Stroll along Paseo El Morro for more views of the entrance to San Juan Bay and the imposing El Morro

If you are like me, you like to plan ahead, especially if you're a visiting a place for the very first time. Here in Puerto Rico there are a lot of things to see and do especially if you are willing to explore beyond the San Juan metro area , and for those visiting the island for the first time, deciding what are the 'must sees' can be a little overwhelming.
To help you in your decision making progress here are my 5 Essential Day Trips for first time visitors to Puerto Rico. Obviously, unless you are here for a week or more, you won't be able to fit all of these in to your trip, but you should definitely make plans to visit a few of them; you can always see the rest on your next trip.
Old San Juan is my NUMBER 1 MUST SEE for any one visiting Puerto Rico for the first time. The city dominated by its two forts and city walls dates back to the early 15th century hampton inn memphis and has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You can easily spend a day walking around the narrow cobbled streets exploring:
Stroll along Paseo El Morro for more views of the entrance to San Juan Bay and the imposing El Morro Fort above. The walk is currently hampton inn memphis a dead end but there are plans to extend it along the north side of El Morro with the possibility of a new entrance being added to the fort. So at the moment you have to retrace your steps back to the San Juan Gate, but it is well worth the walk.
El Yunque is the ONLY rainforest that comes under the United States Forest Services and is located on slopes of the Sierra de Luquillo Mountains. El Toro is the highest mountain peak in the forest at 3,537ft (1065 meters) above sea level.
Within El Yunque hampton inn memphis there are several hampton inn memphis well marked trails for all levels of fitness as well as a visitor's center 'El Portal Rain Forest Center' that provides information and displays about El Yunque. One of the many highlights of the forest are the waterfalls that can be found along some of the trails that make for a great photo opportunity hampton inn memphis and also the chance to cool off.
The main trails in El Yunque include: Big Tree Trail, La Mina Trail, Caimitilla Trail, Bano de Oro Trail, El Yunque hampton inn memphis Trail and Mt. Britton Trail. For the more adventurous out there, you might want to check out the trails south side of El Yunque with a tour guide.
If you have a rental car then consider making a stop at the Luquillo Kiosks just a few miles past the El Yunque hampton inn memphis turn off on Route 3. Here you will find small kiosks serving a variety of local Puerto Rican food and various international themed kiosks too. You could also spend some time relaxing at Luquillo beach.
Puerto Rico is fortunate to have 3 Bioluminescent Bays accessible to visitors to the island; hampton inn memphis Laguna Grande near Fajardo, Mosquito Bay on Vieques and La Parguera on the south west coast. hampton inn memphis If the moon phase is right for your visit to Puerto Rico then a Bio-Bay tour SHOULD be on your 'to-do' hampton inn memphis list. The bays are illuminated by the tiny single-celled bioluminescent dinoflagellates emit a bluish light when agitated.
The ONLY way to see the bio-bays is with an organized tour. There are many bio-bay tour operators in Puerto hampton inn memphis Rico who offer tours in kayaks or electric boats depending on how you want to see the bays, with some of the operators will also offer transport as part of the package.
One thing to take into consideration when choosing a tour is the fact that currently swimming is ONLY allowed in Mosquito Bay over on Vieques (which can be done as an evening boat trip from Fajardo). For the Laguna Grande and La Parguera bays you will have to enjoy just placing your hands in the bay. For a list of tour operators see here
Ponce located on the south side (Caribbean side) of the island is Puerto Rico's second largest city. From San Juan it is a straightforward 1 -1.5 hour drive south along Highway 52 with spectacular mountain and sea views. Highlights for a visit to Ponce include:
Culebra is the day trip destination if you are looking for a day at one of the world's top beaches. There are many small beaches on Culebra where you can spend the day, but Flamenco Beach is the one that gets talked about the most. Set within a protective cove that provides calm waters that are great for snorkeling or just enjoying the sea and san, the 1.5 mile Blue Flag beach is a must stop on a visit to Culebra
There are two choices for getting to Culebra: You can either fly (from San Juan or Ceiba) or take the Culebra ferry from Fajardo. If you have a car and want to save money then the 1.5 hour ferry trip would be your best option, with boats leaving Fajardo at 9am and returning from Culebra at 5pm.
Once on Culebra you will find local taxis that will take you to Flamenco Beach and various spots around the island and then just arrange to have them pick you up later in the day. There are also local car rental companies if you would prefer to explore the island and scuba and snorkel tour operators, if you would prefer exploring the ocean.
These are just 5 potential days trips that I feel are 'must sees' for first time visitors to Puerto Rico. They are all easily accessible from San Juan and reasonably accessible from other areas of the island (though the Culebra trip would be pushing it a bit from the west coast).