During the Winter of 2023, I decided to “get away from the cold” in the Northeastern United States, and head to warm and sunny Puerto Rico for a three day weekend vacation in late January. The late night arrival in San Juan provided a picturesque view of the neighborhood, with the city lights shining upon the buildings, as seen from my airbnb deck. I had a full itinerary for my island stay, so it was time to get some sleep.
The next morning, I headed to La Isla for breakfast, The vegan-friendly restaurant is a large casual space with several vegan offerings at reasonable prices. I chose the Vegan Isla Brunch consisting of chickpea scramble, avocado toast, sweet potato pancakes, a side of bread, and fresh fruit. My morning beverage was a Bien Tropi Smoothie made with guanabana, dates, banana, lemon, dates, and almond milk. Everything was absolutely amazing!!
After my lovely meal, it was time to hit the town and go exploring. I decided to go strolling around San Juan’s Old Town. I walked by lovely colorful buildings along cobblestone roads. Musicians performed local salsa music at various locations in the square.
Pigeon Park is where pigeons nest in the city wall. The park overlooks the stunning San Juan Bay. Adults and children alike enjoy walking through the park and feeding the pigeons.
My next stop was at the Cathedral of San Juan Batista, which is the head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Puerto Rico. Erected in the year 1521, it is the oldest church in the United States from the earliest Spanish colonization era.
I enjoyed a refreshing piroagua from a street cart vendor, near the church. This treat is made with shaved ice and your choice of fruit syrup poured over it. I chose the tamarind flavor.
For lunch, I dined at Cafe Berlin in Old San Juan. This vegan-friendly restaurant has a really cool atmosphere. The restaurant specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine. I chose the mofongo(an iconic Puerto Rican dish) made with plantains, peppers, and onions and a side of tostones(fried green plantains). My beverage was a passionfruit juice. Everything was absolutely delicious!!
The remainder of my afternoon was spent exploring San Juan’s two forts. First, I visited El Morro. This fort was built to protect the city from enemy attacks by sea. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The self-guided walk brought me to the fort kitchen, sleeping quarters, storerooms, the main firing battery, sentry towers, and other significant areas.
I wandered down through many passageways to the underground dungeon.
Next, I paid a visit to San Cristobal Fort. This fort was built to protect against land attacks by enemy forces. It was the largest fort built by the Spanish in the Americas. I walked by the sleeping quarters, kitchen, sentry towers, and more.
I appreciated the educational experience learning about the two forts during my visit. Late afternoon was a good time for me to spend some time at one of the local beaches. A taxi brought me to Isla Verde Beach, approximately a twenty minute ride from the center of San Juan. Sitting on a soft sand beach, gazing at the blue ocean, was the perfect way for this Northern girl to spend an afternoon on a January day!!
After an hour or so on the beach, a taxi arrived to take me back to San Juan center. My destination was the 100% HP restaurant. For dinner, I chose the empanadillas with broccoli and arroz (rice) con grandules (pigeon peas). My dessert was a guava cake with vanilla ice cream. Another flavorful meal, it was!!
After dinner, I returned to Old Juan for ice cream at the ever-popular Anita Gelato. My selection was the yummy Tropical (pineapple, passionfruit, and coconut ) vegan gelato.
I then returned to my airbnb to get some shut eye.
The next morning, I woke up early to get a start to a day of sightseeing and tours!!
For breakfast, I stopped by Fresh Mart in the Condado Beach neighborhood and picked up a tasty slice of coconut pumpkin cake.
It was then time for me to check out the local beach scene on this Sunday late morning!! I walked thought the palm tree-lined boulevard in Condado and came across a vendor cart selling pineapple juice in freshly cut pineapples. It was a refreshing beverage on a hot day and quenched my thirst during my lengthy walk. Eventually I reached a small pedestrian-walkable bridge on my way to the beach. Right there on the bridge foundation wall, was spray-painted graffiti which reads “Eat Vegan” in Spanish!!
After my brisk walk over the bridge and approximately twenty minutes further, I reached my destination.. El Escambron Beach in San Juan. The quiet, palm tree-lined beach offered changing areas, rest rooms a snack shack, and a lifeguard station. I spent an hour or so sitting on the sand and appreciating the view, in addition to splashing around in the waters.
When lunchtime had arrived, I took a taxi to Bio Shack Store Restaurant, back in San Juan. This all-vegan restaurant (and shop) has such cute decor. Their lobby area includes a couch with veggie character pillows!!
For my lunch, selected the traditional Puerto Rican dish of alcapurria with mashed plantains & a flan for dessert. Everything was so good!!
Since the sun hadn’t set yet, I headed to Condado beach to relax and enjoy the ocean view. Condado is San Juan’s lengthiest and most popular beach. Many hotels, restaurants, and shops are nearby.
Now it was time for a tour of a Bioluminescent Bay, Laguna Grande in the town of Fajardo. I had pre-booked the tour through the viator.com website which connected me to the local tour operator. My tour guide picked up passengers waiting in front of a hotel in the Condado neighborhood. The bus then proceeded to make its way to Fajardo. When we arrived at our destination, another guide from the Bio Bay kayak tour company, gave us instructions on how to paddle in teams of two and what we would be doing during our evening excursion. All of the attendees steered their kayaks to a central location in the bay, after maneuvering through mangrove bushes. Once darkness had set at 8pm, our guide tied all kayaks together by rope, so they would remain still and steady. We were then told to place our hand into the water on one side of our kayak, and swirl it around. Everyone was excited to see that the water turned a luminescent blue hue, due to the microscopic organisms being agitated from our strokes!!
My Sunday “dinner” was simple.. just snacks given to us at the bio bay.
The next morning, I took a taxi to Lana’s Healthy Bistro & Juice for breakfast. I opted for the wonderful French toast with strawberry syrup, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and green tea.
Another tour was on my agenda for the day. I booked a rainforest tour through viator.com. El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest within the national forest. A diverse ecosystem encompasses waterfalls, wildlife, and many plant species. Puerto Rico’s beloved coqui frog resides within these forests, as well. Visitors may jump off a rock formation into a stream or swing on a rope attached to a nearby tree branch.
Within another section of the rainforest, a large, slanted boulder provides a “natural waterslide” for visitors. A guide helps us climb up the slippery slope, then provides instructions on the proper body positioning to slide down its surface. I really enjoyed the exhilarating ride, while being cushioned by the flow of water from the waterfall beneath my body!! We ended up in a waist-deep stream upon landing.
Our guide brought us to lunch at the Luquillo Beach area. There are shops and several restaurants there. I dined at Edelweiss Bar & Grill. My meal was the vegan mamposteo rice with stuffed avocado. They were amazing and full of flavor.
Lunch was fairly quick, so we could enjoy a stroll along the Luquillo Beach, adjacent to the restaurant and shops. It is a lovely and picturesque little beach. No entry fee is charged to visit.
When we arrived back in San Juan center, I headed to Condado beach to spend some more time at this beautiful gem.
For my dinner near Condado Beach , I found Atabey Condado Restaurant. My meal selection was the tasty quinoa bowl with avocado , sweet corn, tomato, and chimichuri. It was time to call it a night. For this was my final evening in Puerto Rico.
When I awoke the following morning, I went for a walk along Ashford Ave in the Condado neighborhood, then perused the shops. I was happy to find a street stand vendor offering breakfast items. I opted for a superb acai bowl breakfast.
I ended the morning by paying a visit to the gorgeous Condado Beach, one last time before heading to the airport for my return flight home.
After my walk, it was time to head to the airport. I really enjoyed my vacation in Puerto Rico!! From the gorgeous beaches to the breath-taking rainforest adventures to the fun kayaking trip in the bio bay to the amazing vegan Puerto Rican foods, this was indeed a spectacular vacation!!