Puerto Rico Tips:
Bring cash! I was surprised to see in 2025 how often I needed cash on the island, so be sure to come prepared.
Bring a water bottle with a filter or only drink bottled water. Though PR is part of the US there is a lot of concerns with drinking water not being safe, so take the extra step to keep yourself healthy.
Rent a car to explore more—just do not do so from Sixt. Their rental facility is off the airport property with an incredibly slow shuttle, scammy workers, and just overall a very mediocre experience provided.
When driving prepare for narrow lanes, merging roads, and tolls—but you can avoid these with your map settings.
San Juan Area
Ocean Lab Brewing Co: This brewery has two locations, with the main one being right near the airport on the beach. This location is incredible. There is a pool, beach, stage for shows, full restaurant, and incredible oceanfront views. The beer is pretty tasty and they also offer cocktails. Parking here is in a paid lot.
Pinky’s: A delicious sandwich shop with two locations. Highly recommend!
Old San Juan
This historic area is full of colorful buildings on hilly roads with touristy, party vibes while still being cute. Do not try to drive around Old San Juan—it is small enough to explore by foot and traffic + parking is not fun.
Bop around San Sebastián Street: This is a popular area with a ton of bars and restaurants.
La Taberna Lupulo: A famed beer bar with 46 taps and a small food menu as well.
La Factoria: A famous cocktail bar that is quite popular and has great vibes. The drinks are quite tasty though expensive.
La Tortuga Bistro Bar: Another solid option with good food and cocktails.
Do a walking tour of the historic sites throughout this area. I used the GPS My City app to hit all of the main points.
San Juan National Historic Site: This includes El Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristobal, and technically the city walls themselves. It is $10 to enter without a national park pass.
Puerta de San Juan: The historic gate to enter the city. Also when you go through the gate there is a little trail along the wall—Paseo del Morro.
Bar Catedral Rooftop: A cool rooftop bar next to the cathedral (in case those facts were not clear from the name). Great spot for sunset!
La Ó: A fun spot for appetizers, pasta, pizza, and cocktails.
I stayed at this Airbnb that was simple but affordable and in a perfect location.
Cervecería del Callejón: An average brewery with a small tap list.
Café Cuatro Sombras: A cute coffee shop with a nice little back patio space.
Museo de las Americas: An art museum that has numerous exhibits, most of which were closed when I visited unfortunately. Entrance is $6 and there are some neat, informative things to check out.
The Mezzanine: A rooftop bar with tapas, cocktails and wine.
El Yunque + Eastern Puerto Rico
El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the national park system! With that said, even on a clear day expect some rain because it is a rainforest so be sure to come prepared.
Take a peek at La Coca Waterfall on your drive up from the road on your right.
Big Loop Trail: This route hits all of the main points in the park—Los Picachos, El Yunque, and Mount Britton. It is 7 miles long with 2,440ft of elevation gain and takes just under 4 hours to complete. The trail is very rocky until the Mount Britton area then it is paved and has a lot more folks on it, as most people only go up to Mount Britton, an old historic tower. The most challenging part was a scramble up to the top of El Yunque, but the views are really great from here—make sure to go all the way up to your right when you finish the climb.
After your hike head to the town of Fajardo for lunch or dinner!
Rustica is a stellar spot with Brooklyn-style pizza and cocktails—all of which is delicious. The vibes are great as well and everything is well-priced.
If you are more of a barbeque person, La Estacion is very popular.
Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve: The La Zanja Trail here is a bit misleading, but I would recommend just checking out Balneario Seven Seas and walking the beach with the mangroves.
Vieques
Vieques is a gorgeous little island off the east coast of the main island. You can easily explore the whole island in a day, but most folks stay a few days to truly relax and unwind. The island has a lot less development than other islands because the Navy previously operated there. There are no stoplights on the island, tiny roads, and extremely laid back chill vibes.
Vieques is reachable via plane or ferry. The ferry is quite easy and cheap, just book your tickets in advance here. The only downside to the ferry is the parking—it is a 10 minute walk away from the port with all of your luggage + the parking is extremely expensive—about 10 times more expensive than the ferry tickets themselves.
You can get by without a car on the island, but if you’re wanting to explore some of the more isolated beaches you’ll want a 4WD high clearance vehicle to navigate the rough roads. I rented a Jeep from Maritza Car Rental which has a convenient shuttle to and from the ferry, but the rental itself was pretty crappy with no functioning AC and a torn up interior.
I stayed at this Airbnb which is small but nice, and has a little outdoor area. It is a quick walk to everything in Esperanza which was great! This spot is very affordable, but in general Vieques is a bit pricey, especially in comparison to the rest of Puerto Rico.
Go on a bioluminescent kayak tour! Vieques is home to the brightest bio bay in the world and this is a very unique experience. I went with The Pirate Bio Bay Tours and didn’t love them, but still enjoyed the experience. I would recommend trying a different company—a friend went with JAK Water Sports and loved it!
Playa La Chiva in Vieques National Wildlife Refuge: Beautiful isolated beaches with wild horses. Drive towards the end of the park for less seaweed and people.
Kristy’s on the Caribe: An absolutely delicious spot for breakfast and brunch. The coffee and food is tasty and the chill beach vibes are immaculate.
Mango Taphouse and Gastropub: A nice little beer bar and restaurant on the cliffside.
Esperanza Beach and the boardwalk area is super nice.
Balneario Sun Bay: Another nice beach option with pretty views, fee required to enter.
Playa Media Luna is over here too
Parque de la Ceiba de Vieques Reserva Natural: A historic old, massive tree to stop by.
Playa Negra: A nice black sand beach that is a 10 min walk from the parking area on road.
Crab Island Distillery is located on the island and has good reviews, but their hours are limited.
Duffy’s in Esperanza also looked fun but has limited hours.
Skip Lazy Jack’s—a chill bar with a food and ocean views, but they were out of more than half the food menu when I visited and the frozen cocktail was not good.
Skip D’Frozz Coffee: I paid $7 for an iced latte where she took the coffeepot on the counter and poured it into a cup with ice and said bye.
Central Puerto Rico:
San Cristobal Canyon Trail: This trail is 3.25 miles long and AllTrails claims it was 1,000ft of elevation gain but it certainly did not seem that steep. It takes just over an hour to complete this out and back route from the parking area to the overlook. There area beautiful, sweeping views throughout and the waterfall at the end is gorgeous. It is a very exposed trail so be prepared for sun, and after rain it can be very muddy.
The Guavate area is best known for being a “pork highway” so there are tons of restaurants on the side of the road in the mountains—though most are only open on the weekends.
AlaVera Bar & Kitchen: A tasty restaurant with an expansive mojito selection, pretty views, and incredible mofongo.
I stayed at this Airbnb which was incredible. The views are stunning and the hot tub on the cliffside is super neat. There needed to be a little bit of upkeep (back door was broken, outdoor fire table was broken) but overall it was a super cool stay. It is listed as a tiny home but it is not at all tiny.
Mirador La Plata: A cool lookout off the road.
Casa Mya: A nice café in the small town of Aibonito with fresh, delicious eats.
Ponce area:
El Salto Collores Waterfall: This is a super cool little waterfall and swimming hole about 30 minutes north of Ponce. It is located on private property so you’ll pay the owner $10 (in cash) for access. This also includes bathrooms and some tables and chairs. The water is super clean and pretty with a ton of fish, and you can climb up to the top for more river access. When I visited I was lucky enough to have it all to myself, but I would imagine it gets rowdy on the weekends in the summer.
Nispero: A nice wine/cocktail bar with a full food menu as well. Their back patio space is lovely.
King’s Cream: A delicious spot for ice cream in the main square—they also have a few other locations on the island!
Parque de Bombas: A small firefighter museum in the main square with a beautiful building.
Museo Castillo Serrallés: A historic castle home to the Don Q distillery and Cruceta del Vigia as well. The hours are limited unfortunately but it is worth checking out
La Guancha Boardwalk: A popular area on the weekends with stalls of food and drinks.
Southwest Puerto Rico:
Cabo Rojo Lighthouse Trail in Bosque Estatal de Boqueron: This trail is 2.5 miles long and mostly flat. The start is a bit stinky through a marshy area, but then you get out to the rockier lighthouse area. The backside of the trail along the cliffs is quite neat, with a natural bridge and beautiful views, especially at sunset. The rest of the trail is a bit meh, so I would recommend just cutting out and back on the main straightaway. This area is also popular for beachgoers.
Parque Nacional Balneario Boquerón: A nice chill beach with walking trails and amenities. It is $5 to enter with a vehicle or you can park on road and walk in.
I stayed at this Airbnb in a shipping container that was incredibly nice. The outside area is incredible and there are thoughtful touches throughout. It is also super cheap!
