Puerto Rico itinerary 6 days: San Juan, El Yunque, Culebra and Rincón

An hour and a half, US$ 10, card only: the same ticket covers San Cristóbal the next day. It closes at 5 pm, so go straight after check in. The six level fortress guarded the bay entrance for four centuries; climb to the lighthouse terrace and walk past the garitas, the sentry boxes that became the island’s symbol.

The lawn in front, the Esplanade, is where San Juan families fly kites in the late afternoon.

Half an hour, free, just below El Morro on the sea side. The colonial cemetery sits outside the wall, between it and the Atlantic, with marble tombs, angels and a red domed chapel. View it from above, from the path down from the fort, and do not walk on into the La Perla neighbourhood.

One hour, free, a 15 minute walk down Calle del Morro. Go through the San Juan Gate, the only surviving door in the city wall, and follow the tree lined promenade at its foot to the Raíces fountain facing the bay. This is your sunset spot on day one.

An hour and a half, already paid with your El Morro ticket, opens at 9 am. The largest Spanish fort in the Americas defended the city from a land attack and has tunnels, moats and the Garita del Diablo, the sentry box of the legend of disappearing soldiers. From the top you see all of Old San Juan and El Morro at the far end.

Forty five minutes, walking west from San Cristóbal. The street of shops and cafés has colourful umbrellas strung overhead much of the year and ends at La Fortaleza, the governor’s residence since 1540, the oldest in continuous use in the Americas.

Half an hour, free, two blocks away on Calle del Cristo. Work on the cathedral began in 1521 and it holds the tomb of Juan Ponce de León, the island’s first governor. In the afternoon, swap the old town for Condado beach and rest up for the night.

Two hours or more, a 15 minute taxi from Old San Juan. By day it is a 1910 fruit market; from Thursday to Saturday, from 9 pm, the surrounding streets fill with people dancing salsa and reggaeton on the pavement, with mojito bars and pork snacks. If your day 2 falls between Sunday and Wednesday, swap it for La Factoría in Old San Juan.

Twenty minutes, free, a 50 minute drive from San Juan. Leave at 7 am: the gate on PR-191, the road into the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system, opens at 8 am and shuts at 200 cars. No reservation has been needed since 2023. La Coca, 26 metres high, falls right by the road at the start.

Forty minutes, free, 1 km above La Coca. The 1963 stone tower has a spiral staircase up to a lookout over the forest rolling down to the Luquillo coast. With more time, the Mount Britton trail climbs for an hour to another tower in the clouds.

Two and a half hours, with lunch, 20 minutes east. The public beach has calm, reef sheltered water and El Yunque’s mountains behind. At the entrance are the Luquillo kiosks, more than 60 food stalls in a row: the place to try alcapurrias, bacalaítos and mofongo facing the sea. Then head to your check in at Fajardo.

Two hours, about US$ 65 to 90 with a guide, booking required. Kayaks leave Las Croabas at dusk, paddle a dark mangrove channel and reach the lagoon, where every stroke lights the water blue. The glow comes from a microorganism, a dinoflagellate, and is weak under a full moon: pick your date by the moon phase.

The whole day. The ferry leaves the Ceiba terminal, 20 minutes south of Fajardo, and the crossing takes 45 minutes to 1 h 30. Buy tickets on the Puerto Rico Ferry website in advance and arrive an hour early; when the ferry is full, the alternative is the short flights from Ceiba. On Culebra, a shared taxi takes 10 minutes to Flamenco Beach.

The horseshoe beach has white sand and shallow turquoise water. There is no natural shade: rent an umbrella and chair at the entrance. Return on the afternoon ferry, checking that day’s return time.

Twenty minutes, at the north corner of the beach, a 5 minute walk. Until 1975 the US Navy used Culebra for target practice, and one of the tanks stayed on the sand: now covered in graffiti, it is the island’s best known photo. If you want to snorkel with turtles, swap the rest of the afternoon for Tamarindo Beach on the other side of the island.

An hour and a half, about US$ 20 to 35 with a guide, 10 am to 4 pm. Leave Fajardo at 8 am: it is a 2 hour drive along the north coast to Arecibo, and the cave is on the way to Rincón. The 45 minute guided visit goes into the dark with helmet and torch to the opening that frames the Río Grande de Arecibo winding through the valley.

Forty five minutes, free, 1 h 15 west of the cave, after check in at Rincón. The surf beach is named for the green dome of the BONUS nuclear plant, shut down in 1968 and now a museum. In winter, Rincón’s waves are among the biggest in the Caribbean.

One hour, free, 300 metres from the beach. El Faro park, around the white 1922 lighthouse, is where Rincón gathers to watch the sun drop into the sea. From January to March humpback whales pass close to shore and can be seen from here.

One hour, free, an hour’s drive south of Rincón. The 1882 lighthouse stands on reddish limestone cliffs at the island’s southwest tip. Walk the edge carefully, as much of it has no railing, and look out for the pink Cabo Rojo salt flats on the way in.

An hour and a half, free, just below the lighthouse. Despite the name, which means dirty beach, it is one of the cleanest on the island: a half moon of calm turquoise water with no stalls or toilets. Bring water and leave by noon: San Juan airport is 2 h 45 away.