FamilyTakeFlight view on : Puerto Rico

My absolute favorite Caribbean island. Being apart of the US, you do not need a passport to visit and your cell phone works, which makes everything easier for traveling. From oceans to jungles, mountains to lakes, Puerto Rico has so much to offer and is a great place to visit. Whether you are planning a lazy beach get-a-way or an adrenaline filled excursion, this large Caribbean island will give you anything you want. Our take on Puerto Rico :

Places visited : San Juan and surrounding areas.

Time spent in country : 5 days, 4 nights

Language barrier : Very easy as most Puerto Ricans speak both Spanish and English very well.

Transportation from US to Puerto Rico : We got great flights with one layover in Miami before setting down in San Juan. It is an easy flight but most flights from Chicago will require a layover somewhere in the south.

Transportation while in country : We rented a car when in country because we were exploring a lot of the island. We rented a car direct from the airport and used it to explore a lot of the eastern part of the island. It was very easy to navigate and again, we had cell service so it was easy to have navigation in country.

Hotel : We stayed at a couple hotels throughout our stay in San Juan. Since we were cruising out of Port San Juan, we stayed in the Caribe Hilton in San Juan the first few days of our adventure and the San Juan Water Beach Club on the way back through. Both very nice resorts and not too expensive. However, since our stay, the Caribe Hilton has been rebuilt due to being hit by the massive hurricane, so prices have increased.

Food : As any island in the Caribbean, we ate a lot of rice, plantains, and meats. It was all very good and we never had a bad experience. As I’ll discuss in the next section, we caught a lot of fish and squid one day and had the hotel restaurant cook it up for us.

Excursions and things to do : If you are a beach / pool person, Puerto Rico rivals most Caribbean islands. Its seems to always be warm and the focus is to relax with a drink in your hand. On the other hand, which is why I like the island so much, there is always something exciting to do. My favorite excursion we did was spear fishing. Being a hunter and fisherman, this combines both while hunting with a large spear gun. We caught a handful of fish and even a squid which we brought to the hotel restaurant and they cooked our meal up fresh. A handful of other places we visited included Bioluminescent Bay (night time kayaking and the plankton glow when touched by your boat/paddle), Old San Juan area, and El Yunque National Forest.

Cost of living : The costs for Puerto Rico are pretty similar to other Caribbean islands, similar to any US city. There are budget hotels and high-end hotels, just depends what you are looking for. When we went off site and ate, it was a little cheaper, I would say, than other port cities. Overall, I would say it was about average for costs.

Did we have kids with and would we recommend : We did not have our kids but it would be extremely easy to bring them to Puerto Rico. Especially if you stay at a resort, there is so much to do. Off campus, you can find a lot of kid friendly activities and parks. For us, give our kids a beach and a couple buckets and they would be happy all day.

What to expect : There is so much on this island to explore. It is much bigger than most Caribbean islands and there is not a lack of biodiversity. This is a place that can cater to everyone in the family. From adventure seekers to beach bums, this is a all-in-one travel spot. Just note hurricane season is from June to November with the greatest risk being August and September. However, we went in September and had great weather and cheaper rates, but that is a gamble that you have to choose for yourself!

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Cost: 3/5

Safety: 3/5

Food: 4/5

Convenience/Functionality: 4/5

Beauty/Charm: 3.5/5