Eastern PR Explore:
Day 1

Historic Old San Juan

Follow along via the google maps links embedded below.

1. Have breakfast at Cafeteria Mallorca and try one of our delicious traditional “Mallorcas” (sweet bread). I suggest getting the butter one to try it by itself, you can also accompany it with ham or cheese.
   
   
2. Walk along “Paseo la Princesa.” On weekends, they usually have artisans lined up. Keep making your way towards the water and be mesmerized as you trail through the ancient city walls of Old San Juan. Exit along the “City Door/Puerta de San Juan.” Enter the city the same way Spaniards did centuries ago. Once in, spend the day getting lost in Old San Juan. Each cobblestone-lined street has its own wonder.
   
   
3. While you wander, make sure not to miss these sights:
   1. La Fortaleza (governor’s house - where the umbrella-lined street is)
   2. “Puerta de la bandera” (painted black and white as social commentary for stuff happening a few years ago)
   3. “Puerta la bandera” FULL Collor, along with some nice graffiti now…
   4. Catch a glimpse of “La Perla” a neighborhood in San Juan that has been mentioned in many songs like Despacito or Calle 13’s La Perla (don’t go in, you can view from the top and see how picturesque it looks)
      
      
4. Visit Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To go inside and see the 500-year old canyons and a great area view on Old San Juan, you will need to get tickets, which you can purchase on-site. 
   
   
5. You can have lunch at “Raíces.” While the waiters being dressed up as "jibaritos"/traditional field workers from the 1800s might feel very touristy -- you'll find that they have great mofongo and many other food options.
   
   
6. You can top off the day with all things chocolate at “Chocobar Cortes” - owned by a prominent Caribbean family known for their chocolate.

Note: for old San Juan, make sure to bring a hat - the sun can be a lot at times. Bring good shoes for walking.

Day 2

Yunque Rainforest and Luquillo Beach

1. If you're staying in San Juan, take a 45-min drive over to El Yunque Rainforest. Once there, go up Yokahu tower to see the stunning panoramic views. Walk around and take a very short trail to a waterfall on the “Juan Diego Creek” trail (the water will be refreshingly cold). You need to get tickets for El Yunque in advance.
   
   • If you're up for a longer hike, head on out to the“Mt. Britton” and “Yunque Peak” trails (depending on where you take it from it can be 45min one way to Mt Britton and 2 hours to the Peak - see trail map here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/elyunque/maps-pubs)
     
     
2. Once you're set with El Yenque grab a quick snack and try authentic “empanadillas”, “sorullos”, and “bacalaitos” … all fried… you don’t get any more authentic than that! You can find any of these along the Luquillo kiosk – you can simply grab and go and eat in the Luquillo Beach (10-mins away from EL Yunque)
   
   
3. Spend some time at Luquillo Beach (nice pool-like beach with views framed by the rainforest). There, you can book activities like: parasailing, jet skiing, flyboarding, and kayaking. Note: Better to go to Luquillo on a weekday (Friday). On weekends, it gets very full, but you can still enjoy it. Parking for the beach is definitely easier during the weekdays. The Luquillo beach does not have outdoor showers, so keep that in mind. Bring extra towels to dust off the sand.
   
   
4. Have lunch/dinner at “El Terruño” - you'll also see many places to eat and have drinks. “El terruño” is one of our favorites there. I recommend the mofongo along with the protein choice that most calls your name.

Day 3

Paradise Beaches Await

1. Take the day trips on catamarans out from Fajardo (120-150$/pp and you need to book in advance). Drive from San Juan to the docks is around 1 hour. YOu can book with East Island Adventures -- just make sure to book early since they sell out quickly. Any trip you get from them will be magical. Flamenco beach is the top beach (CULEBRA), but everything is gorgeous (If you can’t book Flamenco beach, Icacos y a top spot as well)! Bring some medicine in case you’re seasick. And LOTS of sunscreen!
   
   
   1. BONUS: For a budget-friendly trip, you can also book the ferry ($3/pp roundtrip) to go into Culebra or Vieques, and once there you can taxi to the beach (go to Sun Bay for Vieques or Flamenco beach for Culebra). You do have to book in advance to ensure the online tickets will not sell out. The ferry goes out from Ceiba (1-hr drive from San Juan)
      
      
2. After the magical time on the water, you’ll probably be tired. Have dinner near your hotel and settle in for a restful night!!

Day 4

Condado Bay

1. Start off the day with breakfast and walk over to the beach in Condado. Relaxing time to catch the rays and bathe on the beach (the sun is at its most intense from 12-2 pm - bring plenty of sunscreen).
   
   
2. Lunch at Cayo Caribe, though there will be plenty of other restaurants to choose from.
   
   
3. Walk through Condado center -> all along Ashford Avenue. Walk towards "La Ventana al Mar" (next to the Vanderbilt hotel) and rest there. You can grab some ice cream or waffles there as dessert and enjoy the view. It's always very lively and has a nice view of the sea.
   
   
4. Take in the golden hour from a kayak or paddle board while floating on the Condado bay (personally one of my fave things to do!).  You can rent equipment from VIP adventures Puerto Rico.
   
   
5. Have some drinks and dinner literally anywhere along Condado. Many lively places. Rest Rec in Condado: Arya rooftop restaurant (OLV HOTEL) // La Marqueta restaurant. 

Day 5

Adventure in the Mountains

1. Looking to get away from the coast and visit the mountainside of Puerto Rico? Take a 1-hour trip from San Juan and go to Toro Verde park for an adrenaline-filled day.
   
   
2. Breeze through a 7-course zipline set or superman your way along the HIGHEST and LONGEST ziplines in the Americas! 
   
   
3. You can have lunch at one of their two restaurants (one is local cuisine and the other is a brick-oven pizza restaurant).

Overall recs:

• If you're not planning to go beyond the San Juan area, don't rent a car. Uber works well here and it not very expensive. However, if you do decide to venture out to the Easternmost part of the island, renting a car will be the easiest way to get around.