Puerto Rico Travel Tips: Everything you Need to Know- Dana Berez

hey everyone welcome back to my channel i'm adina prez and if you're new here welcome to my channel today's video is going to be all about planning a trip to puerto rico i just came back from puerto rico and had the best time i haven't been there for four years until this past trip and it's beautiful beautiful island and i highly recommend that this be put on your travel bucket list or definitely put on your plans to travel to in the near future because one the flights right now are very very cheap and it's just a beautiful island and i can't wait to share with you some travel tips on planning a trip to puerto rico give you some new ideas of things to do while you're there so if that sounds good let's get into the video so first things first before you even step foot in puerto rico you do have to get tested for cova these rules change quite often so i'm gonna leave the discover puerto rico's guidelines in the description box for the most up-to-date information but as of february 2021 you do need a negative cova test taken within 72 hours of your arrival in puerto rico so that means three days before your arrival you need to get tested and you need to get a pcr test in addition to a negative test you also need to fill out a travel form a really easy questionnaire online ask you like where you live where you're staying how you're saying all those kind of like general questions as well as you have to upload your test results to that website after you complete the travel form you will receive a qr code you will need that qr code to leave the airport literally they have two people scanning code so if you don't have a qr code you are not going to leave the airport so be sure to fill out that form and the website has updated information on different scenarios if you're still awaiting your test results you haven't got them yet so if you have any of those kinds of questions they answer them very clearly in the link down below so once you have your qr code you're set now you are in puerto rico yay now i'm going to talk about some general things to know before you go you do not need a passport because it is a u.s territory money is the same usd same outlets oh same cell phone service so you don't have to worry about not having service or getting a sim card or anything like that if you have a us provider which is great because i actually use my cell service for directions on a gps when i was driving within the island so you don't need to worry about not having cell service the language obviously the language is spanish however in popular areas like san juan you will be able to get by with english however every place that i go to travel to that has a different language than english i always recommend learning basic words like hello goodbye thank you just to be polite okay so because san juan is probably the most popular place to visit in puerto rico i'm going to go over some details of san juan on the first half of this video and then later in this video i'm going to be talking about exploring outside of san juan because i definitely think you should leave san juan to experience other beautiful parts of puerto rico literally the most bluest beaches i've ever seen are actually on the west side of puerto rico so if you have kind of a flexible itinerary or you're planning how many days you should stay in puerto rico definitely consider extending your trip two or three days to explore the western part of the island it's cheaper than san juan and the beaches are just untouched super gorgeous and natural so definitely consider that but i will talk more about that in the middle part of this video but right now i'm going to be talking about san juan so for san juan there are three different areas where you can stay in you can stay in old san juan condaro or isla verde each neighborhood has a different vibe i'm going to go talk about the pros and cons of each of these neighborhoods to help you decide which area that you should stay in for your trip i'm going to start with isla verde that's where i say it i stayed at the fairmont and it was a beautiful gorgeous resort four pools a large beachfront area lots of space to spread out i really enjoyed it it had more of like a relaxed vibe verde i like this neighborhood because it's relatively the most quiet neighborhood out of the three has a more relaxed vibe and it has access to a gorgeous beachfront area and i do think you get a little bit better value for your money in isla verde because most of the resorts are actually in condaro and they charge a bit more money because you're closer to old san juan however a negative part to staying in isla verde is that there aren't as many restaurants bars shops within walking distance as there are in condado so if you're kind of looking for more of an upbeat kind of vibe east library is a bit more quiet than the other two neighborhoods the next neighborhood you can stay in is condado and most resorts are actually located in this neighborhood so it's a beachfront neighborhood with tons of restaurants shops within walking distance so it's super friendly for pedestrians if you kind of want to check out different restaurants it is a bit more touristy than the other two in my opinion so it's not really like an authentic feel but it's the most lively upbeat beachfront area however i do have to note that the beach in puendado is actually quite dangerous to swim in so be sure to keep that in mind if you're staying there um i've read a lot of things actually about this speech that i've never heard about um and i swam in this speech before when i was little i'm just like oh my gosh i had no idea that it's actually very dangerous to swim while you're on a beachfront you really shouldn't be swimming in that water you're still on the beach though so i guess if you don't mind not swimming just something to keep in mind when you're looking at hotels in pondaro and then the last neighborhood is old san juan old san juan is the historic neighborhood that dates back to the 16th century wow the homes here are stunning the vibrant colors and it would be a really cool authentic experience to stay in old san juan you'll be smack dab in the middle of bars restaurants shops right in the middle of the action however there is no beach in old san juan so you're going to give up a beach and large resort for being in close proximity to all of those shops and restaurants so that's something to keep in mind i have a whole blog post on my experience in san juan i will leave that down below as well as some hotel recommendations for you guys to check out getting around san juan you do not need to rent a car if your goal is just to visit san juan you don't need to rent a car at all there's uber really convenient and really affordable i use uber from isla verde to go to old san juan and the prices were like nine to sixteen dollars each way depending on the time in the traffic or you could have your hotel called a taxi now if you do plan on doing some activities excursions most of those excursions like el junke day trips to collaborate island or the kayak bio bay all right require you to meet in fajardo which is about an hour away from san juan those stores usually offer a transportation service they're going to offer you a discounted rate to get to fajardo i checked just to check at uber from san juan to fajardo and it was like 120 one way so oh my light went away so that is something to keep in mind when you are booking those tours and activities however if you do plan on going to other parts of the island definitely you need to rent a car so while you are in san juan there are some activities that you must must do and that is explore old san juan it's definitely a must on my list you could spend easily a half day to a full day here depending on how many things that you do but honestly i like to walk around look at the beautiful colored buildings and you can have some amazing views of the forts that were built to protect old san juan and did you know that old san juan is actually an island there are only two ways to get in and out so traffic to old taiwan does get pretty crazy especially on the weekends i saw the traffic and i was like whoa some sights that you cannot miss while you are walking and touring around old san juan is el mora which which is a fort that protected old san juan you can tour inside i believe the price per adult is seven dollars you can see soldiers quarters how they protected san juan and it's really really unique in a perfect family all around activity and be sure to wear like sunscreen because i know there is no shade when you do tour el moro another fun activity to do in san juan is go to the bacardi factory i have like a love hate relationship with bacardi because that was like my drink when i was like just starting to drink and i feel like i just drank it so much that i like can't drink it but anyway you can go to see the factory and actually a trip there sounds super cool i did not get to do this while i was there but it's just a short ferry right away from old san juan the ferry is like 50 cents and then from there you take like a five minute taxi ride to casa bacardi and there you can take mixology classes you can do a room tasting and you can fill your own bacardi bottle so it's a full fun experience and i heard you can get pretty tipsy so if you want a fun rum experience in puerto rico definitely have to go to casa bacardi speaking of rum i think trying a rum cocktail is super important rum is a huge part of puerto rico and i sampled lots of rum cocktails at la factoria which is kind of like a dive slash cocktail bar it was actually i think it's rated one of the top 50 bars in the usa in 2019 so they have an amazing cocktail program and the vibe the energy the service was all 10 out of 10. so if you want a place to drink in san juan you have to go it's right in old san juan it is an unmarked building so there is no sign i actually passed by the building but if you go on google maps they'll tell you the exact spot but it's kind of like a speakeasy i guess and then at night inside the bar they have six other bars with their own menus so it's kind of like a maze definitely a must stop while you are in old san juan as well as i think while you're in old san juan you have to try authentic puerto rican food there is cafe madeline which has traditional puerto rican food that you must try as well as trying some puerto rican coffee i went to don ruiz it's a really cute coffee shop right in old san juan to buy some coffee beans to bring back with me to new york as well as try some coffee there so there are lots of fun activities to do while you're in old san juan in addition you could do a walking tour to learn more about the city as well as like a cocktail bar hopping tour of cooking class there are so many cool activities i've all i have listed all of them with more information in my blog post if you guys want to check it out besides hanging out by the beach or by your hotel pool just know that there is so many cool activities to do while you are in puerto rico as well as some fun day trip activities of course you have el yunque rainforest which is the only rainforest in the caribbean the hundreds of different kinds plants and animals so it definitely must do if you like hiking there's different kinds of hiking trails you can do if it's your first time to el juncke i recommend taking a guided tour just so you kind of understand the lay of the land if you've been there before there are plenty of hiking trails that you can take just note there is a covet update if you're going on your own you need to reserve your spot in advance i believe if you book a tour they would do that step for you but i would just double check because you do need to have a reservation a time slot to go to a unk rainforest you could also do a day trip to culebra island which is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world flamenco beach we were scheduled to go on this tour but because of the winds and waves in the area on that day that we were scheduled it was canceled so just take that into consideration when you are booking a boating tour it may be canceled due to weather and then of course the kayak bio bay tour puerto rico is home to three out of the five bio bays in the world so it's a perfect opportunity for you to see bio lumiscent bays while you're in puerto rico amazing amazing experience that you must do while you're in puerto rico just a thing to note when you are booking that tour be sure to note the moon schedule if it's a full moon you won't see as many organisms in the water so it's best to kind of book it when the moon is not showing brightly and now i'm going to briefly talk about some bars and restaurants that i recommend while you are in san juan um for restaurants i recommend luiza which is in condado it's a spanish restaurant i really recommend the restaurant first of all the decor was so cute they have like live trees everywhere but you know what the restaurant is not about the decor it's about the food and the service and they were both top-notch i highly recommend the burrata it was so unique and they had a really cool aperol spritz with the splash of gin which i've never seen before so they have a really fun inventive cocktail menu as well as a full delicious food menu as well i also mentioned lot bacteria earlier a cocktail bar in old san juan that you have to visit as well as kanye which was a part which is inside the fairmont el san juan i really highly recommend their breakfast brunch um you do not have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the restaurant but i found that their breakfast and brunch was so good the eggs benedict was delicious the avocado toast the pancakes the chilaquiles like basically i tried everything and i highly recommend going there for breakfast they also have an amazing dinner menu so it's a for sure stop while you are in scent so i've covered my san juan portion part of this video now i'm going to go ahead quickly and talk about visiting the west side of the island so when i was originally planning my trip to puerto rico i was just gonna go to san juan and then i was on instagram and i was like wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute that's in puerto rico like i saw the most beautiful beaches and i was like i think i have to re-configure this trip to make time to see the western part of the island which is where most of the most beautiful beaches are in puerto rico booked a rental car drove from san juan to the western part of the island which is about a two and a half hour drive the drive there is very straightforward and simple it's literally one highway road to the west side there's not lots of turns it's very straightforward and simple i did make things a little bit complicated because on the way to rincon which is where i had my home base on the west side i stopped at the gonzalia falls which is in san sebastian and to get there was like the most crazy winding roads i've ever driven on that is a must stop while you are on the west side it's basically a natural 60-foot waterfall you could spend a full day here kind of just looking at the sun they have a small restaurant eatery they have bathrooms and it's fairly easy to get to you do have to pay ten dollars for a park but it was a really beautiful site you can also jump off the waterfall which i would never do ever but it's an option if you're a little bit more adventurous than me just bring some water shoes because the moss was really slippery on the rocks if you want to go swimming and inside the water are fish it's so cool honestly so i did that before i headed to rincon where i spent three days on the west side rincon is a surfers town super chill super cool known for its record-breaking waves so even though i don't surf i still enjoyed visiting this town rincon has amazing beaches it's also really affordable considering old san juan the food prices the hotel accommodation prices are really affordable so if you are looking for something but different i highly recommend checking out from rincon i also have another blog post on this as well if you want to learn more information there's not really many activities to do it's really about kind of surfing waves beaches but there is amazing snorkeling you can do when the waves aren't high in the summer time during the winter time the waves are the tallest so it's not really necessarily so getting around this part of the island you are going to need a car in the roads once you get into rincon which is area and not necessarily a town they have a downtown which is like four square blocks but it's mostly a region and there's not many roads within there and the roads are very narrow so it's a very rural town so it's like not built up at all there's no resorts super laid back and chill and to find accommodation there i would recommend booking an airbnb um the hotel they have a few hotels but they mostly seem to be booked out in advance and i honestly think you get a better value with an airbnb when you're on the west side of puerto rico if you want to watch more of what i did in rincon i have a vlog you guys can check that out there are two other places that i think you guys should check out while you're in puerto rico and the first place is called playa susia which is located in cava rojo in the south on the drive there from rincon is about an hour and a half and it's a beautiful untouched beach with some hiking trails you can spend some time there at the beach amazing blue waters calm it's kind of like an inlet of a bay and then you can do some hiking on the hiking trails with epic amazing views of the cliffside there are no bathrooms there so something to keep in mind as well as there's no vendors or anything so if you do plan on spending a few hours there be sure to bring your own water food and beverage the parking there is free so it's basically a free activity to do in puerto rico the next place you have to visit is i think i saved the best for last because this was my favorite beach i visited while we were in puerto rico the water here was crystal clear blue just the most beautiful blue caribbean turquoise waters that i've seen and this is the beach for a full beach day it had such a local vibe there everyone basically had a cooler people were like grilling kebabs next to us salsa music was playing you can buy food there there's also restrooms perfect place to relax at the beach and playa bouier from ring cone is about an hour drive both of those stops are definitely doable on a day trip from rincon and i think along the west side i think rincon is your best bet for a place to stay um there's lots of bars and restaurants and it kind of has overall more to do versus other neighborhoods in that area so that wraps up my travel tips to puerto rico i hope you guys learned something and found some of these tips useful for your trip let me know if you've been to puerto rico or are planning to go soon i would love to know please give this video a thumbs up if you found it helpful and be sure to hit that subscribe button for more videos like this as always hope you guys have an awesome day and i'll see you guys in the next one bye

Channel: Dana Berez

Views: 86,530

Rating: 4.9163294 out of 5

Keywords: puerto rico, san juan, puerto rico travel tips, san juan travel, san juan travel guide, puerto rico travel guide, puerto rico 2021, rincon puerto rico, united states travel, 2021 travel, 2021 travel guide, travel vlog, caribbean travel, puerto rico vlog, travel puerto rico, rincon, travel, bucket list, travel youtuber, things to do in puerto rico, things to do in san juan, dana berez

Id: wJZR0v71rHo

Length: 18min 57sec (1137 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 10 2021