Mardi Gras. And Fiestas…

We love visiting Puerto Rico at Christmas time. The vibe is really cool. Look into the events around the island in different towns so that you can enjoy all the parties, dancing, food, etc. I wish the PR Tourism would do more to highlight those. Mainland Americans have no idea what an amazing and dynamic US territory they have in their back yard. We were at Giestas de la Calle San Sebastián this year in January and wow…forget Marco Gras…this was different and the energy, music and warmth of the people was amazing. Different vibe.

El Yunque….spellcheck! Not El Tunque.

St. Regis in Puerto Rico is nice if all you want is to not go anywhere else on the island and hang by the pool or beach….just like the previous poster said. But if you have a car, there is so much to see around you. For one, El Tunque rainforest has hiking, waterfalls and gorgeous swimming holes to swim in. One of the best restaurants on the island, La Estación, is located near Seven Seas beach in Fajardo which is about 40 minutes away. There are a lot of natural wonders on the East coast to experience while kayaking, snorkeling, sailing, etc. You can take a boat to Icacos or Palomino island, or sail. Also the St. Regis is drivable by car to Old San Juan and tons of cool, delicious restaurants, museums, or just walking through Old San Juan to take in the ambiance.

My family used discoverpuertorico.com to plan our trip. Plus instagram. We had a great time.

You can also look into staying at the Wyndham Rio Mar which is great or rent a villa on the resort nearby. Or El Conquistador is also good. Not as five star as the Ritz or St. Regis, but fun nonetheless.

The Ritz Carlton by far though, although expensive, is a terrific splurge if you can do it. You will leave feeling like you had a wonderful vacation. For us, it was worth the money. We can’t do it every year, but a one time splurge for us really gave us what we wanted.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. We would love to do the Ritz Dorado but it’s too expensive during Christmas. Do you think the St. Regis or another hotel in PR would be enjoyable? Other options are Aurora in Anguilla or Tamarind Hills in Antigua

It just depends on what you want, I think? St Regis in PR is ideal if you want to hang out by the pool/beach, do the resort things, eat at the resort restaurants, play golf. It’s beautiful and very posh. Some people hate that and don’t like to be cloistered. Some people love it.

Op here. We would love to do the Ritz Dorado but it’s too expensive during Christmas. Do you think the St. Regis or another hotel in PR would be enjoyable? Other options are Aurora in Anguilla or Tamarind Hills in Antigua

Skip Mexico altogether. Look at the state department travel warnings. Do you want to be another statistic?

I personally would fly to Puerto Rico and stay at the Ritz Carlton Dorado Beach. The whole place is gorgeous. It’s a huge garden, the beaches are divine, the ambiance is top notch, the spa is unlike anything other I’ve visited, and there’s even an exclusive water park for families and bike paths. The food was outstanding too.

Puerto Rico is pure fun and adventure. It’s not such a tiny island, there are so many places to see, cu,true, history..not just in San Juan. Just go. It’s so worth it.

We were at St Regis in December. Lovely, great service. Only thing it is far from everything and really expensive. So you will be eating three meals a day there.

I’ve been to both. Banyan was gorgeous and liked it better than Rosewood. We had a pool in our room which is also so helpful for the kids when you come back and they can just hang in it. Also took a trip to Tulum which is worth doing.

PR is great. We stayed at the Ritz Dorado. Super fun and there’s a great bike path around the whole area, basket ball courts, surfing, swimming, etc. it seemed more expensive than some other places we had been but it was very fun. San Juan is worth going into and also the fort. So that’s a nice day activity and there are great restaurants as well.