The Best of Puerto Rico in 4 Days

Where can you spend a 4-day weekend in absolute nature, get a tan on instagram-worthy beaches, swim with wild sea turtles, explore a jungle and rinse off under a waterfall, get your salsa dance groove on, and scratch your history buff itch? The answer lies in the Caribbean Sea, just between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands, and it's name is Puerto Rico.

The easiest of tropical getaways since a passport isn't required for United States citizens, currency is the US Dollar, it's just a hop and skip away from the mainland USA and flights are quite affordable, especially in the shoulder season. Puerto Rico, an island of natural wonders, interesting history , salsa dancing and a smorgasbord of delicious (and affordable) Caribbean foods awaits! Let's get started!

Our itinerary takes us clockwise around the north-eastern part of the main Puerto Rico island, staying the first night in Fajardo. The next morning headed to Ceiba at early light to catch transport to Culebra island and from there to Culebrita to spend the most part of the day there, snorkeling with sea turtles.

Then either return to main Puerto Rico to spend the night, or stay the night in Culebra and continue the next morning.

The third morning we head into the Luquillo Mountains of El Yunque National Rainforest and stay the night at a rainforest lodge.

On Day four we head to San Juan and depending on the departure time have time for one or both options: Walk/jog the pretty trails at the University of Puerto Rico's Botanical Gardens and/or explore the history of Fort El Morro.

While this itinerary is doable in 4 days, we do think you'll want to stay longer at Culebra or El Yunque Rainforest, so you might consider adding a day.

Getting to Culebra Island via the Ceiba Ferry is a scenic and affordable way at under $10 roundtrip per person to reach this Caribbean paradise. The Ceiba Ferry Terminal lies about 20 minutes drive south of Fajardo, with the ferry water journey taking about 45 minutes to an hour. Tickets are best purchased in advance online and you need to arrive at least an hour before departure times to allow for parking and shuttling to the terminal, especially during peak travel seasons. The ferry ride offers stunning views of the turquoise waters and nearby islands, making it a pleasant start to your Culebra adventure.

While the ferry is reliable, schedules vary by season and storms can cancel trips during the day, so checking for updates ahead of time is a good idea.

We chose the 15 mins plane ride to get to Culebra early in the morning and booked one way tickets for the last ferry that evening from Culebra back to Ceiba. We parked our car at the ferry terminal and took a taxi stationed at the ferry terminal from there to the nearby airport ($10), to make the return in the dark that evening a bit easier.

The quick flight to Culebra with Air Flamenco is a breeze and offers amazing views of smaller Caribbean islands. The 8 passenger planes shuttling to and fro throughout the day at an affordable price of roughly $50 per person one way (at time of this post), but spots need to be booked ahead. You'll need to weigh your bags AND yourself as the planes' seating is calculated by weight.

Once on Culebra you could rent a Jeep or cart for $100 a day and tour Culebra, as instagrammers will most definately convince you to stay at Flamenco Beach...BUT then you'd miss out on the even wilder, more natural beaches on Culebritas, and they are just a quick boat ride away for not a whole lot more.

A candid note on the famous Flamenco Beach: We were curious what all the fuss was about and wanted to see for ourself, but found it overrun with people (no way to get a beach photo without a bunch of people in the background) and littered with rusting, graffity plastered war machines. It does have modern restrooms, food and drink vendors, stray cats and chickens, but it has the feel of a cheap resort and we prefer more authentic experiences, so on to Culebritas!

Late afternoon takes us back to Culebra, we asked our taxi driver to drop us off at Flamenco Beach for a quick shower. Flamenco Beach is a high-traffic tourist spot where taxis await to take beach goers back to town. Folks can ride-share to the ferry terminal or dinner for just $5 per person with a minimum of 4 passengers. We, as well as locals recommend Mamacita's for dinner before heading back to Ceiba on the ferry. The seafood is locally sourced and the dock lights attract wild tarpon, which tussle for morsels tossed by guests. Culebra has a few options for overnight stays, however, we took the ferry back to Ceiba and stayed overnight in Fajardo. Remember to take a jacket along, the ferry cabin is quite cold after a day in the sun.

For a wild hike you won't likely forget anytime soon, the Rio Sabana trail starts right at the recreation area and leads upward through the El Toro Wilderness forest, between the rivers Cubuy and Sabana. Be sure and take a hiking stick and wear solid shoes that hold your foot in place that can handle being wet for hours (we saw several discarded boots with their soles detached). We wore hiking sandals without socks and managed by washing the mud off our feet and ankles in pathside waterfalls.

The wildlife in El Yunque is "friendly" for the most part, allowing one to tread through the forest without having to watch for venomous snakes. The forest is home to 97 bird species, five species of bats, 19 reptiles (mostly lizards), 16 amphibians- all frogs, innumerous terrestrial invertebrates including the Puerto Rican Calisto Butterfly, PR Tree Snails, Semi-slugs, and the odd Velvet Worms. The rivers are home to nine migratory freshwater shrimp and one freshwater crab.

The small Indian Mongoose, an invasive non-native small mammal preys on native wildlife, disrupting the delicate ecosystem.

We recommend staying at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge for a no-fuss (basic 2-star) bed and breakfast experience in the middle of the rainforest. Other, more luxurious lodging can be found on the north side, but you'd miss out on the "path less traveled" experience. The ecolodge is the last building on PR Road 191 toward Rio Sabana Recreation Area. The road abruptly stops just after the entrance into the National Forest, as a landslide interrupted the passage more than a decade ago (Google Maps erroneously shows the road intact). We've stayed here three times over the years. Although we don't get any perks for doing so, we recommend the ecolodge for its tranquil location. Last we checked, bookings are made directly on the lodges' website www.casacubuy.com

If your flight departure is late afternoon or evening, consider taking time to stop at these worthy spots on the way back toward San Juan airport: The University of Puerto Rico's Botanic Gardens lies on San Juan's southern side, is along the route, and is well worth visiting. Take a leisurely stroll through gorgeous plant displays, or exercise along winding paths near ponds filled with the song of rain frogs.

Puerto Rico's history is full of European countries aiming to control its strategic Caribbean location. The most famous landmark is the nearly 500-year-old Spanish fortress Castillo San Felipe del Morro, commonly known as El Morro, overlooking the Bay of San Juan.

Built by the Spanish Empire to defend against naval attacks, this iconic citadel stands on a dramatic promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. With its six-level design, thick walls, and strategic cannons, El Morro successfully repelled invasions from the British, Dutch, and pirates for over 400 years. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a premier tourist attraction, offering spectacular ocean views, sprawling green lawns, and a fascinating glimpse into Puerto Rico’s colonial past.