Puerto rico beach vacation: 16 Best Beach Resorts in Puerto Rico
8 Beachy Things to Do in Puerto Rico, According to a Surfer
The protected shores of Mona Island.
Omark Reyes
Puerto Rico is truly a beach lover’s paradise. With some 270 miles of coastline, Puerto Rico boasts nearly 300 beaches. Whether you’re down for a spirited surf trip, just want to chill out on the shore, or anything in between, there’s a beach just for you. Professional surfer and Puerto Rico native Otto Flores grew up on the Island and began catching waves at age nine. Today, at 46, he still calls this tropical paradise home and is passionate about preserving the destination’s natural beauty.
“As far as sustainability and protecting the ecosystems, I’m a big advocate and activist,” says Flores, who advises visitors to “mind your surroundings—leave the place better than you found it. Take your trash off the beach—do not leave it there. The ocean and Puerto Rico’s incredible beaches are not to be polluted or contaminated.” Rather, they are there to be enjoyed and celebrated for their spectacular beauty, whether you’re riding waves, kayaking tranquil waters, or just soaking up some Vitamin D.
Here, he gives Afar his insider’s insights into eight fabulous beaches throughout Puerto Rico.
Cayo Icacos
Find sweet solitude on Cayo Icacos.
An uninhabited little island off the east side of Puerto Rico, not far from Fajardo, Cayo Icacos is a popular boating destination for locals and tourists alike, says Flores. “It has turquoise-blue water, and the south side is very flat, making it a draw for beachgoers and boaters. People anchor boats together and do barbecues. There are catamarans that go for the day for tourists, whether you want a booze cruise or snorkeling tour.” It’s also a perfect outing for when you want to completely power down: “There’s nothing on it! No electricity or establishment. It’s a protected area.”
Crash Boat Beach
Crash Boat beach offers excellent snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, and a fun scene on the shore.
Chase Walker
An ideal place for surfing and underwater sports that also comes with a vibrant party scene, Crash Boat beach is located inside Aguadilla Bay on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico.
“When there’s no swell, it’s a beautiful beach with a lot of wreckages for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are lots of fish and marine wildlife in the water. It used to be a military docking zone,” says Flores. “There are prevalent east and northeast winds, and it blows like a lagoon when there are no waves. And when the swell is up, it’s a very cool wave to surf because it breaks off these jetties. Because of the depths right there, the wave quality is world class when the swell hits that side of the bay.”
But you don’t have to be a surfer or snorkeler to enjoy this beautiful beach. You’ll find local food kiosks and vendors along the pier, and you can stay right there on the beach and mingle with locals and tourists from abroad, says Flores.
Domes Beach
Domes Beach is a surfer’s paradise.
Chase Walker
Located on the west side of Puerto Rico in Rincón—better known as “surf city” or “surf town,” says Flores—Domes Beach attracts surfers from all over, and especially in winter when the snowbirds descend.
“It’s a world-class wave, with a right point break, in a beautiful place on the Island. It’s the most consistent spot in Rincón, and the sunsets are pretty incredible there.”
Rincón is a very cool surf town, says Flores, and it’s a gastronomical destination as well. Be sure to check out the famed breakfast/brunch destination, the English Rose, and “a couple very interesting restaurants that overlook the sunset on the mountain side, and farm-to-table destinations such as Crudo, which is half outdoors, with a super rootsy island style. There are also really nice fine dining options as well. Expect really good food and a cool local vibe.” When you’re in Rincón, Flores recommends sampling some Karibe Kombucha—”the boutique distillery is located in Rincón, and they make it from scratch. And there’s a great farmers market there too.”
La Playuela
Enjoy the natural charms of La Playuela.
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This “wave-rich area, with multiple surf breaks” is on the southwest coast, in Cabo Rojo.
“The beauty of La Playuela is that it’s an enchanting green space that hosts hikers, mountain bikers, and beachgoers,” says Flores. “It’s a breathtaking piece of land with iconic palm trees,” attracting campers, beach lovers, and surfers who come for the consistent year-round waves. “It has a special kind of feel to it. It’s just a magical piece of land.”
Mar Chiquita
The half-moon shaped Mar Chiquita is an oasis for sun bathers and beach lovers.
Chase Walker
Located in the town of Manatí, Mar Chiquita is one of the most popular natural pools in the north coast. “Waves roll in through the lava rock of the bay, but the water dies down and pours out into a beautiful white-sand beach that’s shaped like a seashell,” says Flores.
“With incredible water colors and seascapes that are breathtaking, it’s another hidden gem inside the north coast of Puerto Rico, and also very close to San Juan so it’s good for day trip. But there are Airbnbs and other lodging opportunities there as well.
”
Mona Island
Mona Island is an oasis of natural splendor.
Omark Reyes
Go off the beaten path with a visit to Mona Island, the entirety of which is a natural reserve, protected for its endemic species, notes Flores. “Located between the Dominican Republic and the west side of Puerto Rico, it’s bordered by barrier reefs and pristine beaches.”
It’s a three-to-four-hour boat ride to get there from the mainland. Get up early and go for a day trip or, better yet, get a camping permit and stay overnight, slumbering to the sounds of unspoiled nature. You’ll find “beautiful sea life, big hikes, and sheer cliffs that hit the ocean,” says Flores. “It’s an iconic part of Puerto Rico’s heritage and a beautiful landmark. Go and unplug and tap into nature.”
Playa El Escambrón
Playa El Escambrón is located right in San Juan.
Located in San Juan, “the area of El Escambrón is a very unique place,” says Flores. “You’ll find little lagoons, tide pools, and golden-sand beaches and parking here.
It’s very urban, mixed with colonial forts and culture.” It’s also home to one of the best local beaches in San Juan, Playa El Escambrón, and a great surf break nearby. “La Ocho is a local surf spot in this area, where lots of tourists go as well,” says Flores. If you’re in San Juan and want to go for a surf or run, it’s bordered by Luis Muñoz Rivera Park, making it a great fresh-air outing. “It has a family vibe, perfect for walking and sightseeing,” says Flores.
Sun Bay
The crystal-clear waters and white sands of Vieques’s Sun Bay.
Omark Reyes
For raw beauty, you can’t do better than a day at Sun Bay Beach on the south side of Vieques. “It’s a beautiful white-sand beach that holds incredible green space in an area that is just breathtaking,” says Flores. “When you get there, the simplicity of it will just blow your mind. It’s a great place for beach walks and frolicking with loved ones, and it’s never too cloudy there.”
A small island off the east coast of Puerto Rico, Vieques itself is home to turquoise waters and several white- and black-sand beaches.
Flores recommends travelers spend part or all of their vacation there. “Vieques has incredible boutique hotels and breathtaking restaurants—there are amazing culinary experiences there. It’s a small island, but it does have a great community with its own vibe and own culture. You’ll see wild horses running around the island. It used to be part of the U.S. military, so you’ll find incredible deserted beaches that are open to the public now.”
Respect nature—and the local communities—and you’ll be rewarded
Whichever beaches you end up visiting, Flores has a word of advice that will take you far and ensure a great time is had by all: “Be sympathetic to the locals. Treat them with respect and enjoy the warmth of the community,” he shares. “When you put great energy into visiting the place it comes back tenfold. And I don’t just mean the epic sunsets and soft, sandy beaches. The energy of the people here is beautiful—I’ve traveled the world, and it’s the most embracing culture that I’ve found.
”
Ultimate Guide to a Puerto Rico Family Vacation
Considering a Puerto Rico family vacation? Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Puerto Rico with kids!
Puerto Rico has so much to offer families who want to visit the Caribbean.
It’s affordable, easy to get to, has lots of kid-friendly things to do, and uses American money.
I’ve been wanting to take my daughter to Puerto Rico for years and finally did so in early 2020. We had so much fun we’ve been back every year since!
We clearly love the island so I’m excited to share my guide to a Puerto Rico family vacation!
Is Puerto Rico good for families?
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about taking my daughter to Puerto Rico by myself.
Though it’s a US Territory, the primary language is Spanish. I know very little, so I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to communicate when I needed to.
But I’m happy to report we did fine with our limited Spanish and almost everyone we met spoke English.
I was also concerned about the damage Puerto Rico sustained from Hurricane Maria, but most places were rebuilt and open on our March 2020 trip.
Do I need a Passport to travel to Puerto Rico?
No, you don’t need a passport to travel to Puerto Rico with your family since it is a US Territory.
That makes it much easier to get into and out of compared to other Caribbean islands.
You’ll save on airport taxes, too!
Flying to other islands in the Caribbean that aren’t part of the US will add $80-$150 in taxes per person.
How To Get To Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is located between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.
Is it easy to get to – it’s just a 2.5-hour flight from Florida.
The main airport in Puerto Rico is Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, which is located just east of downtown San Juan, the capital city.
Here is a list of the 44 cities that offer non-stop service to San Juan (SJU):
What is the best area to stay in Puerto Rico for a family vacation?
Photo Credit: Google Maps
If you are visiting Puerto Rico with kids, I’d suggest staying in the northeast part of the island.
Venturing to the south or west from San Juan will be a logistical challenge, and keeping it simple when traveling with kids is super important.
You’ll be close to all of the attractions in the northeast part of the island, such as great beaches, El Yunque rainforest, and the bioluminescent bay.
Many families chose to stay close to San Juan in the popular resort area known as Condado.
If you stay in a hotel or rental, I suggest limiting your search to the northeast part of the island to make your vacation as stress-free as possible.
Here are the best places we’ve stayed on our trips.
Resorts in Puerto Rico for Families
The private beach at our condo
We chose to rent a condo through VRBO.com for our Puerto Rico vacation.
I wanted to be able to cook some meals during our trip and have extra space to spread out.
I chose Beach Nirvana, a two-bedroom/two-bath condo in a gated complex with multiple pools and a private beach.
Our condo only cost $78 per night during February, an amazing month to visit Puerto Rico.
Though it wasn’t luxurious, it was safe, comfortable, clean, and lots of fun. You can’t beat that for the price!
Photo credit: Vrbo.com
Here is my bedroom in the condo. The other bedroom was similar.
Each bedroom had it’s own bathroom as well.
Photo credit: Vrbo.com
The kitchen was perfect for making our breakfasts and a few dinners during our stay.
We hit up the local Walmart for groceries.
The living room was modern and comfortable. We loved having breakfast on one of the two balconies.
I would definitely recommend Beach Nirvana and any other unit in the Villas del Mar complex.
On our next trip (which I am planning now) I’d like to stay closer to the east coast. We loved the attractions there and it would be nice to be a bit closer to them.
How To Get Around in Puerto Rico
If you want to venture out of San Juan (which you definitely do!) you’ll want a rental car for your trip.
At the time we visited, Uber and Lyft were not operating in Puerto Rico.
I rented a car through Hotwire for our trip at a super affordable rate – $120 for five days!
The only drawback was that we had to take a shuttle from the airport to the rental car office. We ended up waiting over 45 minutes for the shuttle which was NOT a fun way to start our trip.
When I return, I will pay the extra money to rent a car that’s at the airport to have less friction on our trip.
But I’d definitely rent through Hotwire again – you can’t beat the savings.
Driving was easy and gas was surprisingly reasonable for an island (though be aware it is priced in dollars per liter).
Things to do in Puerto Rico with Kids
I can’t emphasize enough how much fun we had exploring the island on our multiple trips.
There are so many family-friendly activities in Puerto Rico you will be spoiled for choice!
Here are my suggestions for the best things to do in Puerto Rico with kids.
El Yunque National Forest
My top pick for things to do in Puerto Rico for kids is a visit to El Yunque National Forest.
You’ll see exotic plants, waterfalls, and historic sites within the park.
Here are my suggestions for what to do with kids in the rainforest:
- Short hike to Juan Diego waterfalls (bring your swimsuit!)
- Moderately difficult 1.6-mile hike up Mt Britton to the tower (if your kids aren’t up for that hike yet, climb up Yokahua Tower instead)
- Short and easy 1-mile roundtrip Angelito Trail to play in Rio Mameyes
- Check out El Portal Visitor’s Center for exhibits, the gift shop, and lunch
All of these activities are located in the La Mina Recreation Area.
Currently, you will need a timed reservation to access many of the experiences in the rainforest.
Click here for all of the details on visiting El Yunque including how to get a reservation.
The rainforest is not-to-be-missed on a Puerto Rico family vacation!
Day Trip To Culebra & Flamenco Beach
My absolute favorite day of our trip was our visit to Culebra.
Culebra is a small island 17 miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico. It served as a U.S. Naval base until 1975.
The main attraction for us was Flamenco Beach, which often makes it on lists of the best beaches in the world!
First of all – Flamenco Beach did not disappoint.
I feel like I am spoiled for beaches forever.
It has warm, calm, crystal clear water, soft sand, amenities, and places to sit in the shade of a palm tree.
It’s a challenge to get to, however, which is part of what keeps it so nice!
Check out my post on how to get to Flamenco Beach via ferry or plane here.
There is an abandoned tank from the Navy on the beach you can walk down to check out. It’s really cool to see and take pictures with.
We brought our snorkeling gear and were able to see some fish around the reefs off the beach.
It was my daughter’s first time snorkeling outside of the pool and it was the perfect introduction.
The water is clear, calm, and shallow.
Here was my spot in the sand for the day. Looks like paradise, right?
In fact we were having so much fun we couldn’t bring ourselves to go home!
I was able to get us tickets on the late ferry so we could spend an extra five hours in Culebra.
We grabbed dinner at a little restaurant next to the ferry dock and were joined by a new friend (This might have been the highlight of the entire trip for my daughter.)
We are still talking about our day on Culebra more than a year later!
Learn how to plan your own day trip to Culebra and Flamenco Beach here.
Bio Bay Kayak Tour
One evening we ventured over to Fajardo, which was about 45 minutes from our condo, to take a kayak tour of the Laguna Grande “Bio Bay”.
Bioluminescent plankton live in abundance in the Bio Bay. They give off a a neon blue-green color when you disturb them.
There are only five places in the world that they live in such high concentrations that the water appears to glow – and three of these places are in Puerto Rico!
I had to see this amazing sight for myself so I booked a kayak tour of Laguna Grande, the most popular of the three Bio Bays.
Unfortunately, you can’t capture the glowing plankton on camera, but here we are paddling into the bay as the sun set.
We went on a night with cloud cover and a moon about half full, making it hard to see the glow without help.
So our tour guides pulled a giant tarp over all of the kayaks to make it darker.
Then we could easily see the “bling bling”. They looked like thousands of tiny diamonds in the water!
I booked our kayak tour with Pure Adventures through Viator and was really happy with it.
I paid less than $100 for both of us and the adventure and unique experience made it worth it for me.
You’d be fine on this trip even if you’ve never kayaked before.
Our guides gave basic instructions and safety information and were super professional.
Tours left at 6:15 and 8:15 and we took the earlier one since the later one was after my daughter’s bedtime.
If you want to best see the bioluminescence, I suggest booking on a night with as little moon as possible.
You can click here to research moonrise times.
Since my daughter wasn’t into paddling herself, I did all of the work for both of us, which made it pretty tiring.
But with two people to paddle it would be an easy trip. I highly recommend booking a Bio Bay kayak tour on your trip to Puerto Rico.
Things To Do In Puerto Rico: El Morro
Image by grapesky from Pixabay
One of the top places to visit in San Juan is the huge fort known as “El Morro” or more officially Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
It occupies the northwest corner of the city and was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan.
We visited on the last day of our trip and it ended up being a highlight for us!
El Morro was built from the 1500’s to the 1700’s and is such a cool piece of history.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is managed by the US Park Service.
Kids get in free and adults are $10 each unless you have a National Parks Pass – then it’s free!
You also get admission to the other fort in San Juan, Castillo San Cristóbal, if you visit within 24 hours.
We spent several hours exploring the fort and really had a blast.
It’s rare to be in a building so old in the New World!
You can learn about the Spanish colonization of the Caribbean, the era of pirates, and how Puerto Rico became a US Territory at the fort.
And get fantastic views of the ocean out of the windows at the fort.
I highly recommend setting a few hours aside to explore El Morro. I think it’s one of the best things to do in Puerto Rico with kids.
Old San Juan
On our last day in Puerto Rico we parked the car and explored Old San Juan on foot.
It’s a beautiful, historic city that’s easy to navigate.
We grabbed some lunch in a little café that was very affordable.
You can find them all around the city and they are tourist-friendly. Pretty much everyone in the city speaks English.
We loved the colorful buildings and the old steps. It’s a quintessentially Caribbean vibe.
Definitely make a stop by Calle de la Fortaleza – it’s the street that was previously covered by colorful umbrellas that now features a huge Puerto Rican flag.
It’s the perfect place to take a selfie or a group photo to remember your trip.
I also have to mention the amazing frappes we had at San Juan Frappes – they were so good! Be sure to stop in and grab a drink if it’s hot.
Exploring the streets of Old San Juan is a must-do on a Puerto Rico family vacation. There’s also lots of shopping if you are into that. 🙂
Luquillo Kiosks
Friends of ours who used to spend the winter in Puerto Rico recommended the Luquillo Kiosks as a place to grab some local food.
The kiosks are mostly restaurants but there are some gift shop and bars in the mix, too.
We went on a week night and it was pretty empty – but I’ve heard that the weekends bring the crowds.
There were lots of places to eat dinner but we chose Kiosk #20 – Terruno.
We enjoyed some authentic Puerto Rico food that was SO delicious. Even my seven-year-old daughter loved everything.
Most of the restaurants have open air dining that looks out on the ocean. You can find something for everyone at the kiosks.
Don’t be scared by their ramshackle appearance – the kiosks are essential Puerto Rico and you won’t be disappointed!
I hope you got lots of ideas for things to do in Puerto Rico in this post.
Be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Puerto Rico with kids for all of the details of our trip!
Any questions? Leave a comment below or send me a message on The Frugal South’s Facebook page.
Check out these related posts:
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- 7 Cheap Things To Do With Kids In San Francisco
- Things To Do In Pigeon Forge For Affordable Family Fun!
Can I go to Puerto Rico on a budget?
Unlike most destinations in the Caribbean, you can absolutely visit Puerto Rico on a budget!
I think Puerto Rico’s affordability is part of why I loved it so much.
Your dollars go much farther there compared to most other destinations.
Here are the costs for our five-day trip:
- Condo rental: $468.81
- Rental car: $132.45
- Airfare: $249.50 (just for the return flight – we flew there on Southwest points)
- Activities: $151.70
Without food, our total cost for everything for a five-day trip was $1,000.
I saved on food costs by buying groceries and only eating out at affordable restaurants.
That’s a super affordable family vacation to the Caribbean!
Is Puerto Rico safe for a family vacation?
We felt 100% safe at every point during our trip.
Honestly your biggest safety concern in Puerto Rico is a natural disaster such as hurricanes.
We stayed in a condominium complex with a security guard at the gate plus a code to access the building.
As long as you use common sense you will be completely safe in Puerto Rico.
I hope this ultimate guide to a Puerto Rico family vacation will help you plan your visit to Puerto Rico with kids!
Any questions? Just leave a comment below or send me a message on The Frugal South’s Facebook page.