7 Days in Puerto Rico: the Ultimate Itinerary
The idea of a solo trip to Thailand somehow landed us on the opposite side of the spinning Globe: down in Puerto Rico where the sun strokes your skin with flames, the water mirrors the aquamarine sky, the locals are constantly singing and the boys are super pretty.
That old dream of a solo trip to Asia was long gone when Nati greeted me with her usual warm smile at Miami airport in the very early hours of Boxing Day - I don't even know how we became friends, but I was so glad she was there. And whilst we were dealing with the less glamorous side of traveling nobody would willingly see - how to do a 10-hour overnight layover at an airport where there's absolutely nothing, but endless queues of people waiting to flash up their ESTA and go - we were having tremendous amount of fun.
As there is no direct flight from London to San Juan, the layover makes this a solid 24 hour journey. But... rest assured it is all worth it, especially when you speak British English, everybody will be obsessed with your exotic accent.
Your itinerary for 7 days in Puerto Rico
We were both excited about the prospect of travelling around the island so we planned our itinerary around that. We also considered visiting a surf town as some parts of Puerto Rico are legendary wave-riding spots - and regardless of you being a surfer or not, the vibe of a surf town is always fun. What we didn't know though is just how hard it would be to travel around without renting a car: there is no public transport that connects the capital, San Juan, to the East, West or South coasts. Especially around this time of the year we were not prepared enough - all we knew was we wanted to get from San Juan to Rincón ('Corner'), a famous surfing spot in Puerto Rico's East coast. After days of googling and asking the locals about what options we had, we had to take the cost of renting a car on the chin. I'd recommend doing this well in advance as last-minute car-rental prices are something you don't want to get annoyed by during your holiday.
We intended to spend at least 2 nights in San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico, as a start to properly ease into nonchalance and sleep off the 24 hour journey from London. The other must-have was to find a spot to surf and enjoy the water, preferable outside of the capital.
How to plan 7 days in Puerto Rico?
2 nights in Old San Juan - Sprinkled with romantic European charm, Old San Juan is steeped in history, whilst seamlessly blending old and new. Consisting of 400 restored buildings from the 16th and 17th-century Spanish colonial period, the historic coast of Puerto Rico's capital has everything you need on a Caribbean holiday. The islands are famous for their passion for life - I blame rum punch -, but San Juan takes passion onto the next level: I kid you not, someone is constantly singing. We stayed in El Colonial, an adults-only boutique hotel with a 24-hour open bar in the heart of Old San Juan, a stone-throw away from the forts and the beach. The service is brilliant and the location is great in close proximity to cafes, restaurants and all the historic sights.
3 nights in Rincón - I work for a luxury fashion brand so being die hard on clothing and shoes is second nature, however... I do not enjoy anything better than short shorts, loose crop tops and barefoot. When a Caribbean surf town is the backdrop for your morning açai bowl, you know your life is good. Shoehorned into the island's most remote corner, Rincón is Puerto Rico at its most vulnerable, where the scarlet sunset dissolves in its own reflection and the surfer community celebrates life over dinner and an ice cold drink. Rincón makes life feel effortless.
2 nights in El Yunque National Rainforest - do you know what 'petrichor' is? It is that wonderful, unique, earthy smell associated with rain. There is nothing like standing on a balcony, hugged by the ocean from one side and the jungle from the other, after 10 minutes of pouring, warm rain. There is nothing like it. It's like Mama Earth smiling at you: you're in good hands. El Yunque National Forest is one of Puerto Rico’s crown jewels. It boasts nearly 29,000 acres of lush mountainous terrain, with waterfalls, rushing rivers and gurgling brooks sprinkling the landscape, bromeliads clinging to towering trees, and bamboo groves opening to spectacular ocean views.
How many days should I go to Puerto Rico for?
Puerto Rico could be as chilled or as active as you want it. We went for a gentle mix of both, exploring the historic site of the capital, driving East to surf, then back to Puerto Rico's and the US's only rainforest to enjoy the beach, the fresh air and the curious iguanas casually marching around. Depending on how active you'd like to be, I'd recommend 7-10 days up to 2 weeks.
What should I pack for 7 days in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico is a rectangular island, situated roughly in the middle of the Antilles, a group of islands that stretches from Florida to Venezuela and forms the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two regions—Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. Puerto Rico is the smallest and easternmost island of the Greater Antilles, which include Cuba, Hispañola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Jamaica. Puerto Rico’s climate is classified as tropical marine, which means it’s typically sunny, hot, and humid year-round. The temperature fluctuates between 76°F and 88°F in the coastal plains and 73-78°F in the mountains. Humidity is a steady 80 percent, but a northeasterly wind keeps things pretty breezy, particularly on the northeast side of the island. With this climate typically warm with occasional tropical rain, t-shirts, shorts, dresses and swimsuits will do perfectly.
Puerto Rico is the little brother of the United States, a gem that is worth visiting all year round. After a short, 2,5-hour flight from Miami, Puerto Rico offers the best of the Caribbean: music, passion, endless turquoise skies, warm sea and world-changing history.
