Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

My first trip to Puerto Rico and I already can’t wait to return! Where have you been all my life? So beautiful - a paradise in fact. And only a bit over a 4 hour plane ride from Chicago. A US territory so no need to get a passport or learn a new currency. The temperature is very consistent all year and the entire time I was there only fluctuated a few degrees. It’s an island but significantly larger than I expected. We stayed in the Rio Grande area which is about 30 minutes from San Juan, so plenty of reasons to go back and see more.

Our friends Jill and Kevin have spent a number of months in that area at a condo on the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Resort the past few winters, so know the area really well. When they invited Margaret and I down for a week we jumped at the chance, and they were fantastic hosts. Thanks so much Jill and Kevin! The property was just gorgeous and we had the benefit of all the space of a condo with access to the amenities the resort offered plus the expertise and planning skills of our hosts. All of this added up to a fantastic week.

Here is our view from their balcony. It never got old😊

We had a balanced combination of relaxation at the pool and beach, fun and interesting activities, great food and exercise. Have you ever heard of a bioluminescent bay? Well there aren’t that many in the world and 3 of them are in Puerto Rico. You can only see the glow-in-the-dark water at night so there are many companies that offer a kayak tour to see it. Jill and I did it one night and it was amazing. The short explanation of what creates the bioluminescence is that it’s an organism that produces luciferin which then makes the light. Similar to what causes fireflies to light up but in the water. It doesn’t photograph well and since you’re kayaking in the dark they recommend you don’t bring anything you care about losing should you tip your kayak and need to find and get back into your kayak in the dark. And the darker the better so it was cloudy the night we went - excellent! Here are a few pictures of what it looks like but clearly not taken by me. Lots of companies to choose from and they all leave from exactly the same place and do the exact same thing. We went with Eco Adventures in the Laguna Grande Bay. It was really fun and also funny because to get to the bay you had to paddle for quite a ways through a canal and we couldn’t really see well in the dark narrow canal so kept getting our paddles stuck in the heavy tree roots along the sides. Totally worth it and got a 2 hour workout as a bonus.

Puerto Rico has El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System. It is on the slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains and home to thousands of native plants, trees, ferns, flowers and waterfalls. We wanted to do some hiking there so got up early one day to beat the crowds and were successful in finding parking and getting to some of the busier spots before it got crowded. All thanks to Jill’s experience of course! Beautiful waterfall and the bottom right picture of the 3 of us is at the top of the tower in the lower left picture. Beautiful view from the top.

This beautiful man made pool was built in the late 1930’s by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) as part of the New Deal era to put young men back to work and was used for swimming from 1936 to 1968. There I am in the middle of the bridge✌🏻

Now for some hiking in the rain forest! We saw such pretty flowers and huge ferns plus really beautiful views of the higher mountains.

We went to San Juan for a good part of a day. So pretty and I love the old painted buildings. It’s very hilly and the streets are narrow and lots of cobblestones. Wear comfortable shoes! San Juan is a popular stop for cruise ships so it’s quite crowded during the day. We planned to arrive right after lunch and stay for dinner so by late afternoon it gets way less crowded as people return to their ships. Tons of cute restaurants and shops and places to get drinks.

Did you know the Pina Colada was invented in San Juan in 1963? Now you do! So felt like out of respect we should stop somewhere and give them a try. Delicious!

A must when visiting San Juan is a visit to the National Historic Site of Castillo San Felipe Del Morro. It dates back to 1539 but wasn’t considered completed until 1787 and is the largest fortification built by Spain in the Caribbean. It rises 140 feet above the sea and has walls up to 25 feet thick. When the US acquired Puerto Rico in 1898 after the Spanish American War they used this fortification during the two World Wars. It has 6 levels with the top level being where the lookouts could see anything coming at them for miles, the next level down for weapons, on down to where the soldiers slept in barracks, cooked etc. It’s hard to capture how massive it really is when you’re inside.

We went to hear live music one night at the C Note. A jazz club that has fantastic shows most nights in a small intimate venue.

Jill got tickets for us all to see Christian Nieves, a Quattro player along with Anthony Carrillo, a Master Bongocero (bongo musician). From what I could find on the internet both quite famous and while I’m not an expert in this area I can’t imagine that they aren’t considered highly talented. In one article I read it said Christian Nieves brought Jennifer Lopez to tears with his soulful playing. Anthony Carillo’s hands were moving so fast they were a blur! Really reasonable and I would definitely return.

The resort has golf, tennis, pickleball, a fitness center, pools, a spa, restaurants, etc. We signed up for a pickleball clinic and were the only participants so it was actually like a private lesson. Finally I learned how to get my serve in the appropriate place!

We went to the pool almost every day for at least awhile. Parked myself under an umbrella and succeeded in not getting burned. This was the pool closest to the condo so we stuck with it. Thankfully it was never very crowded although now with spring breaks starting that could change.

The beaches are gorgeous. A beach walk was on my list every day as well. That never gets old. Not many shells but I did find two sand dollars that are drying out nicely on a ledge here at home. Here is one picture but if you would like another 50 more I definitely have them🥰So easy to pull your lounge chair under a palm tree and enjoy the beach without getting fried.

I could do a whole post just on food! So many delicious meals. A few of the best ones were when Jill and Kevin cooked for us. That was such a treat. Jill made delicious salmon one night with rice and beans and broccoli, and Kevin grilled ribs and chicken thighs with great sides that were fantastic. They took us to some of their local delicious favorite spots. Here are the highlights:

Bungalu - a great local place that started out as a stand on the road. So popular they now have a large covered outdoor restaurant.

These were appetizers we shared. Some kind of fish cakes (might have been with mahi mahi) and a shrimp marinated dish with these little biscuits called arepas that are delicious. Such amazing sauces. We had tacos that for sure were made with mahi mahi and another dish that came in a huge avocado but I forgot to take pictures! Sorry! All so good.

We ate at the Cannon Club in San Juan. Really cool inside and had a fantastic outside garden and rooftop. We had coconut shrimp, fish croquettes, charcuterie and marinated mushrooms. The coconut shrimp were my favorite!

Inside the piano bar seating for royalty😊

La Estación was a barbecue spot that was awesome. In an old filling station with a roof but all open sides. The smell alone just made your mouth water.

The smoked swordfish dip with arepas to share and I had this extremely large pulled pork sandwich with bacon, cheese, cole slaw on a delicious bun. I had no idea it would be the size of a melon and didn’t come close to finishing it.

Sama was a place that Jill and Kevin hadn’t been to but had heard great things about. I’m glad they got to try somewhere new too. We all loved it. A beautiful location right across from the beach that has the biggest waves so popular for surfing.

Margaret and I shared the Branzino with roasted veggies, Kevin had a pasta and Jill some kind of ceviche. Good wine and a bite of lemon cheesecake with fresh berries that we all shared.

For lunch one day when we were on the beach we walked down past the hotel to a cute spot called Carabali Beach House. Right on the beach where a Pina colada and fresh cream cheese and spinach empanada tasted delicious.

18 Degrees has two locations for wonderful smoothies, açaí bowls, coffees etc. We went to both! One right after the rain forest hiking and then as luck would have it they have a food truck right at the pool by the condo Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So I got to try it all! That’s a Funky Monkey smoothie I’m drinking and I wouldn’t mind one right now!

We saw lots of little iguanas and one giant one!

Well that wraps up my trip to Puerto Rico. I have a feeling it won’t be my last time there. Thanks so much to Jill and Kevin for planning such a great week and hosting us, and to Margaret for being a super fun and easy going traveling companion. I can see why the people there are so proud of their country and of their heritage. Thanks for coming along as you read this. I wrote this in the sand because it’s something my mom always said and it’s so true. Happiness is a choice. I hope you make it yours💕