What to do: Weekend in Puerto Rico

I love the Caribbean…the warm weather, delicious food, and beautiful people. So it’s no wonder that I fell in love with Puerto Rico. Being a full-time working mommy, I have to schedule our trips around holiday’s and long weekends. This means we only had a few days to explore this beautiful island. We landed at 12:15AM on Friday morning and flew home at 9AM on Monday. I needed to make the most of our three short days. Wondering what to do in Puerto Rico? Read below!

Transportation

First things first, RENT A CAR. If you really want to see the island, I would suggest getting a small rental car from the airport. We ended up choosing a fairly inexpensive Kia, which worked perfectly for our family of three. I am convinced the trip wouldn’t have been successful without it. The island is pretty small, so we were able to drive between cities in an hour or two. It gives you so much freedom! (P.S. I totally freaked out about the toll roads-they're everywhere. However, most rental companies include some sort of toll pass in your package!)

Catamaran Cruise

This may have been my favorite part of the trip (other than when I got engaged of course!) We took a catamaran boat trip to Cayo Icacos. The tour included lunch and drinks - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. There were couples, other families, and bachelorette parties which made for a really fun atmosphere.

Cayo Icacos is a tiny uninhabited island about 45 minutes off the coast of Farjado. It has one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. I mean, it literally looked like a postcard. Warm yellow sand, bright blue water, and lush greenery. Exactly what I imagined when I thought about Puerto Rico.

The catamaran anchored a short distance from shore. I didn’t know how we were going to get baby to the beach, but I knew I definitely didn’t want to stay on the boat. My fiancé went down the ladder into the water first, and I followed with baby. He pushed us forward as I swam, holding baby above water with one arm. She’s going to be an adventurous little girl one day!

On the way back, our boat stopped at the coral reef where they invited us to take a swim. So, of course, I jumped right off the boat into the deep blue ocean water and went exploring.

The trip lasted until about 3PM. We were beyond exhausted and couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to relax.

Old San Juan

Ever seen those Instagram pictures of folks in Puerto Rico, standing in front of the most beautiful, brightly colored buildings? They're in Old San Juan. The architecture is amazing... I could roam the streets on foot all day. Parking is terrible, so I would suggest parking a little further away from Old San Juan, and walking from there.

While exploring, we got caught in the most refreshing tropical rainstorm, which gave us gorgeous lighting for pictures.

El Yunque Rainforest

This is what I most looked forward to prior to our trip. I imagined myself trekking through the lush green forest, hearing the waterfalls, and seeing the tropical wildlife. It definitely didn’t disappoint. We booked a half-day tour, which I would suggest to anyone visiting the forest. Our tour guide told us about the history of the surrounding area, pointed out various plants and their uses, and explained the impact the hurricane had on El Yunque. The hurricane took out the visitors center at the entrance and caused some major landslides and road closures, so it was nice to have someone drive us around and show us the most interesting stops.

We did want to kayak in one of the bioluminescent bays, but they don’t allow infants and we were extremely tired from a jam packed schedule.

Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? What did you enjoy most?