So after spending a day in Puerto Rico on our cruise, we thought we'd like to spend a week on this beautiful island. We were now a family traveling with a 4 month old, a 3 year old and a 4 1/2 year old. We left with 4 suitcases, our mia moda stroller, our backpack carrier and our moby wrap. I loved having the moby wrap since I had the baby...who wasn't so small, but it worked out perfectly. We're not ones that need to stay at the Hilton or be in any fancy place. We love hiking, swimming, playing in the sand and just plain sight seeing. So we definitely had a ton to do here :) We stayed at the Melia Resort and our 1 bedroom condo was fabulous. We had an outdoor jacuzzi and all! We liked it so much, that we extended our stay for a second week :)
The pool was huge and there was a lot on sight activities. We had a fantastic time. We were determined to see as much of Puerto Rico as possible so as usual, I planned a lot of what we wanted to do ahead of time and spotted the best beaches to go to with our little munchkins.
First off, since we spent so much time there, I have to say that Luquillo Beach was by far the best suited for us! Calm, shallow waters where the girls could play 'til their little hearts content, they had a little food stand and facilities. There was also a playground that we didn't use, but still it was there. This was just a very nice beach. The only downside {for some} is that it's considered a park and so there is a parking fee.
We went to El Yunque rainforest as we love to hike and our girls made the hike on their own for the first time! I was so proud of them. It was quite the hike but they made it. I have to say that our little princess did ask for some assistance on the last few feet as the steep uphill hike was getting to her. " My legs are tired mommy!" she said :) We made our way to the waterfall and back. I had my little man in the mobby wrap and I must say it was quite the work out :) There were other trails we could've taken, but after this trek we were ready for some rest :)
We're zoo lovers and has become our family "tradition" to find the zoo and or aquarium wherever we go. So being the fools that we are, we drove the 2 hours it took to get to the Mayaguez Zoo {which was worth it}. We were staying on the North East side of the island and the zoo is on the West side... The kids always love seeing the animals and so do we :) They do have quite a bit of wild life and we definitely enjoyed our time there.
Since we had already driven all that way, I also wanted to stop by and see the Arecibo Observatory. Unfortunately we got there late and only my husband got old with our oldest as the other two munchkins were sleeping. I think it looked pretty cool :) You can find more information here.
The El Camuy Caves are pretty impressive as well. They start you off on a trolley with headphones and they play some interesting information. Once again, I had the baby in the mobby wrap and our big girls walked as the stroller definitely wasn't the tool for this trip :) So you drive down and disembark for a walk through the caves where you have a ton of photo opps. Even the girls at their young age thought this place was pretty cool. They have a center at the entrance with a souvenir shop and a little snack bar.
We also hopped on a ferry with the kiddos to head over to the nearby island of Culebra. We thought we'd go there first and try to do the bio-luminescent bay on Vieques on another trip. The bay wouldn't have worked out since we had all the kids and I don't really see how we could've fit into a kayak at night time :) The ferry ride was incredibly cheap we thought and was well worth it. Unfortunately it rained a little once we got there, but we still went to the beach to enjoy some fun in the sun. There are a few restaurants right before you hit the beach.
We also visited the other fort in San Juan El Morro. Such breathtaking views and the girls loved hiding in the little nooks to take pictures :) A site to see. We had the stroller this time and that worked out fine.
This was another successful trip with our family. We love traveling as you can see and we would definitely go back to Puerto Rico. There's a lot to do as a family and a nice place to enjoy. I don't have any bad comments about anything here.
Well, here you have it...Puerto Rico! Don't forget to come back for our next destination... EUROPE!!! What an adventure. Feel free to ask any questions! I might not have the answer, but I'll be glad to try and help:)
First off, since we spent so much time there, I have to say that Luquillo Beach was by far the best suited for us! Calm, shallow waters where the girls could play 'til their little hearts content, they had a little food stand and facilities. There was also a playground that we didn't use, but still it was there. This was just a very nice beach. The only downside {for some} is that it's considered a park and so there is a parking fee.
We went to El Yunque rainforest as we love to hike and our girls made the hike on their own for the first time! I was so proud of them. It was quite the hike but they made it. I have to say that our little princess did ask for some assistance on the last few feet as the steep uphill hike was getting to her. " My legs are tired mommy!" she said :) We made our way to the waterfall and back. I had my little man in the mobby wrap and I must say it was quite the work out :) There were other trails we could've taken, but after this trek we were ready for some rest :)
We're zoo lovers and has become our family "tradition" to find the zoo and or aquarium wherever we go. So being the fools that we are, we drove the 2 hours it took to get to the Mayaguez Zoo {which was worth it}. We were staying on the North East side of the island and the zoo is on the West side... The kids always love seeing the animals and so do we :) They do have quite a bit of wild life and we definitely enjoyed our time there.
Since we had already driven all that way, I also wanted to stop by and see the Arecibo Observatory. Unfortunately we got there late and only my husband got old with our oldest as the other two munchkins were sleeping. I think it looked pretty cool :) You can find more information here.
The El Camuy Caves are pretty impressive as well. They start you off on a trolley with headphones and they play some interesting information. Once again, I had the baby in the mobby wrap and our big girls walked as the stroller definitely wasn't the tool for this trip :) So you drive down and disembark for a walk through the caves where you have a ton of photo opps. Even the girls at their young age thought this place was pretty cool. They have a center at the entrance with a souvenir shop and a little snack bar.
We also hopped on a ferry with the kiddos to head over to the nearby island of Culebra. We thought we'd go there first and try to do the bio-luminescent bay on Vieques on another trip. The bay wouldn't have worked out since we had all the kids and I don't really see how we could've fit into a kayak at night time :) The ferry ride was incredibly cheap we thought and was well worth it. Unfortunately it rained a little once we got there, but we still went to the beach to enjoy some fun in the sun. There are a few restaurants right before you hit the beach.
We also visited the other fort in San Juan El Morro. Such breathtaking views and the girls loved hiding in the little nooks to take pictures :) A site to see. We had the stroller this time and that worked out fine.
This was another successful trip with our family. We love traveling as you can see and we would definitely go back to Puerto Rico. There's a lot to do as a family and a nice place to enjoy. I don't have any bad comments about anything here.
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| Luquillo Beach |
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| Culebra- Beach |
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| Arecibo Observatory |
Well, here you have it...Puerto Rico! Don't forget to come back for our next destination... EUROPE!!! What an adventure. Feel free to ask any questions! I might not have the answer, but I'll be glad to try and help:)
