To be honest, the reason Kat decided we should travel to Puerto Rico, we can’t quite recall. It may have or may not have been inspired by some Hunter S. Thompson shenanigans… Either way, it was one of those whims that she settled on and carried through. Phil had no part in the planning as Kat had decided to present it as a Christmas gift to him, as a surprise. And boy was he ever! The trip was also coordinated with another couple, our good pals Jenna and Jonathan. All in all, flights, accommodations and rental car came to less than $600USD per person. Not too shabby! So if you are looking to visit Puerto Rico on a budget, look no further!
Where we stayed
One of the great things about travelling with a team is essentially doubling your nightly budget for accommodations which can open up a whole new realm of possibilities. We ended up renting a house in Loiza, in the Northeast corner of the island through Airbnb (of course). This proved to be a great central location for the adventures we had planned for the week. We had an entire, 2 bedroom house, one house from the beach, complete with a full kitchen, living room and roof top patio. We were close enough to the water to fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and within walking distance of a great little bakery. The cost for the space for 7 night came to $413, that’s $14.75 pppn (per person per night)!
We also spent one night in the middle of the week in Ponce at the Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino for $111.55. Being it was only a night; we shared a room with a balcony with 2 queen beds at a cost of $27.89 pppn (2017). This hotel was perfectly located right on the Ponce Plaza, within walking distance of so many things. We had a wonderful time!
How we got around
Another perk to traveling with another couple is decreasing the cost per person of a rental car and fuel costs! We ended up with a small hatchback, similar to a Chevy Spark, which suited the four of us perfectly. It was spacious and fuel efficient for the amount of driving we did in our time on the island. A 9 day car rental cost us a total of $164.15 (price of gas not included). That’s $41.03 per person for the week for transportation to go anywhere you please! Forget taxis, Uber/Lyft or shuttles, that is a deal! Saving money on lodging and transportation leaves more money for the important things, like food and beverage! Of course, if you have some credit card points sitting around, this is easily something you could get for $0 😉
Hold up – we almost forgot about our flights. We flew round trip from Norfolk, VA (closest hub for us at the time) to San Juan for $366.10 each. This of course could have been cheaper from a different airport, off-peak and using credit card points. Get creative!
what we got up to
Where to start?? There is so much to see and do on this ~9,000 sq km (~3,500 sq mile) island, and we barely scratched the surface! As the largest of the eastern chain of Caribbean islands, it’s impossible to fit it all in in a week. That means we’ll just have to go back!
Located approximately 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Essentially, it is governed by the US but not technically part of it (yes it’s complicated). Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are 2 of 13 ‘unincorporated territories’ of the U.S. That means, if you are traveling there from the US, you don’t need a passport! That’s right, a little part of the Caribbean is right in your ‘backyard’!
places to eat
While we did eat in quite a bit, we did our fair share of eating out as well! It’s hard not to with all the ‘meat on a stick’ stands lining the roads. Every where you go there is a barbeque stand tantalizing your senses!
A [shared] Puerto Rican meal includig cevice and plantains; Local wine and beer options; Breadfruit a staple starch of the Caribbean
el yunque national rain forest
This is the only rain forest in the US National Forest system and there is so much to do here! Hiking, waterfalls, swimming holes and zip lining to name a few! We decided to hike the Los Picachos trail to the very top of the mountain to get ourselves a glimpse of the eastern shore board from ~3,200 above sea level. We made an early start and headed to the park for opening around 7:00am. This ensured crowds would be low and that we’d be hiking in the cooler part of the day.
The trek up and down took about 3 hours and boy was it worth it! The view from the top was breath taking. The flora and fauna we encountered along our hike were also fantastic. We didn’t get around to seeing any of the waterfalls this time around but they are definitely on the list for next time!
Travel Tip: It’s important to do some research ahead of time as there are constantly road and site closures throughout the year due to mud slides and hurricanes (to name a few). Be sure to check the Forestry Service website when planning your trip.
ponce & Carnaval
Our drive from the northeast corner of the island to about mid-south coast took us about two hours. It was a scenic drive that took us through the hills of Puerto Rico. We arrived in town mid-day and spent the afternoon wandering the streets and taking in all of the architecture the small city has to offer. It’s an interesting mix of historic and modern, accented by wild dogs and pigeons.
Traveling to Puerto Rico in February put us on the island in time for Carnaval Ponceño, a week long celebration not unlike Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We planned to spend a night in town to see the parade and get a chance to spot a vejigantes. These brightly dressed characters don devilish looking paper mâché masks and parade down the streets, attempting to ‘chase off evil spirits. As previously mentioned, we rented a room just off the plaza which made taking in all of the Carnaval fun easy peasy! In addition to the parade there were carnival related activities like food and craft vendors as well as carnival games and music.
fountain of youth & southeast coastal drive
After our day/night in Ponce, we took the coastal route back to our Airbnb in the Northeast corner and drove along the south coast. But not before stopping in at the Fountain of Youth in Coamo. This hot spring (Piscinas Aguas Termales de Coamo) is another of the natural wonders of Puerto Rico. It isn’t quite what you’d expect from all the natural pools amongst rock formations you generally see when you think ‘hot spring’ but it is a structured facility where you can bath in one of several pools in the establishment. There’s a $3.50 fee to enter if you intend to enter the water, otherwise admission is free so you can sit waterside and watch bathers soak in the ‘youth’.
The coastline drive was beautiful and we made several scenic stops along the way to take a dip or grab a beverage. There’s even a point along the road where you get to drive through a mountain!
day on culebra
There are ferry services located in Ceiba (was Fajardo at the time we went but they have since moved). We made an early start one day and headed to the ferry port to jump on a boat and head over to Culebra. The trip across cost each of us less than $5 round trip! It took about 1.5 hours to get across, though their new ferries now take passengers across in 45 minutes.
Once we arrived on the island, we stopped at Pandeli for lunch before hiking (3/4 km) over to Punta Melones to go snorkeling. This spot is part of the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve and the snorkeling here is magnificent! Culebra is also home to the widely popular Flamenco Beach which we didn’t get to this time but fully intend to on our next trip. After a solid day at the beach we headed back into town for a late lunch and some beverages before taking the ferry back to the main land. We sat on a patio where we interacted with an iguana and watched the tarpon swimming by. We had a great day and definitely plan to return to Culebra!
kayaking bioluminescent bay
Our big splurge for the trip was a Bioluminescence Bay kayaking tour. There are several establishments that offer this tour, but we went with Eco Adventures Kayaks. We met at their waterfront ‘headquarters’ around sunset and jumped in a tandem kayak. The tour took us along the winding river from the ocean into Laguna Grande, where the sun has now fully set and the sky is dark. The tour guide gathers the team on the large lake, it is evident that there are several tour groups out at any given time.
Next, the lake begins to illuminate before your eyes. Well, not the whole lake, but the waters being stirred by the kayak paddles of your group and seem to follow you all the way back down the river. It’s been said that the bioluminescence isn’t as bright as it used to be as a result of waste run off into the surrounding water sheds so it may be better to plan this as part of your trip sooner than later. You can check this calendar to see what the best times to see bioluminescence are and if it will jive with your vacation schedule. A 2 hour tour runs about $50.
After the [awesome] tour, we had stopped at Restaurant El Pescador for some local fare and cocktails.
Playa Vacia Talega
Located between our Airbnb in Loiza and San Juan, we were able to drive our car right onto this beach. Here we set up for hours of enjoyment with beverages and snacks, snorkeling and sunbathing the day away. The structure on the east side of the beach is rocky in nature and makes for some excellent snorkeling. We saw many species of tropical fish, eels and spiny lobster!
Playa Luquillo
This widely popular beach does have a fee associated with access in the form of paid parking. The rate is $4 plus tax, mainly because there are lifeguards working this beach. The walk to the beach isn’t far. There are food and beverage kiosks as well as water sport rentals lining the beach. You’ll also encounter local artisan trying to sell their freshly hand-crafted palm leaf souvenirs. They are beautiful and reasonably priced but don’t get too attached as they’ll likely be confiscated at airport custom on your return flight. Yes, it happened to us. Phil bought one of the hats and had it taken from here during baggage check. The guards at the airport are however accommodating in offering a dried, customs cleared version of the item. The main concern is the transit of any bugs from the island’s palm leaves to the mainland.
Back to Luquillo Beach, after about an hour on the main drag, tropical drinks in hand, we headed east along the beach to set up in a more isolated location and to get our snorkel on. The waters just off the point (Punta Embarcadero) are grassy and so we wanted to see what kind of sea life would be hiding in the grasses. We came to find out White Sea Urchin are common in this area. Jenna unfortunately had a run in with one during our swim and emerged from the water with a spine in her foot. Luckily we were able to remove it with out any further issues (almost like getting a sliver). All in all we had a pretty great day at this spot as well. No regrets!
can’t believe we missed these!
As we mentioned previously, we barely scratched the surface of things there are to do in Puerto Rico. On our next trip, we’d like to spend some time getting familiar with the west coast. Our list of things to do on our next visit are:
- Rincon/surf
- Waterfalls
- Caves
- Old San Juan
- Vieques
- Bacardi Distillery
Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? We’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations!
Most of the planning for this trip was done with a combination of www.puertoricodaytrips.com and Fodor’s Travel Puerto Rico Guide.
Looking for a different Caribbean budget adventure? Check out our post on 25 Budget Friendly Things to Do on St. Croix.
Such a beautiful place! I would love to visit one day but it might be a little more expensive from the U.K.
Hi Steve, thanks for popping by! I’m sure there are a few places in Europe to get your palm tree and beach fix 😉 We hope to explore those as well some day. Stay tuned!
I would love to visit Puerto Rico if only to witness the amazing nature of it! It would be a really expensive trip all the way from Greece but hopefully I can implement your tips and save some!
Akamatra, perhaps we can trade places one day 😉 Happy travels!
What an amazing place to visit! I love rainforests, no matter where they are. Saving this post. We love traveling, but with 4 kids, I’m always looking for budget ideas!
Kudos Azlin! I had to coordinate 4 adults and that was plenty 😉 Glad you found some value in our post. Happy travels!
These are such simple tips to visit Puerto Rico on a budget. I love how easy it is to travel on a budget these days.
Absolutely! There is a level of travel for anyone willing to do the research. Thanks for stopping by Brandy!
what a fun vacation, you did quite a bit! I will have to remember the car deal (super cheap)… I really want o try the fruit drinks ; )
Looks like you’ll have to head back there to see the things you’ve missed, waterfalls and caves would definitely be awesome to see!
Hi Eloise! We always debate the definition of a vacation as we generally pack in as many activities as possible! Perhaps on our next visit we’ll schedule some more down time…maybe 😉
Puerto Rico is definitely a destination on my bucket list so the tips you have shared will be very beneficial. I like how you say travelling with others can help reduce costs on things like cars etc. That makes so much sense. The Kayaking is definitely something I would love to try. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by Rachel! Hope you get there one day soon. We had a blast!
It looks like you guys had a lovely time. We like renting a car when we go on holiday too!
YES!!! Isn’t it the best?!?! The freedom to hold your own agenda and do what you please? We do it as often as possible.
This looks like a great guide for trying to find fun, yet inexpensive things to do while you are out in Puerto Rico. I would love the kayaking. Looks like a blast.
Thanks David! There’s definitely a way to do this trip on a budget. We had a wonderful time!
What a great experience you guys had! Thank you for sharing all those tips, very helpful!
Can’t say enough goo things about it Alyona! Are you planning a trip to Puerto Rico any time soon?
That looks like a nice trip 🙂 nothing beats drinking out of a pineapple on a beach.
Right?! Thanks for stopping by Chels. We had a blast! Do you have a favourite place to drink pineapple cocktails on the beach?
How did you find a rental car so cheap? What rental car company did you use?
Hi Shannon! Thanks for stopping by and great question! We ended up going through our ‘Chase Ultimate Rewards’ credit card. They coordinated the rental car through Alamo and it cost us 13,452 points (134.52 USD). It’s worth checking if your credit card companies have any deals to offer and even more so if you have a stash of points sitting around. Good luck!
All I can say is this place is awesome! I will definitely go back there maybe this year, or next year, but it won’t take too long!
Isn’t it Terry?? We absolutely LOVED our time in Puerto Rico and hope to get back soon as well. Happy travels!!
Culebra is beautiful, Flamenco beach is world class. Easily top 3 beaches I’ve ever been to, although it was REALLY crowded. I stayed in Loíza as well, it’s a beautiful sleepy little town. I also stayed in Aguadilla and Rincòn for a bit.
Rental car was $230 for me for 4 days though, not sure where you found one for a week for under $200.
I highly recommend getting to the west side of the island! Rincòn is a fantastic little surf/beach town with amazing food and amazing beaches and people. Amazing waves if you’re into surfing, and it’s home to the Instagram famous Steps Beach.
I flew out of Richmond into Aguadilla for $180 round trip as well!
Puerto Rico is an amazing island with warm, friendly locals and great food. Amazing beaches and even a rainforest!
I highly recommend adventuring there, especially if you’re an American citizen and live in the east coast because it’s so close and really cheap!
Cheers! Nice read!
Thank you for all the tips John! We really enjoyed our time in Puerto Rico and fully intend to explore the west coast on our next trip!
We have also heard really good things about Vieques. Any plans for you to go back
Thank you for all the tips John! We really enjoyed our time in Puerto Rico and fully intend to explore the west coast on our next trip!
We have also heard really good things about Vieques. Any plans for you to go back?
What a great tips! Puerto Rico is on our list…will defo come back to check up updates!
So glad you enjoyed the post Ilse! Puerto Rico was incredible and we’d really like to go back soon. Do you know where yoou’d like to stay?
Puerto Rico is on my bucketlist for long. Your itinerary is just perfect for me. All the detailed information is very useful.
Always happy to help Ankita! Hope you get a chance to explore this amazing island soon. Stay well!
I literally leave for Puerto Rico next week! I’m so excited. I’m hitting a couple places on your “can’t believe we missed these!” list so you’ll have to check in with me later to see what I thought! 🙂
That’s great Amanda! Glad you are getting a chance to travel so soon. Have a wonderful time and look forward to hearing about your experience. Safe travels!
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