Although San Juan is the main destination of Puerto Rico, you cannot visit this beautiful island without seeing the rest of what Puerto Rico has to offer! All the beautiful beaches I’ve seen in Puerto Rico are outside of San Juan. Most of the exciting and adventurous activities are also outside of San Juan. Don’t get me wrong, San Juan is stunning and it’s a great scene to be in when you’re on the island, but it’s also a popular destination for basic tourist activities such as nightlife, city tours, dining, and shopping. If you have time or are hoping to explore outside of San Juan, check out the following list of top 5 suggestions of places and activities to do outside of the city.
#1 Visit Cueva Ventana
Tour Duration: 1.5 Hours
Fee: $17-$19 USD Per Adult
This beautiful cave is located in Arecibo, which is about an hour’s drive from San Juan. The cave can only be visited by a tour called Aventura Cueva Ventana and tickets can be purchased online or in-person. There are five tours per day and the tour runs on a fixed schedule which can be viewed on their website. They also do not take reservations so it is a first come first serve basis. An adult ticket costs $19+Tax USD for weekend tours and $17+Tax USD for Monday to Thursday tours. There is free parking available, a gas station and a little cafe nearby which are located next to the tour office. The earliest tour starts at 10:30AM, which is the time slot I went on.
The tour provides you with a helmet and one flashlight to share with a partner. There were two tour guides that were with us who took us through a short easy hike to the cave. Once inside the cave, we were instructed to always be quiet and have our flashlight faced towards the ground in order to not disturb the bats living inside the cave. Once you enter the cave, it is only a 5 minutes walk to the window of the cave, which is the main attraction of the tour. We were given quite a small amount of time to stay inside the cave, so remember to take your photos as quickly as possible.
#2 Mini Boat & Snorkeling Adventure
Tour Duration: 3.5 Hours
Fee: $85 USD Per Person
You can’t visit Puerto Rico without having a water activity! I booked my snorkeling tour with Kayaking Puerto Rico, which also includes a private mini boat that you can cruise with up to 4 people. The tour is located on the East Coast of Puerto Rico in a city called Fajardo. The tour lets us cruise from Fajardo to Icacos Island. Just before we reach the island, we stopped at La Cordillera Nature Reserve where we enjoyed snorkeling along the coral reefs.
The tour also includes all snorkeling gears, life vests, and small refreshments. There were two tour guides who were with us on the tour and they were very friendly and professional. At the beginning of the tour, they taught us how to navigate our mini boats, safety protocols, and how to wear our snorkeling gear. After snorkeling, we cruised our boat to Icacos Island where we had around 30 minutes of break-time to relax on the beach. Then we cruised back to Fajardo on the mini boats.
Reservation is required. Book Here.
#3 Hike to El Yunque Peak
Duration: 4 Hours
Fee: None
Not only is Puerto Rico home to beautiful beaches and caves, but it is also home to 29,000 acres of tropical rain forest and it is also the only rain forest in the US National Forest System! El Yunque National Forest offers many hikes and beautiful sceneries for you to enjoy. Read more about hiking in El Yunque here.
#4 Beaches On the West Coast
I find that the closer I am to the West Coast of the island, the prettier and more secluded the beaches get. There are numerous of beaches along the coast of Puerto Rico and I was pretty impressed with how different each beaches look from one another despite being so close to each other.
Playa Peña Blanca
Location: Borinquen, Aguadilla
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/n3JMAtTbnFC9toybA
Mar Chiquita Beach
Location: Manati
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/8AHGwbQXftECemrz9
Cueva Survival Beach
Location: Borinquen, Aguadilla
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/4h2cFKtMwh2DVgK6A
Piscinas Naturales
Location: Manati
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/C8RnAq4irP62gf6s9
Tip: This beach is a little difficult to get to. First, you need to follow the GPS above and it will lead you to a narrow road near private properties. You can park your car along the road where other people have parked their cars and you will then have to walk to the right until you reach the beach. Once you are on the beach, you will have to turn to the right and go straight for around 20 minutes until you reach the big rocks at the end. You’ll have to walk past the waters and go through the bushes before you get to the rock. After going through the bush, you will see a pathway that will eventually lead you up the rocks where you will find the natural pools.
Crash Boat Beach
Location: Borinquen, Aguadilla
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/yudaDBvroX91bvDY7
#5 Eat at Luquillo Kiosks
Location: Luquillo
Google Maps: https://g.page/kioskos-de-luquillo?share
Finally, you cannot leave Puerto Rico without trying some authentic street food! The Luquillo Kiosks is a strip that has over ten restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. It is also famous among the locals in Puerto Rico and you have access to the beach right behind the strip so you can take your refreshments with you and chill near the water. View more of the Luquillo Kiosks here.
See More of Puerto Rico
