito
Content: We had lunch from El Jibarito located near to the last destination. It was a very quiet place to enjoy homely food. The food was a tasty and reasonable price. We chose this place as per the recommendation by a local person. After lunch, we headed to the next destination.
El Morro
Content: Next, we visited El Morro, a beautiful building built by Spain to protect the city from the attack from the sea. At the main entrance, there is a vast expanse of undulating green lawn. The main courtyard of El Morro decorated with yellow walls accented with white. At the terrace, we could see the flags that fly at the fort: the flags of the USA and Puerto Rico, and the Cross of Burgundy flag. There was a cannon at El Morro, facing out to sea. In total it was a very picturesque place where we could take many admiring photos.
Cuartel de Ballaja
Content: We stopped at Cuartel de Ballaja, from El Morro we walked back across the lawn and cross Norzagaray Street to reach. It was believed that this building was used as military hospital during World War II. We saw statues representing the Native, European and African heritage in the Americas. It was a best spot to learn about the history of the place. The second floor of the building is devoted to the Museo de Las Americas, which has three permanent collections: the African Heritage, the Indian in America, and Popular Arts in America. We took many photos and return to the streets.
Casa Blanca
Content: From the Cuartel de Ballaja, we crossed the Plaza de Beneficiencia to San Sebastian Street. La Casa Blanca means "The White House," which served as the first military structure on the island. It is well worth a visit and one of the attractions you can enjoy without crowds. Each room in the building took us to different eras. At outside, we took a stroll through the lovely gardenwerend check out the tiny little Garita near the entrance. We headed towards the final destination of the day, La Rogativa.
Plazuela La Rogativa
Content: We passed La Fortaleza, but we didn't get time to visit. We saw La Rogativa which means "The Procession". Plaza La Rogativa is the most scenic square and historic location in San Juan. The place was commonly used for small wedding ceremonies and a wonderful place to watch the sunset overlooking the San Juan Bay. The sculpture shows a procession of faithful Catholics holding torches and crosses aloft was the main attraction of the square. We after exploring the colorful streets we headed back to our hotel and had dinner.
Location: San Juan
Day 3 - 6 May 2019
Kasalta
Content: Kasalta is a Spanish bakery located in Ocean Park. The breakfast was good and the staffs were very kind.
Location: El Yunque
Day 3 - 6 May 2019
El Yunque National Forest
Content: Then we headed to El Yunque and entered the El Yunque national forest. We felt lush vegetation all around during our drive through El Yunque. The entire pathway was packed with green trees.
La Coca Falls
Content: After entered the park, we planned to stop at various points and attractions to explore. First, we stopped at La Coca Falls which is located along the main road. It was a very beautiful sight to take photos. We found a little difficulty in parking our car.
Yokahu Observation Tower
Content: Our next stop was at the Yokahu Observation Tower. It was the best spot to a caught awesome view of the mountains and forests. We climbed upstairs to the mountains and all the surroundings from this point were breathtaking. We saw lots of greens and a great stop to soak it all in.
Juan Diego Creek and Angelito Trail
Content: We kept driving to reach Juan Diego Creek's point, from there we kept walking for 5 minutes to the small Juan Diego waterfall. It was a cool little spot, quite easy to access, but it can get slippery due to the mud. There is a small natural pool at the bottom where we spend some time. Our last stop in El Yunque was Angelito Trail, which is 15 minutes hike into the Mameyes River. We got an amazing chance to swim or walk around the rocks through the water.
Luquillo Kiosks
Content: We drove out of the park to the next destination, Luquillo Kiosks. It’s an outdoor food stall place with hundreds of options, located very close to the beach. We ordered El Jefe Burger Shack, which is delicious stuffed burgers that have made it among the most popular hangouts at the kiosks. We enjoyed our lunch in a great ambiance.
Luquillo Beach
Content: We spend the remaining time in Luquillo Beach. After lunch, we walked around the kiosk and looked at the many souvenir stores, and had a few drinks. Monserrate Beach or Luquillo Beach is a proper Caribbean beach. We enjoyed the beach and spend a relaxing time.
Location: San Juan
Day 4 - 7 May 2019
Arecibo Observatory
Content: After breakfast, we rented a car and the day was dedicated to the two most attractions in the city. The Arecibo Telescope is the world's largest radio telescope, a remarkable feat of engineering, and the site of the climactic last scene in the Bond movie "GoldenEye". It was the world's second-largest single-dish radio telescope. Because radio telescopes can work at all times of the day and in all kinds of weather, the observatory operates 24 hours a day.
Cavernas de Camuy
Content: We drove to Cavernas de Camuy, the largest subterranean cave systems in the world. It is the only one of its size to boast an underground river. We traveled in an open-air trolley and then take a 45-minute walk through the caves. It was very adventurous as well as a thrilling experience. The park has a wooded area with a picnic spot with a play area for the kids, walking trails, a little restaurant, and a souvenir shop.
Hotel El Convento
Content: We return to the hotel and had dinner. The food was tasty and fresh.The dining area itself was amazing and clean. The staffs were very kind and serve food politely.
Location: Ponce
Day 5 - 8 May 2019
Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort
Content: We started earlier from San Juan and headed to Ponce. It is the island's "second city." We checked into the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort, it was a tropical resort facing the Caribbean Sea. The rooms are clean and neat. The rooms are with ocean view and pool view. After dropping our luggage we headed towards the city to explore.
Museo de Arte de Ponce
Content: We stopped at Museo de Arte de Ponce, known as one of the best art museums in Puerto Rico. It contains many exhibitions including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, ceramics, photographs, video, and sound installations. The pieces are artfully arranged. There are 19 display spaces set up with various themes, so each art piece in the room complements the others or some are set to counterpoint to inspire thought and conversation.
Plaza Las Delicias
Content: We next stopped at Plaza Las Delicias, it was a public square of Ponce is popular among locals and tourists. One of the square’s most striking structures is the Parque de Bombas, an old fire station that has been converted into a museum. Around the plaza, we found the magnificent Fuente de Leones, the mayor's residence, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We spend some time in the coffee shops and bakeries around.
Museo Castillo Serralles
Content: The next destination is Museo Castillo Serralles. It is simply a mansion that contains a butterfly nursery, the Vigia Cross, and a Japanese garden. It was a very simple place but beautiful.
Paseo Tablado La Guancha
Content: Our final destination of the day was at La Guancha. It was a family-friendly place packed with both locals and travelers. It was a very popular landmark, boardwalk is lined with restaurants and kiosks selling food, beer, cocktails, and soft drinks. There is an observation tower with scenic views and offers some pretty views of the bay, marina, and the offshore island of Caja de Muertos. We enjoyed our evening here with the beauty of nature. We had our dinner from a restaurant and headed back to our hotel.
Location: Ponce
Day 6 - 9 May 2019
Hacienda Buena Vista
Content: We checked out from the hotel and headed to San Juan. On the way, as per the driver's recommendation, we stopped at Hacienda Buena Vista. It was considered one of Puerto Rico's best remaining examples of a coffee plantation. We headed to the mountains above Pinnce to Hacienda Buena Vista. The way was very beautiful and cool. We didn't found anything interesting. Then we headed to San Juan.
Location: San Juan
Day 6 - 9 May 2019
Hotel El Convento
Content: We checked into Hotel El Convento and set a remaining time for rest. Today was totally dedicated to relaxation. We enjoyed the food from the hotel and relaxed in the room.
Umberlla street
Content: By evening, we headed to the streets of Old San Juan, which is full of colorful cobblestone streets, each one more photogenic than the last. We had our dinner at a restaurant. The food was tasty and delicious.
Location: San Juan
Day 7 - 10 May 2019
Luis Munoz Marín International Airport
Content: We spend the morning time shopping and by 2 pm we headed to the airport to catch or flight. We booked cab from the hotel. The driver dropped us on time to the airport.