Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the Caribbean. If you are planning a trip to Puerto Rico this itinerary for Puerto Rico will be incredibly helpful to you. Puerto Rico is abundant in natural wonder, vibrant cities and people of every type. I have been to Puerto Rico many times in my life and know of all the top places to visit on the island. This itinerary for Puerto Rico will take you from the capital city of San Juan to the West Coast surfing village of Rincon and then down to the vibrant city of Ponce and then back up to San Juan to say goodbye to this amazing Island. I hope that this Puerto Rico itinerary is a good place to start planning your trip.
Itinerary for Puerto Rico for 7 days
Puerto Rico is a beautiful Caribbean Island filled with natural wonders, beautiful beaches and tropical rainforests. Isla del Encanto as locals call it, is a natural wonder and should be properly explored to appreciate the beauty that it has. In my Puerto Rico itinerary I have tried to include every possible type of entertainment you could want to experience on this island. From snorkeling with turtles, watching the sun dip down behind the ocean or sipping martinis in speakeasy bars anybody from couples on their honeymoon, families visiting for the first time to any solo adventures – this Puerto Rico itinerary will be your one stop shop for planning the perfect trip
Day 1 – Explore Old San Juan
Day 2 – Snorkel in a marine reserve and kayak in glowing water
Day 3 – El Yunque Rainforest day trip
Day 4 – Cayo Icacos / Culebra / Vieques day trip
Day 5 – Drive to Rincon, surf lessons and waterfalls in Rincon
Day 6 – Snorkel at Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, Drive to Ponce
Day 7 – Explore coffee plantations and Ponce
Day 1: Explore Old San Juan
Visit Castillo San Felipe del Morro
The El Morro Fort is one of the top places that people visit in Old San Juan. It is an architectural wonder situated at the very tip of the land overlooking the San Juan bay. The fort was used as a protection against invaders by the people of San Juan. The fort has seven different levels and you will spend the entire morning walking around and exploring the fort and its many nooks and crannies. Be sure to get here early because the fort is open to the sky and hence gets very hot when the sun comes up high in the sky around 11am.
Lunch at Pirilo Pizza
One of my favorite restaurants on the island is Pirilo Pizza. They serve the most amazing cheesy pizza along with an amazing selection of local appetizers and refreshing drinks. The restaurant is located within walking distance from Morro fort so you can go here right after your tour.
Walk around Old San Juan
In the afternoon once you have been refreshed from the heat, start your walking tour of Old San Juan or you can use my Old San Juan guide to do a self guided tour and save some money. The places to see in Old San Juan are Paseo de la Princesa, Raíces Fountain, San Juan Cathedral, La Fortaleza and Paseo de la Princesa.
Sunset sail in the bay / food or bar tasting tour
In the evening depending on your interest you can either go for a food or bar tasting tour or you can do a sunset sale in the bay. The bar tour is especially nice because of the variety and quality of all the bars in Old San Juan. My favorite bar is Barrachina where the Pina Colada is said to have been invented. If you instead opt for a nice sunset sail you can spend your entire evening out on the water with your loved ones.
Dinner at La madre and drinks at El Batey
For dinner head to the famous Mexican restaurant La Madre. This is a fan favorite so there might be a waiting time. But Old San Juan is a really pretty place at night so you will definitely not mind waiting. If you want to get drinks after dinner head over to my favorite speakeasy bar EL Batey. The bar has a cozy nook for a pool table and makes the best cocktails on the island.
Day 2: Snorkel in a marine reserve and kayak in glowing water
Relaxing at Escambron beach
Escambron Beach near Old San Juan is the prettiest beach in San Juan. It is a local beach and not filled with obnoxious tourists. The beach has a big natural pool made with rocks that are sticking out of the ocean which protects it from the swell. The reef near these rocks is filled with sea life. You can see everything from crabs to fish and tiny eels. On the other side of the beach is the Escambron Marine Reserve where all of the snorkeling and diving tours take place. If you get lucky and come early in the morning, you can even see turtles here.
Lunch at Marlin Tubeau on Wheels
A five minute walk from Escambron Beach is a food truck called Marlin Tubeau on Wheels. This is the only food truck I have ever bought and liked fish tacos from. You should definitely buy your lunch from them and have it on the beach. They only open from Thursdays to Sundays after 12pm so be sure to go to the beach between these days.
Afternoon tour of Casa Bacardi
It won’t be a proper trip to Puerto Rico if you don’t go and check out how all the rum you have been drinking on the island is made. Casa Bacardi offers rum tasting tours where you can go into the factory and check out how the rum is made from sugarcane. This is a very interesting tour and you get to taste some very nice rum for free!
Night time bioluminescent bay kayaking
After you finish your tour at Casa Bacardi you will pack your swim suits and wait for your tour operator to pick you up and take you for night kayaking at the bioluminescent bay Fajardo. The bay is 2 hours away so you will spend the entire evening and a little bit of the night kayaking in the bay and seeing one of the most magical natural phenomenons on this planet.
Dinner at Oceans lab Brewing Co.
Once you get back from your thrilling tour head over to Ocean Labs Brewing Co which is on the way back to Old San Juan from Fajardo. The club has a beer tasting menu where you can taste six different types of beer in really tiny glasses. The cafe is right on the water and very secluded. It is a really romantic and beautiful place to have dinner.
Day 3: El Yunque rainforest day trip
Hiking and waterfalls at El Yunque National Forest
The third day of the Puerto Rico itinerary will start by taking a day trip to the El Yunque National Forest. This is the only rainforest in all of the United States. The rainforest is lush and beautiful with lots of waterfalls that you can swim in. You can rent a car and drive to these waterfalls yourself or you can go with a tour which will take care of all of the permits and food for you. I recommend going by yourself because you have much more freedom to stay at the waterfalls as long as you want and hike which ever trails you prefer
Picnic lunch next to waterfalls
For lunch I hope you packed some sandwiches to have a picnic at one of these waterfalls. Having a picnic in the middle of the rainforest is a really calming experience. You can hear the coquis singing in the background and the water bubbling right next to you. Check out my guide to El Yunque rainforest.
Chilling at Luquillo beach and Pinones
In the afternoon when you are driving back to San Juan take the way that passes through Luquillo beach and the Pinones food shacks. Try some local food at the Pinones shacks at Luquillo beach. The beach is very pretty and you can get some very very cheap drinks here.
Dancing at La Placita de Santurce and walking Calle Loiza
In the evening once you are back in the city get dressed up and head over to La Placita de Santurce. It is the most happening place in the city! You can see couples salsa dancing right on the street all night long. Some of the hottest clubs and restaurants in San Juan are at La Placita. If this is not your style and you prefer something laid back then Calle Loiza is the place to go. It is more chill with some clubs and casinos and a much tamer crowd. A really good restaurant in Calle Loiza is Ali Baba Turkish Restaurant. It’s expensive but the best Turkish food I’ve ever had!
Day 4: Cayo Icacos/Culebra/Vieques day trip
Start on your snorkeling day trip
One of the most adventurous things to do when you go to Puerto Rico is to do a day trip to one of the nearby smaller islands. Cayo Icacos, Culebra and Vieques are three islands close to the north-eastern shore of Puerto Rico. You can book a tour with a tour company. If you book a tour it usually starts with multiple snorkeling stops, then having lunch on the boat and then docking on one of the islands so you can spend some time in the afternoon exploring the island.
If you decide to do a trip by yourself it’s only possible to go to Cayo Icacos because the logistics to go to Culebra and Vieques are too problematic to do in just one day. I did a trip by myself to Cayo Icacos and really liked being on the island the entire day and chilling by myself. If you do end up doing a tour I recommend a Catamaran tour which is one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life!
Picnic at the island
Your lunch will either be a picnic on the island so make sure to pack sandwiches or if you’re doing the tour the tour companies will provide lunch on the deck of the boat.
Dinner at Marmalade
For dinner head over to Marmalade which is one of the top restaurants in San Juan.
Cozy evening at Cannon Club Piano Bar
Once you are back from the trip to the island you will probably be really tired and want to go to a relaxing place. I recommend going to Canon Club Piano Bar in Old San Juan. This is a really classy piano bar with live piano performances every night. They have a great selection of wine in a really cozy old Spanish house where you can sit in a corner and enjoy food and wine as long as you.
Day 5: Drive to Rincon, surf lessons and waterfalls in Rincon
Drive to Rincon with 2 interesting stops
In the morning, get up really early at 6:00 a.m. and drive to Rincon so you can reach by 11:00 a.m. On the way to Rincon stop at the Rio Camuy Cave Park. This is a really old cave system that is fun to explore by torch light. The next stop on the way to Rincon will be the Punta Higuera Lighthouse. This is a defunct lighthouse situated on top of a cliff where you can sometimes spot whales swimming past in the channel below.
Lunch at Estela
Surf lesson then go to Gozalandia Waterfalls
In the afternoon make your way to Domes Beach with your surf instructor where you will get your first surf lesson. Rincon is a famous surfing destination and some of the most amazing surfers in the world have surfed its waves. After your thrilling surf lesson, drink a coconut and then drive to Cascada Gozalandia which is a gorgeous two-story waterfall with a deep pool where you can swing from a rope.
Villa Cofresi drinks and dinner
Once you’re back from the waterfall head over to Villa Cofresi. They have a famous pirate drink where an entire coconut is filled with coconut water and rum. The restaurant faces the beach on the west and I have seen some of the most beautiful sunsets from here. Definitely go and have dinner at the restaurant from where you can see the famous west coast sunsets.
Thursday Night Art Market
After dinner if it’s a Thursday make your way to downtown Rincon where a bustling Art Market with local art will be on display. Even if it is not a Thursday, Rincon downtown gets popping at night and it’s a fun walk around the neighborhood.
Day 6: Snorkel at Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, Drive to Ponce
Breakfast at The English Rose and yoga
The next morning start your day by doing some yoga at the Barefoot Yoga yoga class and then make your way to the English Rose to get some delicious breakfast before a day of adventure
Snorkel at Tres Palmas or dive at Desecheo island
For the morning you can either choose to relax at the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve beach. You can see turtles, reef sharks, jellyfish, multiple varieties of fish and many other sea life.If you want to instead go for a diving trip, you can book a diving tour and they will take you to the uninhibited Desecheo Island off the coast of Rincon. The diving will take at least 4 hours and you won’t be back till lunch.
Lunch at Cowboys Cantina
Whale tour then drive to Ponce
In the afternoon go for a whale tour in the waters in the channel off Rincon. The channel off the coast of Rincon is the migratory part for great whales to go north and south during migration season. If you’re lucky you will see pods of whales swimming past you in the water. Once you come back from the tour, pack your bags and start your drive to the city of Ponce. On the way, stop at Porta Coeli Church.
Tour of Ponce
If you still have energy then start exploring Ponce once you reach. Some of the best places to see in Ponce are the Parque de Bomba, Museo de la Historia and Paseo Atocha.
Dinner at La Cava Restaurant
Day 7: Explore coffee plantations and Ponce
Coffee plantation trip
The next morning you will get up early and head to Hacienda Buena Vista or Hacienda Pomarrosa coffee plantation. The south Puerto Rican coffee plantations are gorgeous rolling hills of coffee plants. This is a really unique activity to do that isn’t found in many places in the world.
Lunch at La Casa del Chef.
Snorkel near Ponce
In the afternoon you can either explore Ponce or take a tour to one of these snorkeling spots in the sea to the south. There is a bar in the waters off the coast of Ponce that you can only reach by boat. It is one of the most secluded parts of the island so you will find some pristine nature and sea life in these waters.
Dinner at Lola Eclectic Cuisine
Drive to San Juan or stay in Ponce
In the evening you can either drive back to San Juan or if you want to take a day to explore some more of the city you can stay the night in the city and drive back to San Juan next morning.
FAQs
How many days do you need in Puerto Rico?
You need at least 7 days to fully tour and see all parts of Puerto Rico. You can extend the trip to 10 days and comfortably fill up the extra three days with other stuff to do on the island.
How to spend 7 days in Puerto Rico?
My itinerary for Puerto Rico lists out in detail how to spend 7 days in Puerto Rico. You can mix and match the things to do and create your own shortened or longer itinerary.
How to spend 5 days in Puerto Rico?
My itinerary for Puerto Rico lists out in detail how to spend 7 days in Puerto Rico. To shorten this to 5 days, remove the last two day trip to Ponce and go back to San Juan from Rincon.
Where should I go for the first time in Puerto Rico?
My itinerary for Puerto Rico lists out in detail where to go your first time in Puerto Rico. It includes day trips to El Yunque, Cayo Icacos and road trips to Rincon and Ponce.
Conclusion
This itinerary for Puerto Rico has all of the top places to visit in Puerto Rico. I have included everything from snorkeling, to rainforest, waterfalls and hiking. The cities of Rincon, Ponce and San Juan are cultural hubs worthy of being explored. Hope you have an amazing time planning your itinerary for Puerto Rico.
Checkout other Puerto Rico posts
Complete Guide to Surfing in Rincon, Puerto Rico
23 Best Things to do in Rincon, Puerto Rico
Complete Guide for a day trip to dreamy Cayo Icacos Island
