San Juan, Puerto Rico Review

My husband and I were recently married and went to San Juan, Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. We were drawn to Puerto Rico since it was a Carribean island and neither of us had been out of the country before, but also since it is a U.S. territory, you don't need a passport.

San Juan is beautiful. Lots of beautiful white beaches and geourgous deep blue water. My husband had never been in the ocen before, so we spent the first two days glued to our lounge chairs at the resort and drinking pina coladas and strawberry daquiries.

There is lots to do on the island. A few definite musts are touring the rainforest. We had a wonderful tour guide who told us about every hot spot in Puerto Rico along the way to the forest. Once arriving to the forest, we went up the mountains on a scenic bus tour and ended with a short hike. The scenery is well worth it.

Another must is night kyaking. The bus of the kyaking company will pick you up at your hotel and give you a highlighted tour of Puerto Rico along the way to . This is a great way to learn about the island and some of its hidden spots that only the locals know about. After arriving to the park in the town of Fajardo, the kyaking guides give you a quick lesson on Kayaking 101 and tell you about the bioluminescent phenomenon you will experience in the lagoon. Puerto Rico contains 3 of these bioluminescent bays, which are lagoons that contain these microorganisms that when the water is disturbed, it glows. It was awesome. When your paddle hits the water you see these glowing diamonds falling from it. And if you dip your hand in the water you can see sparkling specks all over your hand. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Also, you must visit Old San Juan. That is the historical part of the city where the square is lined with old cobblestoned streets and adorable little shops. It is also close to the cruise ship ports, so it is swarming with people at times.

Since we are both pretty picky eaters, we didn't experience much of the local food. We never ate outside of our hotel, which is very expensive and limited, but was worth it to us since we knew what we were getting, and weren't risking an upset stomach.

If you plan on doing some activities in Puerto Rico, I strongly recommend going through a tour company. Your guide is usually a local who knows the regions and hot spots well. This way you are more likely to cover a lot of ground in one day than touring on your own. And it's safer. There seemed to be a lot of poverty and homeless and shady areas in San Juan. One block would be very nice and upper class and the next would be very rundown with homeless people outside. One tour guide informed us that the wealthy are mixed in the poor, so the areas are pretty mixed. It's just best to be careful while there and in any unfamiliar country.

The locals are very nice and informative. Most speak English. But there are a lot that speak Spanish. The signs are in Spanish and English.

Overall, I would rate Puerto Rico 4 stars. It was beautiful, relaxing, and a wonderful place for a honeymoon. We would definitely go back.