Midwestern winter is longgggg. Even when it’s a relatively ‘easy’ winter, it’s just so gray for so long! That’s why we decided to take an actual spring break this year: Puerto Rico!
Puerto Rico appealed to me because of its beautiful beaches, year-round average temperature of 80 degrees, and no passport/customs needed. When we found nonstop flights from Chicago, we were sold! After researching possible sights and activities, we decided to be ambitious and split our stay across 3 different parts of Puerto Rico. We all agreed that staying in different areas was a big part of the fun!
This is how we split up our 6-night stay:
Carolina
The first two nights of our trip were spent in the Carolina region. We knew we’d have a long travel day when we arrived, so we decided to stay close to the airport to start. We picked Carolina because of its close proximity to San Juan and Old San Juan, and we found a rental with the most beauuuuuutiful waterfront view.
- Old San Juan
- Distrito T-Mobile
- Señor Paleta
- Isla Verde Beach
- Ocean Lab Brewing Co.
- Miramar Food Truck Park
Island of Vieques
For the next leg of our adventure, we drove about an hour to Ceiba to catch a ferry to the island of Vieques! When researching PR, I learned that Vieques is the home to the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, along with some fun and beautiful beaches.
- Puerto Rico Ferry
- Vieques Air Link
- Caracas Beach
- Sun Bay Beach
- Bio Bay Tour
- Old Crow Hotel and Suites
- Mango Taphouse
- Mar Azul
Rio Grande
We ended our Puerto Rico adventure in the Rio Grande area! After we tried a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains last fall, we were optimistic that the kids would be open to a hike in El Yunque rainforest.
- El Yunque – Mount Britton Trail
- Luquillo Kioskos
- Carabali Adventure Park
- RicoPan II
- Yunque’s Pizza
Overall
Honestly one of my favorite trips so far! Beautiful beaches, warm weather, lots of outdoor activities, and a reason to reach back into my memory and use some of the Spanish I learned in junior high 😂
Want to plan your own Puerto Rico adventure? Check out my google map to get you started!
