Where to stay in Puerto Rico?
 

Hello,

My boyfriend and I are going to Puerto Rico this coming November (probably over Thanksgiving) and were looking for some advice. Where should we stay? I would love to just lounge on the beach all day but I know he will need something more stimulating (shopping, museums, biking, hiking etc.). We both love good food and drink so it would be nice to be within walking distance to great restaurants and bars. We are thinking of staying in a BnB or someplace that has a kitchen so we can save some money by not going out for all of our meals. I heard that Isla Verde has the best beaches, how are the restaurants around there? One thing that I do not want to miss is the bioluminescent bay. How hard is it to get there?

Is it safe? I heard that the economic climate right now is making Puerto Rico an unsafe place to travel. I also heard that a lot of shops are closed. Is that true? I've wanted to go for years but I'm worried by what I've heard from friends.

Any advice would be great!! (Or if you have ideas on any other island/country that would be fairly inexpensive to travel to from DC)

Thanks so much!

Isla Verde is a nice area not to far from the airport. I think it is a safe area. Look at the San Juan Beach and Water Club Hotel. I stayed in Condado which is a little farther away from the airport. There was a beautiful beach near but I remember more condos than hotels in that area. Go and enjoy yourselves:).

We are staying in a nice condo that we found on vrbo. On the beach in Isla Verde. No resort fees!

I don't want to keep repeating myself but if you do a search with my screen name, you'll see quite a few posts discussing the two main tourist areas around San Juan.

We went to PR in May. If you click my screen name I have a full detailed trip report and photo link of our trip.

We stayed at the Marriott Stellaris in Condado. We liked the hotel, but we are pool people. The beaches are better in Isla Verde.

We prefer All Inclusive resorts in Mexico. We are currently in Texas, so it's easier to travel to and less expensive than many of the Caribbean Islands.