Puerto Rico Guided Tours

DAY 2: OLD SAN JUAN, SALSA CLASSES

BREAKFAST:

Continental breakfast at the hotel.

MORNING:

We will board our van for Old San Juan, where a local expert will provide a walking tour of the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and the historic colonial section of the city of San Juan. The settlement is a National Historic Landmark District and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Walking on with our local expert, we’ll learn about the history and explore Fort San Cristóbal, also known as Castillo San Cristóbal, the largest colonial Spanish fortress in the Western Hemisphere. Construction began in 1634 and it was not completed until 1790. European powers fought for hundreds of years to control the island due to its strategic location. San Cristóbal guarded the land entrance to Old San Juan. It is a magnificent and impressive structure covering 27 acres, now part of the San Juan National Historic Site.

LUNCH:

At a local restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

After lunch you will have two hours of free time in the Old City for independent discoveries, shopping or art galleries visit. Our next activity will be a visit to a dance studio for some basic Salsa Classes.

DINNER:

At a local restaurant.

DAY 3: PONCE CITY TOUR, CHECK-IN

BREAKFAST:

At the hotel.

MORNING:

After check out we will drive to the south part of the island to the city of Ponce. We will do a walking tour of Ponce, visiting iconic places like the firefighter’s house, Ponce History Museum.

LUNCH:

At a local Restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

Free time to enjoy the downtown Ponce, continue our journey to our hotel in Ponce.

DINNER:

At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy an interactive dinner, learning about the foods we’re eating from one of the chefs and specialties such as Mofongo (pickled plantains) and other local fares.

DAY 4: COFFEE PLANTATION, PONCE ART MUSEUM

BREAKFAST:

At the hotel.

MORNING:

Our first field trip today will be to the Coffee Plantation, Coffee production on the island goes back centuries, and at one point, Puerto Rico was among the top 10 coffee producers worldwide, according to Sandra Farm Coffee. Currently, there is a shortage of labor in the coffee industry, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plantations, or haciendas, for visitors to experience. Learn about the haciendas, their delightful products, and a bit about Puerto Rico’s famous coffee.

LUNCH:

At a local restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

Our next stop will be the Ponce Art Museum. The Museo de Arte houses the most important collection of European art in Latin America. Among its collection are works from the 14th to the 20th century, including Italian Baroque, British Pre-Raphaelite, Spanish Golden Age, and contemporary Latin-American pieces. Some of the artists whose paintings and works are exhibited at the museum include Peter Paul Rubens, Lucas Cranach, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Eugène Delacroix, and Sir Edward Burne-Jones, among others. The museum’s masterpiece is the Flaming June, painted by Frederic Leighton. Led by a museum docent, we will see much of the vast collection and learn about the relationships linking Latin American and European art.

DINNER:

At your leisure.

DAY 5: CAGUAS CITY TOUR, MUSEUM OF ART

BREAKFAST:

At the hotel.

MORNING:

We will check out of the hotel, and transfer to San Juan. On route to San Juan, we will be stopping in Caguas to take a walking tour with your group leader. Caguas is a wonderful small city, just 20 minutes south of San Juan, which offers many things to do for visitors. One of those things is La Ruta del Corazón Criollo(the Route to the Heart of Creole). It is a self-guided walking tour to 12 museums and places of interest, all within a few blocks around the town square. These museums provide visitors some insight into the history of Caguas and Creole (meaning the Puerto Rican people and their culture).

LUNCH:

At a local restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

Continue our trip to San Juan. In the city, we will visit the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR), the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in July 2000, the museum has managed to develop quite a large permanent collection of Puerto Rican art ranging from the 16th century to the present. The works are thoroughly researched and documented, with the exhibits often including an interpretation of the masterpieces on display. Our museum guide will lead us through the exhibits of carefully selected artworks helping to give us insight into Puerto Rican art. As a popular museum, it also provides local artists with access to visual art from other parts of the world thereby encouraging artistic expansion. We’ll then go to the hotel for check-in.

DINNER:

At a local restaurant.

DAY 6: EL YUNQUE, PINONES VILLAGE

BREAKFAST:

At the hotel.

MORNING:

Our first stop in the morning will be El Yunque. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service and its name is a reference to Yuke, which the Taino Indians defined as “white lands.” With an average rainfall of 120 inches a year, El Yunque has a very diverse ecosystem, hosting hundreds of unique plant and animal species, including the island’s famous coquí frog. At El Yunque, we will be hiking the  Angelito’s trail, Picture spot at La Coca Falls, and Yokahu Tower.

LUNCH:

At a local restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

Our next field trip will be to Pinones in the town of Loiza at the north of the island. Driving into Pinones you are instantly transported back in time to another era. It is the home to many modest families making a living selling typical local food from kiosks along the beach. Their traditions span back 400 years and beyond that to the time when the Spanish conquered the land and brought in the first roots of African people to the island.

LUNCH:

At your leisure.

DAY 7: HACIENDA LA ESPERANZA, SUNSET CELEBRATION

BREAKFAST:

At the hotel.

MORNING:

Board our van to drive to Manati. Visit Hacienda La Esperanza a the carefully rehabilitated historic site of what was one of the most prosperous sugar plantations in Puerto Rico during the 19th century. The hacienda, located in a 2,150-acre nature reserve, is also home to a sugar mill and its unique 1861 West Point Foundry steam engine. The site’s old manor house serves today as Para la Naturaleza’s regional headquarters and is complete with its own science lab.

LUNCH:

At a local restaurant.

AFTERNOON:

Return to San Juan for a Free time in the Old San Juan or Courtesy drop off to a local beach spot.

LATE AFTERNOON:

Sunset Celebration in the Old City. Float past hundreds of years of history and picturesque scenery during this 2-hour sunset sailing excursion in Old San Juan Harbor. Climb aboard the “Amazing Grace,” a topsail schooner fashioned in the style of 19th-century American sailing vessels, for an unforgettable ride past the wonders of this historic area. As you sail you’ll enjoy up-close views of Old San Juan sights like El Morro fortress, La Fortaleza, Paseo la Princesa, and more, all set aglow by the fading late afternoon light. A guide and complimentary beverages and snacks are all covered.

LATE DINNER:

At a local restaurant.

DAY 8: END OF TOUR

BREAKFAST:

At a local restaurant.

MORNING:

End of tour.