Have you ever wanted to visit the island of Puerto Rico? Do you wonder what you will do once you get to San Juan, Puerto Rico? Today, I am sharing all the fun things to do in Puerto Rico and how you can go and stay for free with credit card points! Recently, my sister and I went, and we had a great time and also some unexpected excitement! 

We were all set to go on our girls’ trip to Puerto Rico when American Airlines sent us notices the day before our departure that Puerto Rico was expecting a tropical storm, Karen. Yikes!! Should we go? Should we stay and go later? It was a pretty frantic time, with lots of calls to each other about what was safe to do.

I spent a lot of time reviewing possibilities, but the morning we were to go, it was downgraded to a tropical depression, so we decided to go.  However, it was upgraded to a tropical storm when we landed in San Juan.  Yep, we were a little nervous about what to expect then!

We settled into our hotel the first night and experienced a 6.3 earthquake. Now, I’m from California, so I was used to earthquakes, but it was still an adventure! I definitely was not expecting an earthquake in Puerto Rico!! We were prepared to experience a tropical storm but not an earthquake!

The next day, we stayed at the hotel, waiting for the storm to hit, and it never really did. We had some rain, but that was about all. We were so glad we had not canceled our trip.

 

Flights

We flew American Airlines over.  My sister, Julie, flew from Phoenix, and I flew from Denver.  We got round-trip tickets from  for 25,000 AAdvantage Miles.  We got those miles as welcome offers from the the Citi Advantage Platinum Select Card.  

 

Hotel

There are many hotels where you can stay with points in Puerto Rico.  Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG all have hotels where you can use points.

We stayed at the AC Marriott San Juan Condado. It was in a great location, close to the beach and restaurants.

 

 

What to Do in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Well, we have shown you how to get to and stay in Puerto Rico for nearly free with credit card points and miles. Now, what will you do in San Juan, Puerto Rico, besides lying by the pool or enjoying the beach? That is what an island vacation is all about, and we did our fair share of that, too!

We used taxis and Uber to get around. I could even use my $15 Uber Cash credit from The Platinum Card® from American Express while there. Drivers are slightly crazy there, so I wouldn’t want to rent a car. Here are a few popular activities:

 

Visit Old Town San Juan

You have to spend a day visiting Old Town, San Juan!  It is full of blue cobblestone streets, colorful houses, and a definite Caribbean vibe!  We loved wandering around the streets.  A great way to see the area is with a tour guide.  GetYourGuide has excellent San Juan tours that explore Old Town, taste the food of Puerto Rico, and even explore the rainforests. We explored on our own but wished we had gotten a guided tour.  Old San Juan is certainly one of the things you have to do on your island visit.

 

Visit the Rainforests in Puerto Rico

One of the things you have to do from San Juan is to visit the rainforest.  The El Yunque Rainforest is one of Puerto Rico’s treasures and a popular tourist spot. You can rent a car and drive yourself or take a guided tour there.  Personally, I like to leave the driving and logistics to others and go on guided tours.  We went on a trip with GetYourGuide to the rainforest, and it was a great experience.  Getting out of the city and seeing other parts of the island was fun.

The excursion picked us up in a van with ten other people and took us to the rainforest. The hiking was pretty muddy, but that kind of added to the fun. There is nothing better than tramping through a rainforest in the mud!

We finally reached a river and used a rope swing to land in a swimming hole. We also jumped off some lower cliffs and went down a natural slide—it was all a lot of fun!! And it felt good to get some of the mud off our shoes.

 

Take a Catamaran/Snorkel Trip to Culebra Island

We did another excursion with GetYourGuide to Flamenco Beach, one of the top ten beaches in the world. It was just gorgeous! It was one of the most beautiful beaches with the softest white sand I’ve ever felt. The water was all shades of blue and turquoise—pictures can’t begin to do justice to it!

We also saw many types of beautiful fish when we snorkeled in the warmest water I have ever swum in.  The lunch was so good-make your own sandwiches, salads, fruits, and cookies…  I seriously would not pass up this trip – it was definitely a highlight for us while visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Bioluminescent Lagoon Kayak Tour 

Another thing to do in San Juan is the Bioluminescent Lagoon Kayak Tour, which is one of the most popular tours in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is home to three of the five bioluminescent lagoons in the world. Bioluminescent microorganisms, called dinoflagellates, live in the water and can only glow instantly (less than one second) every 24 hours or so. There are millions of them in the bay, allowing the water to glow when it’s disturbed.

If you do this tour on the right night, it can be gorgeous.  But don’t think it will look like the doctored photos online.  We didn’t have time to do this tour but would have liked to. Next time? I love a good reason to return to a beautiful island!

 

Bottom Line

Puerto Rico is a fabulous place to visit, especially on points.  It has a laid-back vibe; you don’t need a passport to visit it, and the music and food are phenomenal. What are you waiting for?  By using the welcome offers on just a few cards, you can make this trip happen!  There is so much to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico; you will enjoy it all!