A work trip to Puerto Rico during wintery February? Yes, please! And a little time even on a sunny beach, trip to a cacao farm, and some time to explore Old San Juan? Even better.
Old San Juan
Old San Juan is just vibrant color everywhere you turn. We did our own little walking tour, heading from the Castillo San Cristóbal and Bastión de San Sebastián, towards the historic Parroquia San Francisco de Asís church (would have loved to see the catacombs but it wasn’t open), along El Paseo de la Princesa, through Parque de las Palomas to see the birds, then up to the Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis and finally to Castillo San Felipe del Morro. With some food and popsicles along the way.
The Banco Popular de Puerto Rico building is a really stunning late 1930s building, so I snapped a few pics of it, also.
El Conquistador Resort
I was staying at El Conquistador Resort (work trip) and the views, and the pools, were just so lovely. My balcony view, also, was so incredible. At the harbor sometimes they get manatees (I didn’t see any, though)!
Isla Palomino
Another fun thing about El Conquistador is that you can take a boat to a private island – what a luxurious feeling! I found some huge seashells, and the water was so warm and clear.
Fajardo
In Fajardo there are a number of kayak tours that take you, at night, through the mangroves and into the lagoon, where you can see bioluminescence – it’s breathtaking. I did this on my first trip to PR over 20 years ago, and it was exhilarating to be able to go back to see it again. We used Las Tortugas Adventures; there are lots of options and you can choose based on the trip that works for you. I also got in a few morning runs with the chickens and the cats.
Hacienda Chocolat
We had the chance to tour Hacienda Chocolat to learn about the process of growing and harvesting the cacao and creating chocolate using an artisanal process, ending with a chocolate tasting.
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