Vacation Rentals in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s eastern coast has vacation homes for almost anyone. You’ll find remote retreats near the ElYunque forest, beach houses in resorts like Luqillo, properties for fishing enthusiasts in Fajardo and massive tourist developments at resorts such as Palmas del Mar.

The west of the island is paradise if you want a rental home near the beach. Choose from spacious seafront villas in Aguadilla, apartments in vibrant Mayaguez or whitewashed 18th and 19th century properties in Isabela. Get away from it all on the Rincón peninsular or enjoy comfortable vacation homes at Cabo Rojo.

Puerto Rico lies around 1,000 miles southeast of Florida and is a US territory. With its tropical climate, fine beaches and laidback lifestyle, it’s a popular vacation destination for American travelers and offers a superb mixture of attractions. At only 100 miles wide by 40 miles across, you can see the major attractions, wherever you decide to stay.

Puerto Rico has excellent transport connections to North America. All major US airlines fly into Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan on a daily basis, and there will usually be flights to smaller airports like Ponce as well. Cruise ships also dock at San Juan throughout the tourist season.

When you get there, finding your way around is relatively simple. A circular road runs around the island’s coast, linking together the largest cities and major resorts. Car rental is cheap, while services like públicos (shared minibusses) and standard buses knit together the island’s cities as well.

If you love unspoiled nature, a visit to the El Yunque Rainforest is essential. You can hike through dwarf forests, seeing Puerto Rican parrots and tree frogs, swim under waterfalls and climb to stunning mountain views – all without worrying about snakes, which are absent from the forest.

Puerto Rico’s beaches are one of the island’s main attractions. Visit remote beaches on islands like IslaVerde or the Cabo Rojo peninsular, snorkel among the corals at Guanica, soak up the romance at Maunabo or find a vacation home in modern resorts like Rincon.

If you enjoy sporting activities during your vacations, Puerto Rico is hard to better. Play a round of golf at courses like Royal Isabela, rent mountain bikes in the rainforest at Hacienda Carabalí, or pull on your wetsuit and grab a sail at some of the Caribbean’s finest windsurfing spots.

The island’s capital has been around since the 16th century. Clamber up to the impressive fort of San Felipe del Morro or the mammoth fort of San Cristobal or wander the tight streets of Old San Juan, before hitting the salsa clubs.

Horseback riding is one of the most magical activities to enjoy in Puerto Rico. Join tours of the Carabaliforest, ride along the northwest beaches, and benefit from expert tuition from friendly local riding instructors.

Puerto Rico is famous for its “bioluminescent” bays, which glow with in the moonlight due to special micro-organisms. Take a moonlight boat trip to the most spectacular bays like Fajardo or the island of Viecques.

Diving is a big deal around the Puerto Rican coast and there are some exceptional dive sites. Locations like Mona Island offer a plethora of dazzling fish, sharks and even humpback whales, barracuda and rays.

Don’t miss out on Puerto Rican soups like asopao, delicious beef stews, roast pork leg, chicken and rice, fried plantain or breadfruit and a wealth of sugary, irresistible desserts. The island is food heaven.

Puerto Rico has a tropical climate, so it helps to be familiar with its seasonal variations. April to June tends to be the best time to visit, when the temperatures are warm (but not too warm) and the crowds of the peak winter season have dissipated. From July onwards, the rains tend to come, until “winter” arrives in December, and temperatures soar.

The island uses Atlantic Standard Time (EST +1), so set your watch before you touch down. Many will speak English, but there are plenty of Spanish speakers, so a few language skills can go a long way. If you are heading into the mountains, pack a sweater, as temperatures can plummet when you rise a few hundred meters.

You might also want to time your arrival to coincide with one of Puerto Rico’s many festivals. Three Kings Day on January 6th is a major celebration, as is the Ponce Carnival in February. If you love dance, check out Danza Week in San Juan in May, while the capital’s La Fortaleza Street is the place to be for food lovers in June during the SoFo Culinary Festival.