April: Travel Tips
Traveling is one of our main passions in life here at deVivre Concierge! So each month we will share the love by letting you in on some of our favorite places in the world and the most fun things to do in those places. This month...
Puerto Rico
It's always nice to take a trip to a tropical climate at the tail end of winter (or spring or whatever this season is). The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is one of the more easily accessible places from NYC. I recommend hiring a car so that you can explore different parts of the island.
- A wonderful place to get a real sense of the history of Spanish Colonial Puerto Rico is Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro), which is a National Historic Site located at the western tip of Old San Juan. Take your time wandering around the forts and ramparts of this fortress, which was a stronghold for Spain for over 400 years until the Spanish-American war in 1898.
- Take a day to explore El Yunque Rainforest which is just an hours drive from San Juan. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the national forest system. There are several waterfalls you can hike to and swim beneath (and dive into!), La Mina falls are the most popular and accessible but if you feel like getting off the beaten track head for Juan Diego Falls.
- Just north of El Yunque, make sure you go hungry to the Luquillo Kiosks, a ramshackle strip of food vendors between the beach and route 3. Serving all different kinds of local and Caribbean cuisine. The most fun is to be had trying several things from different vendors to make up your own 3-10 course meal. Here's TripAdvisor's list of the best spots to try.
- One place I wish I'd had more time to explore when I was there is the smaller island of Culebra. You have to get up pretty early to guarantee a space on the ferry from Fajardo. You can hire a golf cart or small vehicle to get around the tiny island. I would recommend doing an overnight trip, so you're not too rushed and have more ferry options. Everyone goes to Flamenco beach which is stunning, but I recommend Zoni beach to avoid the crowds.
Contact deVivre to help you plan your next adventure!