In all of my formative years spent living on the East Coast (NC, VA, DC, MD), I had somehow missed the easy magic of Puerto Rico. Since our move to Raleigh from Chicago, we have tried to make up for this goof as rightgully as possible.
Thankfully, as far as correcting misakes are concerned, this has proved to be a pretty easy one.
You can read about our first trip to San Juan in 2018 shortly after the devestation from Hurricane Maria. We stayed at the mindblowingly beautiful Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan with our then 3 kids. Since so many places were still recovering from the hurricane damange, we spent most of our trip swimming and walking around to discover as much of San Juan and Old San Juan as safely possible.
Hooked on the ease and beauty of this getaway, we returned the following year; this time with a misson to spend more time in the El Yunque National Forest. We had a beach-front Airbnb in Liquillo and it was nice to experience the more local side of Puerto Rico.
We kicked started 2024 with our third and most recent visit to PR. Unbeknownst to us at the time of booking it, it ended up being during one of the coldest and rainest weekends in Raleigh. We flew Frontier Air again, and stayed at the Embassy Suites. Our car rental was from National’s Emerald Club. We spend our 3 nights and 4 days enjoying the beach, the city as well as the rain forest. It was a perfect little package of relaxation and adventure.
Pool and Beach Time
The hotel pool is big and fun. The pool side restaurant great cocktails and food options. This particular Embassy Suites in San Juan is 2 blocks from the beach. It was a very easy walk which even the kids managed without complaining. Once at the beach, the hotel has umbrellas, chairs, staff, toys, and towels (in other words – nothing to carry). There are several restaurants around should lunch needed to be ordered. And plenty of beach vendors with coconut water and shaved ice.
El Yunque Rainforest
We revisted the Angelito Trail in the rainforest which is an easy hike that ends at a river with a rope swing. Definitely put this on the itinerary. The visitor center which has been renovated in recent years is also very beautiful – built within the canopy – and offers several things to do, including activities to become Junior Rangers.
Old San Juan
The colorful and lively old town of San Juan makes me so happy. We wandered around enjoying the views, the children’s playground, the park to feed pigeons, and so much more. Cafe Botanic was a super not-to-be-missed choice for lunch. Popsicles from Senor Paleta were out of this world! The little Kiosk in the square was also a perfect place to grab coffee and a snack. The espadrill store is something I am saving for next time.
The Antibland Chronicles 
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