With a travel list as long as mine and a mindset to cross each destination off one-by-one, I never thought I’d visit a place I never wanted to leave. I traveled to Puerto Rico in April with my boyfriend and instantly fell in love. The locals were extremely friendly, the culture is so interesting, and the sounds of the Coqui frogs at night is simply music to my ears.

I returned to this precious land in October with my Mom to celebrate my birthday. This time around, I stayed in Isla Verde, which is 15 minutes away from Old San Juan. My last stay was in Rio Grande, which was 45 minutes from San Juan and an $80 cab ride to Old San Juan. Yikes! I wanted this trip to be even more memorable than the last, so a trip to Culebra and Culebrita – two islands right outside of Puerto Rico – had to happen. It is said that Culebra has the best beach in Puerto Rico.

photo 2

Booking a trip to Culebra and Culebrita is something one should consider when traveling to Puerto Rico. I highly recommend booking at the excursion offices located in your hotel, it will save you a few bucks. This particular package included snorkeling, and was appropriate for swimmers and non-swimmers. Non-swimmers can enjoy the boat ride to each stop, food, drinks, reggae music and the amazing views. However, if you are daredevil like me, get a life vest and hop in that water!! Life is too short not to overcome our fears.

While the second stop, Culebrita isn’t much of a snorkeling site, we still enjoyed the beach. Since most boats are too big to get close to shore, you will have to swim your way over. The life guards on the boats are nice enough to swim with you there and back.

photo 3

I can spend my whole day in Old San Juan taking in the culture, eating food prepared by locals, drinking fresh coconut water and being inspired by the vibrant colors as well as the history of this town. While here, explore the National Historic Sites and take a peek of NBA Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony’s Basketball Court.

photo(4)photo(2)

photo 4

My Favorite Snack: Freshly Made Churros!

photo 1

Here’s a travel tip: Go to Old San Juan before 5 pm so you have ample time to walk around and explore. The sun goes down around 5:45 and it gets really dark in the alleys.

 Other things to do in PR:

Carabali Rainforest

El Yunque Rainforest

Bacardi Factory

Go ahead and book your next vacation to Puerto Rico. I promise you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll come back with a story to tell!

This story was curated by Alyssa Francois.