Disclaimer : Izzy currently has her finger gun pointed at me making me write this
I was asked no less than 3 times where my blog posts of the trip I was currently on were.
My response : this isn’t a New Year New Place trip and I only blog those (which I did about a month ago in Colorado)
That answer didn’t seem to suffice and so Izzy said I need to post about this trip.
Grab a snack, pour a drink, and get comfy while I tell you all about our 5 days in Puerto Rico in one single post!
Day 1 – Friday (Arrival Day)
Initially, I was supposed to leave from CT and meet everyone in PR. However, in the weeks leading up to this trip, my nana unfortunately passed away and our service was held earlier the same week.
On the bright side, I was able to spend time in Florida with my family while having no obligations or places to be – something that hasn’t existed in, I’d say, years. It was nice to lounge around, spend time at home, and just relax with everyone. I was then able to change my flight to PR to leave from Orlando with everyone else!
I wasn’t able to get on their exact flight since we flew different airlines, so I hung out at the airport for a few hours after they left until my flight. We all made it safely and were off to our Airbnb!
Brief non-ad about our Airbnb – The Orange House
Orange themed, cute and simple inside, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 shower, full kitchen. Right at the end of La Placita, a well known nightlife spot, you’re in prime location. We felt safe and secure with 2 locked gates/doors to get inside. The only real con was the roosters waking you up at 3am.
Why are we here you ask? Izzy texted us about a year ago saying she wanted a sisters trip to Puerto Rico for her birthday and to pencil it in now cause she didn’t want to hear we didn’t have enough time to plan.
So *nervously checks notes* we’re here for Izzy *starts sweating* to celebrate Izzy *panicked smile* because I have the best (almost) 25 year old sister in the world… 😀
It’s me, Sam, Court, Izzy, and CeeCee, Izzy’s girlfriend. Can you say GIRLS TRIP!!!!
We settled in and found a place to eat nearby – Airelibre. We quickly realized the service is slow compared to America. Personally I think it’s because eating is an experience in Hispanic cultures and it’s designed to give you time to talk and hang out. The wait was worth it though because the white rice was amazing. Fire, as the kids say.
There’s a Walmart nearby that we went to so we could have some snacks and waters at the Airbnb, and we were shocked to find out it was 2 stories! They, seemingly based on the number of Walmart execs trying it out, just installed a moving cart ramp that grips the wheels of the carts so you don’t have to hold them going up / down! Very neat and not something we’ve seen before.
There are also so many stray cats on the streets and near where we’re staying, so we made sure to get some cat food as well so we could feed them.
We got back and then walked around La Placita for a little just seeing what was around before we turned in for the night to relax after our long travel day.
Day 2 – Saturday (Waterfall Slide Hike)
One of the excursions we booked was a day long excursion that included a small market, a waterfall slide hike, and some time at the beach.
Our tour guide, Tony, was the best and kept us laughing and safe the whole day. Our favorite part of this experience was the waterfall slide.
First though, you stop at a small market. This gives you a chance to get some food, smoothies/drinks, or a souvenir. We ordered empanadas and they were FIRE. Absolutely delicious, 10/10.
Once you get to the El Yunque Rainforest, you hike to get to the slide spot and then walk (or if you’re me, climb) up the rocks to the top so you can slide down. The slide looks more painful than it actually was, which was a relief cause we were convinced we were going to hit the rocks pretty hard with how fast you go.
The second spot is a ‘pool’ area with a large rock you can jump off. There’s a small slide area here too and it comes with its challenges – I hit my ankle, Sami hit her shin, Court scraped her southern cheeks, Izzy’s pinky toe was swollen, and CeeCee hit her elbow. All of it was worth it though.
The last stop of the day was the beach. Just a couple hours to hang out, eat, or drink. We spent a majority of our time just enjoying the perfect water before checking out some shops and getting some food. We even found a flamingo inspired ice cream / dessert speakeasy! (Shoutout to our mom’s love of flamingos)
Once we were done and got back to our Airbnb, we showered and relaxed for a couple hours before checking out the nightlife in La Placita.
We stopped at one of the restaurants where I got a stuffed avocado for dinner. Essentially, a huge avocado with rice and your choice of meat. My type of meal!
We stopped at a hookah lounge to hang out and people watch from the rooftop. One of the nearby places has people dancing in the street which was fun to see. It was a vibe and a great end to our long day.
Day 3 – Sunday (Market)
Today is our free day, where we don’t have anywhere we have to be and can do what we want. We found a popular market that has all local artisans and we’re hoping to get our souvenir shopping done.
We start the day at Luna’s Cafe – home of one of the most delicious coffees and breads ever that I’ll surely be thinking about forever. A long – because the service everywhere is slow – breakfast later, we’re ready to make the trek downhill to the market.
We found a corner spot with a bunch of photo booths so we made a pit stop to capture our trip with the best keepsakes!
The market was such a hit. We got engraved bracelets and rings, soaps, handmade home decor, and more. Even though we got rained on in the middle of our time here, we made out really well and it was great to be around some local life.
One of my favorite things is the architecture. How the houses give old but loved and the color brightens your day. It’s just so cute and I wish we got to see this style more often.
The infamous castle is also here, albeit at the top of the huge hill and trek we just came down. We had to go back up, and boy was that a workout. Luckily there were many shops to go into for breaks and we found most of what we’d been looking for.
We’re on the lookout for a very specific type of sandal for CeeCee. Apparently they are the epitome of a Puerto Rican sandal, or chancla. We’re not quite sure what they look like, but she does, and we’re searching tons of stores for them. The only answers we’re getting are “Nope” and “Not them”.
So far, no such luck.
On our journey, we ran into a parade, found non-sandal souvenirs, went into a 3 story Marshall’s, tried some snow cone-esque snack, and eventually made it to the castle.
More uphill workouts later, the top rewarded us with a beautiful view and much needed breeze.
CeeCee’s cousin happens to also be in PR visiting at the same time, so we met up with him after the castle as we made our way back downhill for more markets and dinner.
The up and downhill walking was fine on my heart but not my feet. Evidently I walked so much I burned a literal hole through the middle of the inside sole of my sneakers that, in nearly an instant once I realized it, made the bottoms of my feet sooooo itchy.
While in another store looking for CeeCee’s sandals, we found some other cute ones as well. This was a godsend as I needed to take my shoes off immediately. Needless to say, I threw those shoes in the trash when we got back (on the bright side, I’ll now have enough room to fit my souvenirs in my bag going home😊)
We had yet another delicious (and long) dinner at Raíces Times and went back out to stores on the search for these sandals.
There weren’t many stores open this late, so we went to the one we thought would be the best option – James Souvenir Shop.
We’re coming up the hill to the big window and what do you know!!! CeeCee says ‘those are them’. We did it! We found them! 37 stores later and our mission has been accomplished!!
Or so we thought.
It appears James decided to close shop early today, because the lights are off and the door is closed. We finally found the one thing we’ve been looking for all day and we still can’t even get it!
We promise to come back tomorrow after our first excursion and call it a night!
Day 4 – Monday (Snorkel & ATV)
Our first excursion of the day is snorkeling! We’re hoping to see some turtles and get some mermaid time in. This is everyone (except Sam and I’s) first time really snorkeling. They quickly realized how hard it is to swim in flippers and how good having the life jackets were. I was the only one who took mine off to go underwater a few times🧜🏽♀️ (humble brag)
Our tour guide, LoLo, was also amazing and fun to be with on this experience. He even got some videos for us on his GoPro! We got to see a turtle on the ocean floor just relaxing as well as different schools of fish!
Post snorkel we found a refreshing snack – fruit cups from the back of some guys truck🤪
We head back to James Souvenir Shop as promised so we can finally get the infamous sandals! Mission officially accomplished!
Since we want to give ourselves enough time to get back to our Airbnb, and every sit down place we’ve eaten at has taken literal hours, we opt for Church’s Chicken – a popular chicken fast food chain.
Little did we know it would take nearly as long and they would completely mess up our order. Despite all ordering separately, they randomly combined certain items from one order with items from another order and messed everything up. However, it was very cheap and still delicious.
Next we’re heading back to the rainforest, but to journey via ATV! Sam, Court, and CeeCee are driving while Izzy and I ride shotgun in the back. They tried saying it was a good thing I wasn’t driving, because I wouldn’t have been tall enough to drive! (For context – the 3 days I was in FL prior to this trip, I got bullied over my height and being too short).
Debatably, I’d say the back rider gets a more thrilling experience since you’re literally holding on for dear life (per the instructions).
Towards the end you stop at a small food stand and they have soooo many cats, including a litter of kittens! They were so cute and have me missing my Daisy girl at home.
3/3 on tour guides this trip, Angel was fun and cool to be with. We cracked jokes, took pictures, and were blessed with homemade war paint.
The only thing left on our itinerary now is dress up dinner/night! We were recommended Bebos Cafe, so we shower, change, get ready, and make our way there.
CeeCee decorated Izzy’s bedroom door for her birthday, so we made sure to have a photoshoot before getting too full on dinner.
Bebos Cafe was set up a lot different than I was expecting (literally just a large room with tables and chairs), but boy was the food delicious.
It took us a very long time to get our waters/drinks after sitting down, but it didn’t take nearly as long getting our food once our order was taken, so we take the win! Easily the fastest turnaround we had this entire trip.
Unsurprisingly, the food was fantastic yet again. I also really wanted to try Tres Leches while I was here so I could compare it to others I have tried, and all I can say is wow. Toasted marshmallow on top of a moist Tres Leches? My tastebuds are exploding. It was delicious and I wish I could’ve taken an entire tray home with me.
On our way to our last stop of the night, we stumble upon a street free library section with tons of crates stacked up with books! I didn’t find anything I was looking for, but I loved checking it out and Court and CeeCee both found things!
You might be wondering where else we are going at 9:30pm on a Monday night all dressed up? If you said a tattoo shop, you’d be right!
If you followed my recent Colorado trip, you know I got a souvenir tattoo while I was there. As much as I wish I could say I’m back again, I’m not. This time it’s Courtney!
A stamp inspired PR tattoo with the Coqui frog (which we only ever heard and never saw) and the PR flag on the back of her arm. It came out SO cute!!
We leave tomorrow and still have to pack and clean up the Airbnb, so we’re heading back to do that and enjoy our last night together in Puerto Rico.
Day 5 – Tuesday (Goodbye)
Bags packed, trash taken out, and last minute things done, we’re checked out of our Airbnb and headed to get breakfast before the airport.
Our last PR place to eat is Playa Papayas. Another small cafe type place, we sit down and order nearly the same thing – the breakfast sandwich on the Mallorca bread (essentially PR Hawaiian roll) that we absolutely fell in love with a few days ago at Luna’s. I asked if we could get just the bread to go, and he gave us a bag of 4 rolls! Catch me eating that later today.
As we head to the airport and go our separate ways – me to one terminal going to CT, everyone else to another terminal going to FL – I can’t help but feel sad that our trip has come to an end.
This has been so much fun, and while I’m so excited to be back in my own bed with my husband and my cat, I’m sad to be headed back to reality and the real world.
Some take aways from our trip :
- The food was absolute fire. I don’t think we came across anything we really didn’t like.
- Gas is less than $2!! Most places we saw were $1.20. We are mind blown at how that’s possible.
- I fear we are now saying I fear, because once you start you can’t stop
- We didn’t see any Coqui frogs and I didn’t see any iguanas (though it seems everyone else did)
- Get that trip out of the group chat and live your life! We had a blast, did so much in a short amount of time, and made memories that we’ll have for a lifetime. Highly recommend.
3 days in FL, 5 days in PR, 8 days away from home, and I fear it has now come to an end.
If you were waiting for this post, I hope it was everything you were hoping for and more. If you stayed all the way to the end, drop a comment and let me know what your favorite part of this trip was!
Thanks for reading along, until next time!
Signed,
Captain Brittney🫡
