You might as well call us Mr. and Mrs. Puerto-Retersik — we recently escaped for a few days to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in Puerto Rico. Puerto-Retersik may be a mouthful, but it sums up our perfect mini-getaway.
After mentioning the trip on last week’s podcast, we wanted to share more photos and practical details from our stay in San Juan. We absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. Below is a summary of where we stayed, what we did, and the food we enjoyed, in case you’re thinking about a visit.
Why Puerto Rico?
We wanted something beachy for our tenth anniversary — a contrast to our “adventure honeymoon” in Anchorage back in 2007. Puerto Rico offered the perfect balance: shorter flights from the U.S. East Coast (more time there, less time traveling) and travel simplicity since it’s a U.S. territory. No passports or currency exchanges were needed, and while Spanish is the primary language, most people spoke English and were exceptionally friendly. Apart from a few hard-to-read signs, we had zero language issues.
Where We Stayed:
We followed the classic travel tip to book a modest room in a top-tier hotel so we could enjoy amenities without splurging on an extravagant suite. Our pick was the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, about five minutes from Old San Juan. We snagged a package deal that bundled flights and hotel during low season, which saved money. The hotel isn’t all-inclusive — which we liked, because we wanted to explore local food and activities — but it had multiple pools, restaurants, a beach area, hammocks, and plenty of deck space for a truly lazy day.
We spent around three and a half days there and devoted one day entirely to lounging by the pool, reading, and ordering food delivered right to our lounge chairs. The hotel’s little beach lagoon and adjacent larger sandy beach made it easy to relax without venturing far.
Mango tacos are my wife’s happy place.
The hotel spa was a nice surprise. I surprised Sherry with a couples massage — a sweet echo of our honeymoon — and the spa’s private lounge made for a serene post-treatment chill-out.
What We Did — Adventure Day
We spent two full days exploring. Our first full day was “adventure day”: we rented a car for 24 hours, drove east about an hour to Fajardo, and hiked and kayaked en route. The main draw was a nighttime kayak tour of a bioluminescent bay — tiny organisms that glow when stirred, creating a glittery water effect. To break up the drive, we stopped in Luquillo for beach time and the famous food kiosks, where we tried mofongo — mashed plantain topped with chicken and peppers — which was fantastic.
Next we visited El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Park System. With limited time, the La Mina waterfall hike was the best recommended route and didn’t disappoint; while the waterfall was busy and we skipped swimming due to timing, the hike itself was beautiful.
On the way to Fajardo we paused at an observation spot in the rainforest for scenic views and a quick photo re-creation of a “wedding ring hands” shot we took on our honeymoon — a quirky tradition now ten years strong.
For the bioluminescent experience we used a well-reviewed guide service in Fajardo. The guides were professional and fun, and the route takes you through a bay into mangrove-canopied channels and finally into the bio bay itself. Our tour happened on a night with a full moon, which made the paddling scenic but dimmed the bioluminescence, so at one point the guides used a tarp to help everyone see the glow better. When the water shimmered, it truly looked like someone had sprinkled glitter into it.
The whole kayaking experience — paddling under a moonlit canopy with tiny lights on each kayak — was the highlight. We returned late but capped the night with a private soak in the hotel’s 24-hour hot tub.
What We Did — Culture Day
Our other full day was devoted to sightseeing in Old San Juan. A short Uber ride took us to Castillo San Cristóbal, where we wandered the ramparts and caught part of a film shoot. The historic forts are full of iconic sentry boxes, winding ramps, and expansive views of the coastline.
We walked between the forts instead of taking the trolley and were so glad we did — the colorful streets, balconies, and doorways of Old San Juan are endlessly photogenic. We paused regularly to soak in the architecture, capture photos, and enjoy the neighborhood vibe.
At Castillo San Felipe del Morro we climbed ramps, checked out the garitas, and enjoyed the breezy lawns overlooking the ocean. The forts’ interiors — white stucco walls and arched doorways — felt like stepping into another era.
For lunch we found a tapas spot with outdoor seating in a courtyard, keeping our streak of alfresco dining alive. Afterward we wandered more streets, discovered a charming popsicle shop, and visited a small plaza full of pigeons where an impromptu bird-feeding moment ended with one bold bird making fast work of the seed in my hand.
Squeezing In One More Adventure
On our final morning we kept things low-key but couldn’t resist one last short adventure. We grabbed a taco from a food truck near the hotel — quite possibly the best taco I’ve ever had — then went stand-up paddleboarding for an hour in the lagoon behind the hotel. To our delight, we paddled alongside manatees. It was a gentle, magical end to a relaxing trip.
All told, Puerto Rico was one of the most restful trips we’ve taken. Booking a flights-and-hotel package made planning simple, and aside from reserving a kayak tour a few weeks in advance, we didn’t over-plan — which made the trip feel refreshingly effortless. We left energized and excited to travel with our kids in the future, too. Happy travels, amigos!