Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, gem of an island, rich with history and beaches, full of mountains, routes, and surprises. Home to rum, and the delicious and rich Pina Colada. Here are my quick-fire trip notes:

Getting around

Mainstream car rent companies are easily accessible directly at the airport. You can get a cheaper, off-airport car rent to save money, but note you’ll wait around 30 minutes or so for their van to pick you up. Our off-brand car worked fine despite its age and a bit of knocks. It was pretty rough on the inside. Maybe exactly appropriate for an island roadtrip.
Prepare yourself for very bad drivers and, more often than not, fairly rough roads. I lost a hubcap on my rental somewhere on a highway where deep potholes sneak up. Pay attention, especially at night.
If you choose to visit the islands off east, they will not allow you to take your car rent on the ferry over. The logistics of renting on the mainland, ferrying over, then renting again are not simple; there’s not much inventory on the smaller islands. Were I to do it again, I would fly directly from San Juan, or take an Uber/cab to the ferry (about 1.5 hours).
Instead of all that, we took a snorkel tour to Culebra. This all day affair included the ferry over, a small group guided snorkel, and lunch-as-you-like with a chill afternoon at Culebra’s rightly celebrated Flamenco Beach. The snorkel tour was excellent and guided us to things we wouldn’t have found, including turtle grass beds and plenty of reef action.

Our Itinerary

Day
Saturday	Arrive: San Juan evening, drive to Luquillo, stay at Selva
Sunday	Morning: snorkel Culebra with Kayaking Puerto Rico; stay Luquillo
Monday	Relax: Seven Seas beach, hikes, stay Luquillo
Tuesday	Explore: Long drive, Pork Route, El Pretexto, stay Caycay
Wednesday	Town: San Juan, stay in town
Thursday	Fly home

Surprises

Bakeries exist all over and in very little town, and they are much more than just bread: they serve full breakfasts and lunches, and include varieties of hot trays, stews, and the like. It’s a local’s staple and great way to experience “real” PR food and culture.
Restaurants that we really liked were often open air restaurants, right off the road. Don’t dismiss these; they excel at higher quality food.
Caycay is a lovely town, now a sleeper community to San Juan. I would stay there again and center a different trip around the mountains and routes through the interior.

Stays

Selva Boutique Hotel. Luquillo, Playa Fortuna. Well-priced oceanfront old-school hotel in a quiet local neighborhood. Exceptionally clean, great service, and included the ever-inquisitive Selva, the hotel cat. Well located to everything on the north and east coasts; walkable to beaches and the Kioskos de Luquillo. Excellent birding in the nearby river that opens to the sea.
1921 Boutique Hotel, Caycay. Very modern rooms, ours with a full kitchenette, in a rehabbed historic building with attractive lobby. Walkable to everything in this interesting, mountain town. Starting point for La Ruta Panorámica, ending point to The Pork Route roadside lechoneras.
San Juan: Romeo Gay Hotel. Brand new rehab that preserves an industrial-style design of several once-abandoned buildings in an up-and-coming cool neighborhood; quiet, well designed rooms, dipping pool. Easily walkable or bus ride to San Juan attractions. Nothing particularly gay nor party vibe, although we did chat with another gay couple at the pool.

Eats

Kioskos de Luquillo: famous, but we were underwhelmed and frankly turned off. We had a late lunch at La Parilla and it was… ok.
SolE’o: Luquillo. Great example of a roadside spot with standout food.
The Ocean on your Table, Rio Grande. Really exceptional roadside spot with chefs cooking in a truck. Tables outside.
Amor + Harina: exceptionally slow service for morning coffee and breakfast, don’t be in a rush, but great coffee and pastries.
D’gusto Bakery and Pastries: a local bakery that has all that, and more
El Pretexto: really a farm stay with private, chef-driven custom suppers; must reserve ahead of time. The owner promotes local farming and farm-to-table cuisine. Guaranteed dinner companions of interesting people, remarkable food, and great wines. The best meal of the trip, as well as food for thought on the relationships between the USA and Puerto Rico, and how that has impacted the food supply chain.

To do

Culebra snorkel tour. While we could have gone to Culebra independently, the tour included the ferry, transport, and local knowledge of snorkel spots, with a proper mix of snorkel and chilling at the beach. Not to be missed.
A day at Seven Seas Beach. Exceptional. There’s a hike west, to Playa Escondida, if you get easily bored, with an easy and interesting trail filled with birds, crab critters, and other hidden beaches. The park east is closed unless you have a tour guide.
The famous Pork route, south to Patillas. We took the loop east and south. A nice drive, with, occasional old sugar plantations (not open, no tours); not wildly exceptional.
The drive into the mountains was great fun; keep an eye out for small parks like Charco Azul. Consider packing a picnic.
The pork route was very… porky. Simple, good food.
Cayey is a very cool town. We stayed to eat at El Pretexto (see above). I will make a base in this town in the future.

Old San Juan

Sites and house museums

Casa del Libro – Small “house of the book” museum in a historic home, focused on rare books, manuscripts, and the history of printing.
Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud – Tiny cliff‑side chapel on Calle del Cristo, one of the most atmospheric historic spots in the old city. Very. Crowded.
Plazuela de la Rogativa – Small plaza with a bronze “Rogativa” sculpture and great, relatively quiet views over the city walls and harbor.

Next time:

Casa Blanca Museum – 16th‑century fortified residence built for Juan Ponce de León; now a house museum with period rooms and gardens overlooking the bay.
Museo de San Juan – Museum of the city’s history and culture in a restored historic building, with rotating art and history exhibits.
Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña – Cultural institute in an old building with galleries and courtyards showcasing Puerto Rican heritage.

Bars

La Factoria – Multi‑room speakeasy‑style cocktail bar on Calle San Sebastián, with creative drinks and a hidden‑bar feel.

Recommended to us (thanks, Tom!)

Bar Catedral Rooftop – Rooftop bar near the cathedral with cocktails, light bites, and views over Old San Juan’s rooftops.
Hotel El Convento bar – Atmospheric hotel bar and cloistered courtyard for drinks in the former convent across from the cathedral.

Restaurants and cafés

Cafetería Mallorca – Old‑school cafeteria for breakfast and lunch, famous for pan de Mallorca, sandwiches, and traditional Puerto Rican breakfasts. Go early.