San Juan is, by far, the biggest city in Puerto Rico. It’s not the only city, though. Around the island, you’ll find a variety of beach towns, mountain villages, historic cities and natural beauty.
The best part is that you can enjoy a lot of what Puerto Rico has to offer as a day trip from San Juan.
That’s right, all this variety comes in a fairly small package. You can drive the perimeter of the entire island in less than eight hours. That makes exploring Puerto Rico from San Juan fairly easy to do.
So, let’s take a look at some of the best day trips from San Juan.
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El Yunque National Forest (Bosque Nacional El Yunque)
By far, one of the most popular day trips from San Juan is to explore the El Yunque National Forest (Bosque Nacional El Yunque, in Spanish). El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest within the US National Forest network.
To visit, you can rent a car, which would be our suggestion. If you prefer to leave the driving to someone else, though, there are many tour companies that you can choose from.
We took two trips to El Yunque during our 10-day visit to Puerto Rico. First, we went with a tour company as part of a travel blog conference (as always, all opinions are our own). We returned a few days later on our own.
Because our time was limited on both visits, we didn’t have time for any hiking trails. Instead, we just checked out the visitor center and some of the points of interest along the main road.
What to See at El Yunque National Forest
If you are visiting on your own, you should definitely check out the Visitor Center, El Portal de El Yunque. This is a nice open-air complex with several exhibits. You can also talk to a ranger about hiking trails or other points of interest. You’ll also find a bookstore with souvenirs and a nice cafe.
There also is a short (1/2 mile) and relatively easy walking trail that gives you a chance to stretch your legs and check out the native vegetation.
From there Hwy 191 takes you through the mountains to several points of interest and hiking trails. The drive itself is great, with a lot to see from your vehicle.
A few points of interest:
Baño Grande – A man-made pool that fills with water from the upper branch of La Mina River. The pool has been closed to swimmers since 1968 over safety concerns. Still, it’s scenic and a great place to stretch your legs.
Yokahu Tower – This 69-foot observation tower provides views of four different types of forests. On a clear day, you can see the coastline and sometimes the Virgin Islands.
Cascada La Coca – An 85-foot waterfall over a large rock formation, located right off the main road. You can easily see the waterfall from the road. With a bit of effort, you can scramble up the rocks for close-up photos.
We wish we had more time for a hike and some additional stops. I’m sure there are many other great spots within the forest.
Snorkeling at Culebra
There are many places where you can snorkel around Puerto Rico. Two of the best places are at Culebra and Vieques. Both are smaller islands off the east coast of Puerto Rico. Getting away from the “mainland” is quieter and less congested, which typically makes for a better experience.
We had the opportunity to join East Island Excursions for the Culebra Snorkeling and Beach Tour. Note: we received a complimentary tour but all opinions are our own.
East Island Excursions sails out of Marina Puerto del Ray in Fajardo, which is about an hour east of San Juan. You can drive yourself to the marina or arrange for transportation for an additional fee.
We started by snorkeling at Tamarindo, which is along the northwest part of the island. The reef was absolutely magnificent and full of many different kinds of fish. This was, by far, a better snorkeling experience than at Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix or Cinnamon Bay in Virgin Islands National Park in St. John.
The reef here at Culebra was more vibrant and home to many more fish.
From there, we went to Flamenco Beach, which is a popular horseshoe-shaped long sandy beach. The boat anchored a little ways off shore and we had an hour or two to swim and walk along the beach.
Lunch was served (cold cuts, fruit and chips) and the bar was open! The crew kept us happy with a variety of rum drinks and Medalla beer.
This truly was a fantastic escape from San Juan and a great way to soak up some sun and enjoy the warm waters of the Caribbean.
If snorkeling isn’t your thing, East Island Excursions also offers beach-only trips to Culebra and Vieques.
North and West Coast Beach Towns
While there are a few beaches in San Juan, you’ll find many more around the island.
The west coast, in particular, is known for its large waves and is a popular spot for surfers. A few of the notable “surf towns” are Rincon, Isabela and Aguadilla, all of which are in the northwest corner of Puerto Rico.
Sadly, the day we drove through, there were barely any waves at all. Still, it was a nice drive and worth our time.
On the northeast side of the island, Luquillo is a popular beach spot. Balneario La Monserrate is better known as Playa Luquillo, a long sandy beach where you’ll generally find small, family-friendly waves.
The Kioskos de Luquillo are also a popular destination. This is really just a stretch of restaurants where you can nosh on a wide variety of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. If visiting, expect large crowds and tons of traffic. Parking is limited and a bit of a mess.
Drive Through the Mountains
While many people dream of snorkeling and sunning on the beach while in the Caribbean, that’s not all there is to Puerto Rico. The interior of the island is dense with mountains and lush forests.
We spent one day just driving around and enjoying the scenery and small towns along the way. While there aren’t a ton of roads through the mountains, there are still a few different options for your drive, depending on how much time you have.
One of the most interesting stops along our drive was the small town of Jayuya. In Jayuya, you’ll find the Cacique Jayuya Monument, a large stone bust of the native Taíno leader Hayuya. The statue sits atop a stairway with steps adorned with bright mosaic tiles inscribed with the names of Taíno towns.
One word of caution – the smaller roads through the mountains are extremely curvy and fairly narrow. If you get carsick or are not used to driving in the mountains, this may be a day trip that you should skip.
Explore the History of Ponce
You could easily include a stop in Ponce on your drive through the mountains. You can also visit Ponce, on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, without all the mountain roads if you prefer.
Ponce has a rich history that we would have loved to spend more time learning about. In fact, we had hoped to schedule a Ponce Walking Tour with Isla Caribe but the timing just didn’t work out for us.
We did manage a quick stop to check out the main square and Parque de Bombas. This historic building was Puerto Rico’s first fire station and now houses a small museum. It also sits right behind the town’s cathedral and between its two main plazas.
Unfortunately, the museum was closed for renovations during our visit. But, it’s a stunning building and a nice plaza.
Ponce is also the second-largest city in Puerto Rico. If you are looking to stay somewhere other than San Juan, Ponce would be a great option. In fact, we spent one night at the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort with a Hilton free night certification.
Bioluminescent Bay Tour
A bioluminescent bay is a body of water with microscopic organisms that create a glow-in-the-dark effect. There are only a few of these around the world and three of them can be found in Puerto Rico.
The easiest bio bay to reach from San Juan is Laguna Grande is Fajardo, about an hour east of San Juan.
Another bio bay is located in the southwest corner of the island at La Parguera near the town of Lajas. This is harder to do as a day trip from San Juan, though, as it would be more than a two-hour drive back to San Juan for something that doesn’t start until after dark.
The third bio bay is Mosquito Bay in Vieques, the small island off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico. While it is possible to enjoy a day trip to Vieques, I doubt you could find transportation back after dark.
Most bio bay tours are kayak tours, though there are a few motor boat tours. Additionally, swimming is allowed in La Parguera.
Laguna Grande (Fajardo) Bio Bay Tour
We had the opportunity to join a bio bay kayak tour in Fajardo through our conference. This was a hosted (free) tour and I’m going to be honest… it was not a great experience. In fact, much of it was just plain miserable. But, we didn’t book it ourselves so didn’t have the chance to read reviews ahead of time.
There were just too many kayaks in a dark area. In particular, we had to paddle through a mangrove tunnel to reach the bio bay. We’ve kayaked through mangroves before and it was incredible. At night, though, it was just a nightmare of running into roots that you couldn’t see.
On top of that, the paddle back to the take-out spot was against the current, so very taxing. Finally, there was something wrong with Grant’s seat, so it was incredibly difficult for him to paddle. That meant I did the majority of the work to get us both upstream… and, yes, it was a lot of work!
That said, when we were in the bioluminescent bay it was a fabulous sight! Sadly, the “glowing” does not photograph well at all.
Basically what you’ll see is tiny green specs (like a glow stick) as your boat, paddle or hand passes through the water. That’s right, the water has to be disturbed to see the glowing.
Sitting in the large bay and playing with the water was incredible. It was the paddle there and back that was just a mess and, overall, ruined the experience for us.
Other Bio Bay Tours
We talked to two different people who did a bio bay tour in Vieques and both reported a great experience.
But you need to stay overnight in Vieques to make that happen. We did spend a night in Vieques (be sure to check out Grant’s article linked above). Honestly, we just couldn’t justify spending the money to do another tour.
If you are staying on the southern side of the island, I think it would be worth it to look into touring La Parguera. I would read a lot of reviews before booking anything, though.
For those only staying in San Juan and considering a bio bay tour in Fajardo… I would read reviews thoroughly. There may be other companies that launch from a different area that might provide a better experience.
Additionally, we saw a couple of small motorboats mixed in with the kayaks. That would, likely, be a better experience since you wouldn’t have to fight the current paddling back.
Final Thoughts on Day Trips from San Juan
If you are visiting Puerto Rico, you really should spend at least one day in San Juan. It’s a great city with a nice mix of modern hotels and restaurants along with the charm of Old Town and the history at the San Juan National Historic Site.
But the true heart of a culture is typically found in its small towns. That’s why we recommend at least one day trip out of San Juan.
Around the island, you’ll find the lush rainforest at El Yunque, the fabulous reef at Culebra, sandy beaches in Rincon and Luquillo and more history in Ponce. You can even brave the curvy mountain roads of the interior or the crowds at the magical bioluminescent bay in Fajardo.
All of these are great ways to get a taste of the entire island. Who knows, maybe you’ll decide to stay longer and experience even more of what Puerto Rico has to offer.
| Check out all of our articles on visiting the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
|---|
| How to Visit the National Park Sites in St. Croix |
| Visiting Virgin Islands National Park in St. John |
| Touring the San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico |
| A One-Week Itinerary for Visiting the Caribbean National Parks |
| Our Exact Costs to Visit the Caribbean National Parks |
| An Overnight Visit to Vieques, Puerto Rico |
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