We are planning our first trip to the Caribbeans and we are taking our 2-year-old with us. We are looking for a place that is easy to get around, safe, and offers more activities for kids other than just beaches and water activities. (We are not so much of a beach person ourselves either). Any recommendations on which island to go?

I will try to help. I have been to about 10 islands and have kids so maybe my perspective will be useful. A top choice would be Aruba. It's clean, safe, good medical facilities, some American restaurant choices in case of picky eaters and other activities such as miniature golf, etc. Although the beach is still the star attraction here. There are several good condo resorts on the island such as La Cabana (which has a kids club), Playa Linda, Marriott Ocean Club, Costa Linda. I also love Puerto Rico but recommend staying at a resort outside of S.J. unless you truly want a city experience instead of a resort one. We are timeshare owners at Hyatt Hacienda Del Mar, about 40 minutes outside S.J. A huge resort (actually three resorts together) with lots of activities, kids club, etc. My kids love it. If you are not really beach people, a great choice would be a cruise (we just got back from taking our kids on the Navigator/Western Caribbean.) Lots of activities, wonderful kids club and babysitting and less expensive than a lot of resorts.

Thanks Eileen. It seems to me that Aruba is quite americanized by reading some posts in this site. Will PR give you better cultural experience? We did extensive travels around the world before. We are somewhat constrained by the little one lately however. But would still prefer a place that offer unique cultural experience other than just beaches.

Well, Aruba is not exactly full of cultural experiences as far as I recall although there is a lot of Dutch architecture and some restaurants. I found it to be an interesting mix of Dutch/Arawak Indian/Spanish/American/Caribbean. But you might find more obvious cultural influences in Puerto Rico, especially Old San Juan.

Then what are some of the must sees in PR. How many days are needed (We can't move very fast with a 2-year-old)?

Hi. In PR, you should spend at least 2-3 nights in San Juan, so you can leisurely explore Old San Juan. Old San Juan will be fun for the adults and the child. A 2 year old would enjoy Pigeon Park, the forts (San Cristobal & San Felipe del Morro), looking at ships in the bay. El Morro has a large open esplanade overlooking the water and has got to be one of the best places in the world to fly a kite. In Old San Juan, there's also a small Children's Museum. Between the old town and Condado section there's also Third Millenium Park on the waterfront with a small public beach and the Luis Munoz Rivera Park across it, both of which are probably good places to take a toddler. On the east edge of Condado, near Ocean Park, off of Ashford Avenue, there's another oceanfront park with a small playground (Parque del Indio). In Santurce, near Condado, there's a good, newer museum, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. The Fine Arts Center is near the museum and has concerts and plays, but most of the plays will be in Spanish.

Outside San Juan, Luquillo beach is family-friendly because it has calm waters and facilities (bathrooms, showers, etc.). The nearby rainforest, although not an ideal toddler location, is still easy enough to see with a small child. You just won't be able to go deep into the trails. Near the rainforest, there's also a horse stable (Hacienda Carabali) that offers horseback rides. A 2 year old is probably too young to ride, but might enjoy seeing the horses.

If you don't want to limit yourself to the beach, stay a few nights in the central mountains. There's some interesting places near the rain forest, check www.rainforestsafari.com. There's also a nice former coffee plantation, www.haciendajuanita.com. These places will be peaceful, exotic, and will have trails to explore with your little one.

The town of Ponce has a pretty good museum and a beautifully restored old town center. The town of San German is even older, and though not as beautifully restored, is still an interesting place to visit.

Finally, the beaches on the west coast of the island, IMHO, are the best. There, the fishing village of Boqueron has another family-friendly beach and can be a sleepy town, or a very lively spot, depending on the time of the year and whether it's a weekend or the middle of the week.

The rain forest safari website above has lots of good info on PR. Check also gotopuertorico.com and travelandsports.com.

If you want to see different spots around the island, you should probaly give yourself about 10 days. But, you can also do just a 5-day trip if you limit yourself to, say, 3 nights in San Juan and a couple of nights in the mountains or rainforest. Travelling from San Juan to the Luquillo/rainforest area, for example, should take you about 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic and how deep into the mountains you go. So it's fairly easy to do with a toddler.

Thanks PRNative. That is very helpful. You didn't mention the Rio Camuy Cave. Is it interesting? Or it doesn't suite toddler? We are thinking of spending 6 days (7 nights) in PR. 2 days in San Juan and nearby atractions, 1 day in the rainforest, 3 days in the west/southwest part of the island(I am struggling with this part of the trip). How does this sound to you? How long of a drive from Ponce to San Juan? How to get to the fishing village you mentioned in your last message?

The thing with the cave park is that, as far as I know, you can't see it on your own. You have to get there early, get tickets for one of the trolley departures, wait your turn (which sometimes can be hours long), and get on and off the trolley when they tell you to. This lack of flexibility might make it more difficult to do with a toddler.

The San Juan to Ponce drive takes about an hour on the toll highway (#52). You can get more information about the west coast, including maps and directions to Boqueron, on www.gotoportadelsol.com.