What To Do On Your San Juan Cruise Stop

Life moves fast here. With this travel guide, you can see it all — in as little as a day.

What to Do on Your San Juan Cruise Stop | San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port | San Juan Layover Ideas | 8 Hours
Hike El Yunque: Hiking through the cool, sweet air in Puerto Rico's best-known rainforest couldn't be easier. Trails like El Yunque (about four hours), La Mina (my pick for the natural swimming pools) and Big Tree are paved, and the cloud layers provide a buffer from the sun. Get There: Rent a car for the day at the airport or book a tour with Ruben at PepeKo Tours. $45 to $60 per person | Photo By Zach Stovall
What to Do on Your San Juan Cruise Stop | San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port | San Juan Layover Ideas | Full Day
Fly to Culebra: There's no quicker way to get off the grid than a 35-minute hop to Puerto Rico's stunning baby sister. Don't expect much from the languid town of Dewey, but hold on to your jaw when you reach white-sand Playa Flamenco. Stay Awhile: Everyone in Culebra knows Susie Hebert for her cooking, and that makes her namesake Susie's Restaurant the best dinner here. Afterward, join everyone (anyone you met in town earlier) for drinks at Dinghy Dock, Mamacita's or one of the local bars. So small is the town, the choice will be obvious. Get There: Taxi 15 minutes to smaller Isla Grande airport, where Vieques Air Link or Air Flamenco's twin-prop planes fly a scenic route east over the north coast's golden beaches and El Yunque rainforest. _ _ Did You Know? Puerto Ricans call themselves Boricuas. Tourism is responsible for only 7% of the GNP. 100+ endangered species live on PR's Mona Island. The deepest spot in the Atlantic is the Puerto Rican trench. | Photo By Zach Stovall