Our week in Puerto Rico consisted of sightseeing, some family time, and a lot of driving back and forth from one spot to another. But, we had a great time and the kids were wonderful. Considering we were dragging them around with no regard for their normal routines and schedules, they behaved really well.
And my daughter? She’s the awesomest explorer ever. She was a real trooper and was up for all our “adventures,” as she called them. She was like our own little Dora and even made up her own song as we hiked in El Yunque.
So, what did we see and visit? It was a mix of must-see tourist spots, some nostalgic visits to towns dear to my family, and a couple of new places we’d never visited.
Places to Visit in Puerto Rico
West Coast of Puerto Rico
We took a little ride up the west coast from the southwest corner where we stayed in Cabo Rojo, up to the northwest corner and into Isabela. Along the way, we made a few stops.
Cabo Rojo Lighthouse & Cliffs
Rincon Lighthouse
Aguadilla
This is the birthplace of my parents and where they grew up. We had to visit with them and hear the stories of “I used to play there” and “If you look up that mountain, our house used to be up there.” Highlights in Aguadilla include:
- Crash Boat Beach – Where it was way too busy both times we passed by for us to find parking and actually stop. I did get a shot of the sign before we left though.
- Parque de Colón
- El Parterre
- La Plaza
Isabela
We only made one stop in Isabela as we passed through. And that was to take a picture of the Taíno face sculpture on the side of the road.
La Parguera Bioluminescent Bay
This was a first for us and we took the boat ride at night to see the bio bay. Somewhere in this water there are sparkles.
Visits On the Western Half of the Island
Moving more inland, we made sure to make our way to these landmarks.
Cavernas de Camuy
Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana in Utuado
Lago Dos Bocas
Mountain Scenic Route
East Side of Puerto Rico
Of course, we made our way back towards the east side of the island.
El Yunque – Caribbean National Rain Forest
Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan)
Amazingly, we did not get many pictures as we walked through San Juan. Probably because we had lots of us to keep track of, including small children, and the streets are narrow and were crowded. It was pretty hard to do anything but just walk. We did get this shot of what I think is a house (can’t remember).
Parque de las Palomas (Pigeon Park)
El Morro
Levittown
After visiting the birthplace of my parents, I made everyone take a drive through the neighborhood where I lived for the first 8 years of my life. I was able to show my husband the house where we lived, though it and the neighborhood looked very different. And with all the excitement over seeing my old house, friends’ houses, and even my old school, I did not take any pictures.
***All pictures taken by Justin Edwards or Melanie Edwards.***
Want to visit Puerto Rico? Check out the guide on UpTake, with information on lodging, things to do, and more.
Oooh, lovely photos. (Love the Rincon Lighthouse one especially – the sky in that pic is just awesome!) I’ve never been to Puerto Rico. But these photos make me want to go.
@Karianna, I love that pic also. My husband is obviously more talented than I am at taking pics. 😉
Awesome.
Sounds and looks like you had a really great time. Love the Cabo Rojo photo. We are hoping to get over to the west side towards the end of the year (when we will have some free weekend time).
Dos Bocas is also on our list. Have heard some good things about that area.
@Brian, The west side of the island is loved by my family since that’s where my parents grew up. It’s truly different than the San Juan side.
Que bellas fotos. Gracias por compartir.
@BellaVida, Que bueno que te gustaron. 🙂
Wow!! Beautiful pictures! Looks like you had lots of fun…I sure do miss all that yummy food…especially ‘pasteles and panas’:)
Thanks for sharing:)
@Dr. Mommy, mmm I only eat pasteles once a year or so when my mom makes them for Christmas. Pana I don’t like too much. lol
I’ll say Wow, too. These pictures are really breathtaking. Thanks for sharing with us.
@Leanne, So glad you like them. 🙂
very nice photos. 🙂 i’ve only seen that place on tv and they didn’t show much.
@Jenny, You mean the Puerto Rico tourism commercials? They mostly show the resort hotels and such.
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Ahhh, Levittown. My grandpa lives just down the road from the Bacardi factory. I love visiting there. We can walk around the neighborhood. We would hangout at the local pool hall and just have some beer and enjoy the great weather. Good times!
Beautiful pictures Melanie. My parents were from Puerto Rico…my family and I have had the opportunity of returning to visit family in Puerto rico. My husband and girls (6) loved our trip. We have returned every year since!! Can’t wait for our next trip. P.s. I also lived in P.R. when I was younger my father wanted us to know our culture….I thank him for that!
Hi there, thanks so much! I’m so glad you visit Puerto Rico every year! What a wonderful way to expose your girls to your culture. I need to go more often myself; miss the island. Thanks for stopping by!