Want to Take My Father on a Vacation to Puerto Rico

[ja1myn]

Originally Posted by ibcwife

So I am interested to know if you went, where you stayed and what you did while you were there!!

Haven't left yet but I am going to come back and share my experiences on this thread once we have gone on the trip!

[Synergy1]

I think it would be great to know where you are going and what there is to do when you stay in Puerto Rico...
We've been there a couple of times and each time we crused. Our stay was 6 hours each time and next time we are going just to visit for 3-5 days. The boat was just fantastic and maybe you would consider a cruise liner. We had very little time in Puerto Rico but each trip we took a taxi and each time the driver circled our destination and took us for a "ride"...

Funny now we think of what haoppened but we must have targets on our backs because when my wife and I traveled to Boston for her work + a taxi driver did the same thing. Charged us $46 and later I walked to the destination that was around a mile from where we stayed...I think it is funny now but It seems as though we didn't do our homework and not knowing where we were I guess we deserved it.

The people we met in Puerto Rico were very friendly and we plan on going again this year. Puerto Rico is just beautiful..Have fun whatever mode of transportation you chose...

[gemstone1]

"Our stay was 6 hours each time and next time we are going just to visit for 3-5 days"...

When you "cruise" into San Juan, you haven't really been to Puerto Rico...with just 6 hours you might have time to see the shops in Old San Juan and maybe El Morro, maybe a meal.....all with the rest of the ships passengers who are jostling down the same narrow sidewalks doing the same thing....what an experience.

IMO, unless you wish to spend your time loafing on the beach in Condado or Isla Verde, 3-5 days is not enough time....3-5 weeks, maybe.

google is your friend, so is City-Data (not just the forum section), use them. Go to the book store, get a travel guide. Before traveling to PR, spend hours and hours researching what there is to do, where to stay (depending on your preferences), what to see. Get a descent map of Puerto Rico, plan your trips before you leave home. You will have to rent a car, smaller is better. The island is small, just over 100 miles long, and 30 wide...you can get from one end to the other in a day, traffic is heavy, figure on an average of 35 miles per hour, plus any stops.
My suggestion is to get outta San Juan as soon as possible, head any direction...once you are out of the metro area, you will begin to see Puerto Rico. You'll see beaches you never dreamed existed, where your footprints in the sand are the only ones you see, you'll see the mountains full of flowering trees, waterfalls, you can hike the back country of El Yunque National Forest, the only Rain Forest in the US (nothing like skinny dipping in a cold mountain river). There are plenty of tourist traps, jeep tours, zip line tours, horse rides on the beach, etc....but if you want to see Puerto Rico you have to drive the island....with enough time to stop and smell the flowers....see the people....and to taste to food!

Hope you enjoy the visit.

Regards
Gemstone1

[Synergy1]

We had no idea that Old San Juan was a tourist mecca until our 2nd trip there. Next time we will do as you say and try to stay there a week. Seeing the sights in a few hours may be OK for first timers but now we find it interesting enough to stay around a week.

Also catching a flight there seems to be the best way for us to travel there and we would like to stay in the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza or the El Conquistador, A Waldorf Astoria Resort hotel....Can't wait ! ! !

As retirees we'll start off slow then ease up...

[Janisse]

Las cuevas de Camuy!

Go here: http://travelandsports.com/parque-de...co-rioc936.php