Honeymoon on the cheap - FL or Caribbean?
 

My fiancee and I are trying to figure out what the best honeymoon options are for May 24 - June 2, flying in and out of DC. We are trying to find a place that fits our criteria:
1) cheap airfare ($350 or less)
2) nice beaches
3) nightlife
4) other daytime activities (shops, historical sites, biking, deep sea fishing)
5) B&Bs at a reasonable price
6) good food
7) good weather (don't care about humidity, just want to avoid rain!)

We were originally thinking of staying domestic and maybe going to Miami for a night or two then drive through the Keys to Key West. I haven't been so inspired by what I've read in the forums.

So, now I'm thinking maybe Puerto Rico or another island. We have never been, so we don't know where to start looking.

What place fits our criteria?? Thanks for any creative thoughts you can provide!!

-K

My wife and I alternate between Florida and the Caribbean, so I feel your pain.

Given your criteria, Puerto Rico's probably a good choice. It's especially strong in the "other daytime activities" category, as well as food and nightlife.

The cheapest airfares are usually to Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Cancun, and St. Thomas.

Nice beaches around Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, but not in the FL Keys. Not much in the way of historical sites in FL either.

Your timing is good because you're going in the off-season (much lower hotel rates, somewhat lower airfares), but hurricane season really doesn't start until later.

"Reasonable B&Bs"? There are a few dozen "paradores" around Puerto Rico that may fit the bill; San Juan is tougher but there are some alternatives there. Other areas with some small, inexpensive hotels include Negril; St. Thomas and St. John (but not on the beach); Playa del Carmen or Akumal (south of Cancun).

Good luck!

I agree that Puerto Rico is probably a good choice given your requirements. Spirit has great airfares to San Juan out of Dulles, though flights are not nonstop.

The best combination of B&Bs & good beach near the sightseeing and nightlife of San Juan is found in the neighborhood of Ocean Park. That's a few miles east of Old San Juan, between the resort areas of Condado and Isla Verde. Ocean Park has a good large beach and some good B&B's. Probably the best one is Numero Uno Guesthouse. Others are Hosteria del Mar (like Numero Uno, beachfront) and At Wind Chimes Inn (a few blocks from the beach). Numero Uno has a great, though expensive restaurant, Pamela's. Ocean Park is a residential neighborhood and there's only a few restaurants and shops close to these B&Bs, but it's a short taxi ride or a 20-30 minute walk to the nightlife at Condado. It's not far from Old San Juan either. Condado proper has some B&Bs & small hotels, but the beach there is not as good and there's a lot of renovation and construction projects there right now.

There are also lots of small inns (paradores) outside of San Juan, but you'd have to rent a car to easily get out of San Juan. Take a look at these websites if you want to do some research on PR: www.gotopuertorico.com; www.rainforestsafari.com; www.travelandsports.com.

If after doing this, you want more detailed info on PR, post another question and I'll be glad to help.

I recommend Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, It has everything you are looking for and airfare to Cancun is usually reasonable. Check out Shangri-La Caribe for a great value with a mexican ambience and a beautiful beach. There are also a lot of funky little hotels there that are even less $$ than SLC.

You can fly down to Miami for under $200 RT get a cheap car rental and head out to Islamorada. It will be off season. Casa Morada is a nice oasis on the bay side. From there you can go fishing, kayaking, great dinners or just lounge by the pool. For a fabulous beach, drive out to Bahia Honda State Park, and head to Key West for shopping and dining.

Thank you so much for the great suggestions. I think we are going to plan a trip to Puerto Rico! I have a lot of research to do. . . I'll start now. . . . Instead of B&Bs (or paradores, as I just learned!), I think we want to find a quaint hotel in San Juan/Old San Juan. PR native, any suggestions?

Also, any suggestions on a good itinerary? We will be there for about 8 days. . . .what do we definitely have to do?

Thanks again!
-K

How about Bermuda, perfect month for great weather. Not a long flight and if you keep checking I am sure you can get a cheap airfare. Last year we paid around $350 rt from New York in June on US Air. Go to Bermuda.com and check out all of the places to stay. Good luck!
Bermuda is a perfect honeymoon spot.

Kellbell:
Without really knowing what you consider "reasonable" or "quaint", here are a few suggestions. You can look all of these places up on tripadvisor.com & judge from the reviews whether they are the type of place you are looking for:

1. In Old San Juan there's Hotel El Convento and the Gallery Inn. El Convento is larger and more expensive. It's an old convent in the heart of the old city. Because of it's central location, some rooms might be a little noisy, but it's very beautiful. Gallery Inn is a quirky little place run by an artist. Many people love this unique place, but some find the rooms in this colonial-era building too small or find the place cluttered and weird.

One note about staying in Old San Juan: be aware that there is no beach in the old city. It's very romantic and full of character, but if you want beach you won't want to stay more than a couple of nights in the old city.

2. The Condado area has a decent beach, but mostly generic resort hotels. There is a small boutique hotel called Coral Princess Inn that's about 2 blocks from Condado beach in a very convenient location.

3. Isla Verde beach area is a better beach than Condado, but has nothing that I would consider quaint. High-rise condos, big chain resorts, and very basic guesthouses are what you'll find there.

4. The other San Juan beach area is Ocean Park that has the guesthouses that I already mentioned earlier.

So, if you want to stick to San Juan and want beach, Condado or Ocean Park are your only options for staying away from the larger, generic hotels.

Alternatively, you could stay a couple of nights in Old San Juan and then head to a beach outside San Juan. There are nice, smaller hotels and great beaches on the west coast. The towns of Isabela and Rincon, especially, have several good lodging options. Check www.gotoportadelsol.com for information on this part of the island.

Another idea is to spend a night or two in the lush central mountains. Hacienda Juanita and Hacienda Gripinas are two former coffee plantations that are now quaint, peaceful inns. Check www.haciendajuanita.com and www.haciendagripinas.com.

As for things to do in general:
1. Spend some time, day and night, in Old San Juan. The old city is not just beautiful by day, but has great nightlife and restaurants.
2. Go to the rainforest.
3. Take one of the snorkeling day trips to offshore islands. You can find a list of tour operators on travelandsports.com.
4. Visit the west coast or the central mountains, as mentioned above.
5. Go to the Camuy Caves. If you're active and adventurous, you can take one of the private rappelling tours, instead of the tame trolley tour offered by the cave park. Rappelling tours are listed on travelandsports.com.
6. Consider staying a night or two in the islands of Vieques or Culebra.
7. Visit one of the bioluminescent lagoons. The best one is in Vieques, but you can also get a tour to one near Fajardo (about an hour from San Juan).

Finally, do a word search for "Puerto Rico" on this forum. There are several not-too-old threads that discuss itineraries and include trip reports.

Thank you! Thank you! This is exactly the sort of starting point that I was looking for. I appreciate the thoughtful and thorough input. I'll be able to start my research here and post as other questions come up. I'm really excited!

Have a great weekend!