4 Days in Puerto Rico:

An East Coast Itinerary

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Puerto Rico is a tropical paradise. It’s pretty easy, and often affordable, to get to from the US. It has both the beach and the mountains within a short drive. You could even visit both on the same day! I spent a full 4 days in Puerto Rico and it was an awesome mini trip. Plus the food is amazing! You absolutely have to try mofongo.

There’s so much to do on the island ans we barely scratched the surface on this trip. We had an action-packed itinerary: zip-lining, kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, and of course, birding all the while.

2 Nights in Caguas; 3 nights near El Yunque National Forest

San Juan is the island’s biggest airport and usually the easiest to fly into. If you’re wanting to visit the east coast, it’s your best bet. All of the destinations shown in the map are within about an hour of San Juan, depending on the traffic.

We flew into San Juan and planned to rent a car to immediately head towards the town of Caguas. During my layover in Miami, I had a voicemail from the rental agency telling me the office wouldn’t be open at 7pm and that we could get the car the next day! Panicking, I contacted our hotel host and he thankfully offered to pick us up for a fee.

Another fortunate coincidence, the tour we were going on the next day offered pickup/dropoff in San Juan so we had “free” transportation back to San Juan to get our car. What was nearly a disaster worked out surprisingly well.

Where to Stay

Accommodation Near Caguas

We stayed 2 nights near the town of Caguas at this awesome camping/glamping spot. The host has all different kinds of shelters up the side of this hilltop.

This was such a cool property and the hosts were wonderful. Breakfast is amazing and we had dinner here both nights which was also great. The birding around the property was very good. The host had me list some common birds I saw and was going to make a poster of them in the restaurant area – let me know if he did!

There is wifi at the restaurant area, but not in the rooms. If you’re coming from the US, you should be able to use your phone as you do in the US (no roaming charges, but always check with your carrier).

There’s not much to the rooms: a bed on a platform, covered by a mosquito net. We felt comfortable in ours and slept well. Each shelter is unique and some look nicer than others. It is a steep walk up the hill and bathrooms are at the bottom.

At the top of the hill is a communal area with a swing, fire pit, and some seating. There wasn’t a fire while we were there, but we were getting up early anyways for the birds and the activities.

Birds

Accommodation Near El Yunque

For the second part of the trip, we stayed at this awesome Airbnb near El Yunque NF. There is a rooftop yoga platform that was perfect to bird from every morning and evening. There are several different rooms on the property and even a yurt. I can’t believe how much the price has gone up (we stayed 3 nights for $200). It does look a little bit cheaper on Booking.

Birds

Day 1: Zipline Adventure Hike

The tour starts in San Juan, but since we were already in Caguas we were picked up there. We stopped at a store for anybody that needed to use the bathroom and then we were on our way!

You start immediately walking through the river, which is refreshingly cool. I recommend you wear a pair of old sneakers or trail runners. I love my Altra Lone Peak shoes. The hike is fun and there are portions where you climb up with a rope.

After hiking through the water, you get to the zipline portion! My husband had never ziplined before so he had a blast.

After the ziplines, you get to end with rappelling down an 80-foot waterfall! After finishing the hike, you get to eat lunch and a community member’s home before returning to San Juan.

Overall, this was a fun day! It is more expensive than the type of tours I usually do, but it was something my husband had never done before and we definitely enjoyed it. I don’t recommend bringing your binoculars due to all the time in and around water.

Day 2: Kayaking and Hiking

Kayaking and Birding at Humacao Nature Reserve

The next morning, we got up early to bird around the property before heading off to Humacao Nature Reserve. This is a birding hotspot and I saw a Mangrove Cuckoo here! There are hiking trails around the park, but we opted to rent a kayak for an hour and do a little loop around part of the lake.

This was a fun little half day activity and you could easily spend more time here.

Birds Seen at Humacao

River Hike Through Rio Fajardo

Next, this same afternoon, we drove over to the eastern edge of El Yunque National Forest to do the Las Tinajas hike. This is another hike up a river that ends at a swimming hole.

It was mostly locals here and we had a great time on this short hike! Please remember to leave no trace and pack in what you pack out. Also, anytime I’m getting in the water, I am cognizant of what I put on my body: natural (a physical) sunscreen, deodorant, and bug spray. The best way to protect yourself from the sun and bugs is to wear light long layers.

Day 3: Hiking in El Yunque National Forest

El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system. It’s highest point is just over 3500 ft. The main access point is off Hwy 191. The entrance is free, but on a first-come first-serve basis in order to manage crowds. More information can be found here on their website.

There are many trails to choose from. We hiked up to Mt. Britton Tower and then over to El Yunque peak. This took us a couple of hours and at the end of the hike I heard a Tody. After searching for several minutes, I finally saw the Puerto Rican Tody which was a big highlight of the trip for me!

Later that afternoon, we drove to route 186 on the western side of the forest, and hiked along the river to a swimming hole. We saw a squirrel cuckoo in this area! We drove the road in a rented sedan. If you go slow, you don’t need high clearance, however, check road conditions prior to your trip as this may change.

Because these hikes are higher up in elevation, the temperature was actually quite pleasant (we went in March). Also, due to the steep terrain, there are no pools of water for mosquitoes to reproduce!

I recommend bringing your own food, snacks and water. You definitely can’t skip out on hiking in El Yunque during your trip!

Day 4: Snorkel Trip to Culebra Island

I hardly ever do organized tours, but on this trip we ended up doing two. The second was a boat trip out to Culebra, a small island to the east of the mainland. It is possible to take a ferry or fly here if you want to stay on the island.

The boat ride was about an hour long across pretty rough water. I definitely don’t recommend going if you get seasick. The boat anchors in a calm bay to allow everyone to get out to snorkel.

My husband loved this and I enjoyed it, but I could definitely see the signs of coral bleaching and other damage. I have snorkeled near Roatán off the coast of Honduras and there was just no comparison. I was also really disappointed that the tour did not talk about the effects of chemical sunscreen on coral reefs. It hurt my soul to see everyone spraying themselves before jumping in the water.

I wouldn’t go on this tour again, but it is a unique experience if you’ve never done something similar. Instead, I would check out a bioluminescence kayaking tour. There are some on the mainland, but if you have time, Vieques is the best place to see it.

This tour goes to Las Tinajas River Hike that I mention above and has a bio kayaking tour that evening. This would be a long day, but sounds fun!

We had a late flight out of San Juan, so on our last day we walked around Viejo San Juan. It was so hot though that we mostly went from shady spot to shady spot before sitting down at a restaurant to kill time.

Despite being from Texas, I don’t do well in the heat. This was really the only time I felt too hot the whole trip. So if you’re like me, just don’t spend much time in the city and you’ll be fine!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this 4-day itinerary and it helps you plan your next trip! As always, reach out if you have any questions or want any help planning your next vacation.