Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
High-class resorts aren't limited exclusively to San Juan and the eastern coast; on the north coast, travelers who aren't constrained by a budget will find Dorado, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve sitting on 1,400 acres, many of them prime beachfront. But for the most part, paradores and other modest lodgings are the norm in the small towns, especially in the Cordillera. In this part of the island there are seldom more than two or three options in any given town. Sometimes there's one hotel—take it or leave it. You'd better take it, especially if you're traveling on a weekend. The best lodgings, rustic retreats set beside a river or on acres of lush forest, are often booked solid. Make sure to call ahead, as it's a long way between towns.
This beachfront resort is much like an Embassy Suites anywhere else in the world, offering a consistent, quality experience but little local flavor. Kids will love the free-form pool that shimmers in the courtyard. All suites have separate bedrooms and living rooms, with plenty of space for families to stretch out. There's a charge for self-parking, which is typical of this area.
Simple, clean, bright, affordable: this small property in the mountains just northwest of Aibonito in Barranquitas ticks a lot of boxes. Enjoy views of the verdant scenery that surrounds it from your patio or balcony, a feature of every room. Larger groups can also rent a separate house on the grounds.
Built on the grounds of a coffee plantation, this 19th-century inn is surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks. Several of the clapboard-walled rooms in the red-roofed manor house have private balconies overlooking lush gardens and a spring-fed pool—the nicest are rooms 4 and 5 facing the courtyard directly. There are plenty of small parlors where you can relax with a drink from the bar. Breakfast and dinner are included in the room rates. The dining area, which meanders through three different rooms, serves criollo fare like chicken with rice and beans. Nonguests are welcome for dinner, too. One nearby hiking trail leads to Cerro de Punta, about a 2½-hour climb.
