A Puerto Rican Vacation (lots of photos up ahead!)

As promised, here's a little recap of my 5 night/6 day Puerto Rico vacation with my three NYU friends Steph, Justin, and Graham! We were super lucky to have found a great flight + resort deal via CheapCarribbean.com and just impulsively decided to go! So for a week in May, we called the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort our home, which was my first time at a resort and I felt like a queen. (Our own private balcony + 5 different pools to choose? Could get used to this.)

We decided early on to rent a car, since we were in the North East part of Puerto Rico (in Rio Grande). San Juan was a 40 minute drive, so we spent a whole day strolling around the tiny city. We explored El Morro, an old fortress, and also took our time wandering the cobblestoned streets of Old San Juan, which was full of character. While Old San Juan has a small-town feel, the more metropolitan outskirts of the city  reminded us of Miami. Later in the evenings, we made sure to stuff ourselves with mofongo and pina coladas, which are native to PR. (Again, I could get used to this :)

Since we lived right next to El Yunque, the national rainforest, we of course had to explore! We part drove, part hiked down a trail. Another outdoorsy trip was to the Camuy Caves -- it was cool to see all the rock formations. My first time caving! (Or should I say... spelunking?)

Of course we spent a huge hunk of time at the beach!!! First, we went to Luquillo Beach, which felt like our own private beach because only 4-5 other people were there! We bought a case of beer, a case of water, and just enjoyed the calm surroundings. Another day, we took the ferry to Culebra Island, which boasts the famous Flamenco Beach. Discovery Channel called it the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world, and with its clear blue waters and white sand, I could see why. Felt like paradise.

Lastly, we had the good fortune of stopping by the Bacardi Distillery! It was fun to go on a little tour on the Bacardi bus. (I swear our tour guide was tipsy! Can't blame him.) We ooh-ed and aah-ed over the 20 vats of Bacardi, each of which held 20K gallons of liquor. Then we grabbed free drinks and were pretty much in heaven.

PR was a blast, and I would go back in a heart beat. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to experience the the Bioluminscent Bay, so that is definitely on my to-do list for next time. So grateful to have had this wonderful experience and to have shared it with friends! xo