The Perfect 1 Week Puerto Rico Itinerary for Families
If you're planning to visit Puerto Rico with kids, you may be wondering how to spend your time on the island. This blog post will share our family's 1-week Puerto Rico itinerary, including the best things to do with kids, and the best places to visit on La Isla del Encanto (or "The Island of Enchantment").
Like many families in the United States, we prefer to visit warm and sunny destinations for spring break. We live in Wisconsin, so our March weather usually includes snow and below-freezing temperatures.
We were drawn to Puerto Rico as our destination of choice for a few reasons:
It's a territory of the United States, so no passports are needed.
Average temperatures in March hover between the upper 70s to mid 80s.
Beautiful beaches are abundant on this small island.
Puerto Rico has a unique culture and history.
The time zone is not too far off from many places in the United States, making it an easy getaway for a shorter time period like spring break.
So if you like piña coladas, relaxing on a sunny beach, exploring historic cities, and hiking through a rainforest, Puerto Rico might be the perfect destination for you!
In this article, I'm sharing our 1-week itinerary, plus a few helpful things to know before you go, and what I would have done differently!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Puerto Rico Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Fly into San Juan and check into your hotel
Day 2: Get up early and explore Old San Juan in the morning. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or going to the beach.
Day 3: Drive to El Yunque National Forest, then stop at the Luquillo Kiosks for lunch on the way back to San Juan.
Day 4: Spend the morning in Old San Juan before taking a road trip to the west coast of Puerto Rico. Check into your Airbnb.
Day 5: Have a slow morning, then head to the beach in Rincon.
Day 6: Drive down to Cabo Rojo to see the lighthouse and cliffs.
Day 7: Check out of your Airbnb and drive back to San Juan.
Day 8: Fly home.
Family-Friendly 7 Day Puerto Rico Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in San Juan
In recent years, prices for flights to tropical destinations in spring have skyrocketed, leaving many families paying double or triple for flights that they've paid in the past.
We ended up paying a fortune for our spring break to the Florida Keys in 2023, so I decided to take action to make our spring break more affordable for 2024.
As a family of 6, I knew that flights would be our biggest expense, so I got the Southwest Companion Pass. If you're not familiar, if you earn 135,000 points with Southwest Airlines, you qualify for a Companion Pass which means you get to choose one person to fly with you for free (and just pay taxes and fees).
I earned the pass by signing up for the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Performance Business Card and hitting the minimum spend in the first 3 months for both of those cards to earn the sign-up bonuses, which put me at just over 135,000 points. (These are my personal referral links. If you use them I may receive bonus Southwest Rapid Reward points for referring you).
The Companion Pass is good for the remainder of the year you qualified for, plus the entire next year. I earned it in the summer of 2023, so I can use it until the end of 2024.
The other great thing about the Companion Pass is that you can use all the points you earned to qualify for it to book flights. So we booked 4 of our family's plane tickets to Puerto Rico on points, we had one Companion for free, and then we just paid cash for the 6th plane ticket. This was a great way to reduce the cost of our spring break trip!
Because we were trying to book as many people on points as possible, we chose a flight schedule that arrived at the San Juan airport around midnight. After picking up our rental car and driving to our hotel, it was around 12:30 a.m.
However, if your family books flights that arrive in the early afternoon, you would have half a day to settle in and maybe even explore Old San Juan!
We stayed at the Hyatt Place San Juan because they offer rooms that sleep a family of 6 with 2 queen beds and a pullout couch. They also have free continental breakfast, a great pool for kids with a small waterslide, and a free shuttle to Old San Juan and Escambron Beach nearby. We booked this hotel for 12,000 Hyatt points per night for 3 nights.
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Reward Points to Hyatt to book your hotel on points, which is what we did. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is my favorite travel credit card because the points are flexible and can be transferred to many hotel and airline programs.
If you prefer to pay in cash, the rooms go for around $250 per night, but you'll have to check current rates for your specific dates.
I have also stayed at the Caribe Hilton, another family-friendly hotel with a great kid-friendly pool and even a private beach.
Day 2: Explore Old San Juan
Our original plan was to wake up early and arrive in Old San Juan before the crowds arrived, but due to our late arrival the night before, we all slept in as much as we could. We got a later start than we would have preferred after having breakfast at the hotel and hopping on the free shuttle.
On our first day in San Juan we took it easy, but be sure to check out day 4 for more San Juan fun!
Señor Paleta
Our first stop was Señor Paleta, a shop that sells fruit pops and other frozen treats. It was already hot outside, and the kids were still tired, so I thought a sweet treat would help wake them up and cool them down.
Parque de Las Palomas
After finishing our paletas (and wiping everyone down with baby wipes), we walked over to Parque de las Palomas or Pigeon Park. You can pay a few bucks to buy some bird food and feed the hoards of pigeons that congregate in the park. It's at once terrifying and exciting, and the kids absolutely loved it!
Barrachina for Lunch
Next, we wandered the streets of Old San Juan, admiring the colorful buildings and popping into souvenir shops. We ended up at Barrachina, which claims to be the birthplace of the piña colada. We put our names on the waitlist, which was about 40 minutes, before heading back out to do more wandering.
We enjoyed a late lunch at Barrachina, and the kids enjoyed their virgin piña coladas.
Paseo de la Princesa
Paseo de la Princesa is a beautiful promenade along the water on the south side of Old San Juan. You'll pass a small marketplace selling souvenirs and snacks, the Raíces fountain, then you'll walk along the bay and see the San Felipe del Morro fortress.
We strolled here for a bit, but it was midday and the kids were getting crabby from the heat, so we decided to take the shuttle back to our hotel and make use of the pool.
Swimming and the Beach
Our hotel had a great pool for kids. As I mentioned, we stayed at the Hyatt Place San Juan, and it has a play area for kids in the pool with a small water slide and shallow water.
Suppose your hotel doesn't have a great pool or you would prefer to spend your relaxing time at the beach. In that case, some of the best beaches include Playa Escambron (which was close to our hotel and beautiful), Balneario de Carolina, and Condado Beach.
Day 3: El Yunque and Luqillo Kiosks
El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the US Park System, so it's a great place to visit with kids while you're in Puerto Rico! You do need to rent a car to get there unless you sign up for a guided tour. We preferred to explore on our own with younger kids, so we chose to rent a car. It's the perfect day trip from San Juan!
The drive to El Yunque Rainforest from San Juan takes around 45 minutes and is mostly freeway driving. It's no different than driving in the mainland USA.
The park is free to enter, but if you choose to go to the El Portal Visitor Center it's $8 per adult, though kids are free. We picked up a map at the visitor center since we learned that reception can be spotty inside the forest. The kids also picked up their Junior Ranger booklets so they could earn a badge.
You no longer need reservations to enter El Yunque, but it is first come first serve, so it's best to arrive early in the morning. We arrived at the visitor center around 9 a.m. and they informed us that we were not yet in the park. They advised us to save the trails by the visitor center, like the Angelito trail, until after we go through the National Forest so that we would ensure we make it into the park.
Once you enter the park it's easy to navigate. There is only one road to follow, and you look for signs along the side of the road for the trailheads, lookout towers, and waterfalls you choose to visit. You can access a map online, but it helps to have a physical map in case you lose your internet connection.
Inside the park we did:
Cascada La Coca: This is a waterfall on the side of the road - no hike needed!
Torre Yokahú: a lookout tower also on the side of the road. There's a small parking lot that fills up quickly. The views from the top are incredible! We chose this tower since Torre Mt. Britton is currently closed.
Caimitillo/El Yunque Trail: Caimitillo trail is a .4 mile trail that connects with El Yunque Trail. The El Yunque Trail takes you to the top of El Yunque Peak, but part of the trail was closed, so we turned back after hiking out about a mile.
Baño Grande: Baño Grande is a man-made pool from the 1930s filled with water from La Mina River. It has an elegant stone arch bridge connected to a footpath around the pool. Swimmers are no longer allowed in the pool due to safety reasons, but it's a beautiful and easily accessible spot to visit.
After our time in El Yunque, we stopped back at the visitor center to get the kids' Junior Ranger badges. We could have hiked Angelito Trail at that point, which is recommended for kids, but we could tell the kids were ready to be done hiking at that point, so we decided to stop for lunch at the Luquillo Kiosks on the way back to San Juan.
Luquillo Kiosks
The Luquillo Kiosks are a row of family-owned kiosks selling food and drink. (Picture a strip mall of open-air restaurants opening up to a beach).
We saw many recommendations for the Kioskos de Luquillo. Many mentioned that it was one of their favorite places to eat in Puerto Rico, so we were really looking forward to our stop here.
Unfortunately, we found that many of the kiosks were closed, and of the shops that were still open, many were more of a bar scene geared toward adults. We had trouble finding family-friendly kiosks that served food quickly.
I'm not sure if we visited at the wrong time (maybe around 1 or 1:30 p.m.) or if this is typical of the kiosks.
I think it's still worth stopping by to experience it for yourself if you're already in El Yunque. Bring cash, and be sure to apply sunscreen before visiting. Walking along the sidewalk to find a family-friendly kiosk ended up giving me my only sunburn of the trip on my one shoulder facing the sun.
I would recommend bringing your swimsuits and beach gear along so you can enjoy Luquillo Beach afterward! It's beautiful, albeit somewhat crowded.
Swimming and Sunset at the Beach
We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in our hotel pool, ordering food from the hotel restaurant, and then driving to Escambron Beach to watch the sunset.
Day 4: Old San Juan and Road Trip to Rincon
Since we didn't see as much of San Juan as we had hoped on our first day, we decided to take the first shuttle of the morning from our hotel to Old San Juan to visit Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a National Historic Site. El Morro is a fortress built in 1539 by the Spanish settlers in San Juan to defend the island from invasion.
El Morro opens at 9:30 a.m. and costs $10 for adults to get in, while children under 15 are free. Keep your receipt because your entrance fee includes access to Castillo San Cristobal.
The weather at the fortress is usually hot and windy, so be sure to bring sunscreen and water. My daughter was wearing a hat and ended up taking it off when we visited the upper levels of El Morro since the wind was so strong. The best time to go is early in the morning when the crowds are manageable and the sun isn't too hot.
After we explored the fort, we walked around Old San Juan admiring the colorful streets and searching for ice cream. We ended up purchasing some from one of the vendors with carts on the street corners. I did think ice cream shops would be more abundant in Old San Juan, but we had trouble finding some!
By noon Old San Juan was incredibly crowded. March is right in the middle of high season for tourists, and there happened to be several cruise ships in port that day, so we decided that it was a good time to start our road trip to the West Coast.
We made a quick stop at a Walmart in the San Juan area to purchase groceries for our Airbnb before we left. The drive from San Juan to Rincon took around 2 hours. Most of the drive was on the freeway and easy to navigate.
However, the Airbnb we chose was in a remote location, so once we got off the main highways the roads became narrower, winding around tight corners with steep hills. Do not forget to pack your motion sickness medicine and mint gum to help with the carsickness.
The drive was well worth it. Our Airbnb was peaceful with amazing views, our own private pool, and a sprawling veranda with hammocks and patio furniture. It was the best way to unwind after the hustle and bustle of San Juan.
Here is a link to our Airbnb in Moca, Puerto Rico.
Day 5: Beach Day
We slept in and had a slow breakfast on our back patio on Day 5. We swam with the kids in the pool and sipped our coffee. Our Airbnb was the perfect place to unwind.
As noon rolled around, we decided to grab lunch on the way out the door (PB&Js and apples), and made our way to one of the many beaches in Rincon.
Though it wasn't far away, it was almost a 40 minute drive due to the winding roads and slow speed limit.
We chose Sandy Beach because we read that it was a family-friendly beach, and it ended up being a good idea. The ubiquitous palm trees offered shade where the kids could play in the sand or take a break from the sun, while the shallow water was perfect for splashing in the waves.
We also found free parking in a small parking lot, which was a huge relief since we saw police walking around giving parking tickets to people parked on the street. Someone mentioned to us that if you do park on the street, make sure all of your wheels are off the paved road so you don't get a ticket.
There are currently dangers of rip tides all around the island, so we were not comfortable letting the kids go past their knees. We did see some young adults engaging in water activities like snorkeling, boogie boarding, and surfing, so if you have older kids into water sports, this is a great spot for you, too!
We spent a few hours at Sandy Beach until late afternoon when we started getting hungry for dinner.
Our next stop was Villa Cofresi Hotel and Restaurant. We were excited to sample some local cuisine and sip their famous cocktails out of coconuts. They did have many kid-friendly menu items, too, so if you have picky kids this restaurant is perfect.
The restaurant is open air, so as the sun began to set we took our kids (and our coconut drinks) to the deck overlooking the ocean to watch the sun sink behind the sea as the pastel colors painted the sky.
Day 6: Cabo Rojo
On our last full day on the West Coast, we got an early start and drove an hour and a half to Cabo Rojo in the island's southwest corner.
We set our GPS for the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse (or the Faro Los Morillos de Cabo Rojo). This took us to a small parking lot, and from there, it was a short walk to the top of the hill where the lighthouse sits perched on a cliff. You cannot enter the lighthouse, but if you walk past it you'll find dramatic seaside cliffs that are worth the long drive.
A few things to note about visiting the cliffs and natural arches near the lighthouse with kids. There are no guardrails or safety measures, so you need to be vigilant about keeping your kids away from the edge.
You can walk along the paths to the right of the lighthouse to find the natural arch rock formation. There is plenty of space along the path, but if you have some kids who are unpredictable with their movement, you might want to just stick to the area near the lighthouse.
After grabbing some photos near the cliffs, we drove back a ways to the town of Boquerón, a village in Cabo Rojo. On our way back, we realized we were right next to the pink salt flats, or Las Salinas de Cabo Rojo. However, the salt flats are no longer pink and are currently filled with debris, so we did not bother stopping to get the kids out of the car.
Boquerón was an adorable town, and I'm glad we stopped. However, one thing to note is that even around noon there were hardly any shops or restaurants open, so I suspect if you visit later in the afternoon or evening it would be more lively.
We found one stand open where we could purchase some empanadas, which helped fill us up until we got back to our Airbnb.
The good news is that there were no crowds on the pier painted to look like the Puerto Rican flag, so we had plenty of time to take our photos there.
Day 7: Road Trip Back to San Juan
We had a slow morning swimming, packing up, and cleaning out the Airbnb before starting our drive back to San Juan.
We planned to stay overnight at the San Juan Airport Hotel since our flight the next morning was early in the morning, but we would have some time to kill between checking out of our Airbnb and checking into the airport hotel.
We considered stopping at Cueva Ventana on the way back, a beautiful place in Arecibo with incredible views of the Rio Grande de Arecibo valley. After a little bit of research, however, we discovered the cave is permanently closed.
I also briefly considered taking the long way around the island and stopping in Ponce on the south coast of Puerto Rico, but in the end, decided to head straight back to San Juan.
We had a couple of hours to wander the city for a third time, taking in the historic buildings, stopping at a few photo spots we missed the first time, and ducking into a gift shop for souvenirs. The city has such a rich history, and we had a great time there on our last day without the crowds from the cruise ships.
That afternoon we returned our rental car to the airport and checked into the airport hotel, which has a restaurant on the property and free breakfast. This hotel was a great option for us since our flight boarded at 6:15 a.m. so we were able to sleep a little later and not worry about buying breakfast at the airport.
Day 8: Return Home
Our flight departed early, and we were back home in Wisconsin by 2 p.m.! We flew Southwest once again, making use of our Companion Pass and free checked bags. (I usually hate checking bags, but since we had to check our car seat anyway, we decided to risk it with our carry-on-size suitcases).
What We Missed in Our Itinerary
If you're a first-time visitor to Puerto Rico, you know there are so many amazing places to visit on this small enchanted island. Deciding what to add to your week-long itinerary and what to leave out can be difficult.
Here are a few things we didn't get to this time that I would love to do if we ever have a chance to return to Puerto Rico.
Visiting the smaller islands of Puerto Rico. Culebra and Vieques are the 2 most popular islands to visit in Puerto Rico. You can take a ferry (book ahead of time) or a small seaplane.
Taking a Bioluminescent Bay Tour. Our kids were all technically old enough for a bio bay tour, but since they are still pretty young and the tours take place at night, we decided not to include it in our itinerary this time around. You can take bioluminescent bay tours in Fajardo, Vieques, and Lajas.
Visiting the East Coast of Puerto Rico. I know there are some incredible beaches on this side of the island, and next time we will venture to the east instead of the west
Taking a Coffee Farm Tour in central Puerto Rico. when we originally planned our trip to Puerto Rico in 2020, this was going to be part of our itinerary. After my husband and I took a coffee farm tour in Salento, Colombia this past summer, we decided to wait until the kids were a little older to appreciate it.
Taking a Walking Tour of Old San Juan. There are lots of great options for walking tours, and I wonder if we would have gotten more out of our visit if we had scheduled one!
What to Know About Puerto Rico Before You Go
Here are a few things to know about Puerto Rico before you visit with kids.
Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. You do not need a passport, the outlets are the same, they use US dollars, and most Puerto Ricans speak some English, especially in the San Juan area. We ran across a few West Coast people who only spoke Spanish in more remote areas, and I was excited to use my Spanish with them!
The best way to see Puerto Rico is to rent a car. We had never rented a car outside of the continental United States before, but we discovered the entire process of renting a car and driving around the island was pretty straightforward. Bring motion sickness medication if you're driving outside the major cities into the more rural areas.
Hurricane Season runs from September to November. As a former Florida resident, I can speak to how brutal these storms can be! Hurricane Maria devasted Puerto Rico in 2017, and the island is still recovering in many ways. If you plan to visit Puerto Rico, I would avoid the late summer to late fall months, or have excellent travel insurance in case you need to change plans quickly.
Speaking of weather, you can expect afternoon showers almost year-round. We got lucky with sunny weather during our March visit, but still plan to bring rain jackets due to unexpected showers. The sun is hot in Puerto Rico, so bring sunshirts, hats, and sunscreen to avoid getting a vacation-ruining sunburn.
Try a piña colada (or a virgin piña colada for kids and those that don't drink alcohol) since Puerto Rico is the birthplace of this popular island beverage! The best local dishes to try include mofongo (a dish with mashed plantains, garlic, and meat), empanadas, rellenos de papa, and tostones.
You can use credit cards almost anywhere, but a few smaller shops and food stands are cash-only, so be sure to take some cash.
Pack beach gear (flip flops, swimsuits, sunscreen), but you can buy sand toys at a local Walmart or Walgreens if you don't want to overpack.
Pack close-toed shoes if you plan to take any tours. Bring hiking sandals or hiking shoes if you plan to visit El Yunque or hike any other trains. Because it rains often, you may be dealing with muddy trails.
We usually use the AT&T international phone plan but didn't need to use it in Puerto Rico since it is a territory of the United States. Check with your phone plan before your trip.
There are many ways to experience Puerto Rico! You can splurge on beautiful beach resorts, stay at a mid-level hotel to save money or book a unique Airbnb.
Puerto Rico is a perfect family vacation destination.
If you're looking for a tropical spring break or warm weather getaway in winter, Puerto Rico is a wonderful choice. Whether you're a family that wants to relax by the pool, play on the beach, hike in the rainforest, try out some water sports, learn about history and Puerto Rican culture, or admire beautiful scenery, you'll find something fun to do here!
My best advice if you have more than a few days is to venture outside of San Juan to experience more of the rich culture and geography the island has to offer. We've shared some of the best spots to visit in this blog post, but we've only experienced the tip of the iceberg!
More Reading:
Tips for Traveling with a Toddler
DON’T FORGET IT! PIN IT!
Emily Krause is a Wisconsin-based travel content creator who writes about exploring the world with kids.
On A Mom Explores you’ll find the best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
