Well it might not be too surprising, living in the Northeast right now, that I would bring back Take Me Back Tuesday.  And how fitting that I just got back from San Juan, Puerto Rico last week!  Yes, please Take Me Back, Tuesday. Thanks!

I booked this last-minute trip with my girlfriends.  We were looking for a cheap getaway where we could escape from the snow to the SUN! Puerto Rico was the perfect destination for our Girlcation!

Where We Stayed

El San Juan Resort and Casino

This hotel was great.  It is in the Isla Verde section of San Juan, which has a bunch of hotels and resorts and some great restaurants.  It seems most people stay here or in Condado which is another tourist area not too far.  El San Juan had everything we needed during the day; beach, two pools, swim up bars, a couple of restaurants, and even a Starbucks (yes we went to Starbucks in Puerto Rico…it’s still the US).

Not to mention it was a beautiful hotel.

They even offered free yoga! I was so happy that the girls wanted to do it with me.  It was such a nice way to start our first day.

The first day we spent plenty of the time on the beach and of course taking some selfies to make everyone at home in the snow jealous.

We enjoyed the swim up bar of course.  Our drink of choice on this vacation were Mojitos!  The swim up bar had the best pineapple mojito.  Oh what I would do to jump back in this picture right now!

Eats In Puerto Rico

Breakfast

Bajuice Juice Bar

For a quick breakfast on our first day we found this little gem of a cafe.  It had a whole juice bar and healthy breakfast options.  I got a yummy green juice after our yoga class.

Dinners

Tijuana’s Bar & Grill

The first night we went to a fantastic Mexican Restaurant in the Condado area called Tijuana’s.

I had the most delicious filet mignon and bacon fajitas (minus the tortillas) with a Corona!

The staff was great too and made our experience a fun one!

Toro Salao

On our last night we ventured to Old San Juan, the historical district.  We walked around a bunch looking for a restaurant with a good ambience.  This happens WAY too often when I am away.  I get a picture in my head of a place I want to eat and become very indecisive.  We all settled on this Spanish Restaurant.

We loved the outdoor seating!

They had delicious cocktails, including this rosemary mojito!  How different is that?  They used rosemary instead of mint.

We shared a bunch of small plates including these fried mahi mahi bites and a veggie flat bread with arugula.  Everything was delicious!

 Things to Do 

Run:  Puerto Rico beaches were great for running.  The sand was smooth with hardly any rocks or shells…not to mention the beautiful back drop.

Yoga on the Beach. I had to try some handstands on the beach.  It was a little difficult doing it on an angle.  Boy do I have some work to do on these!

Kayak one of the Bioluminescent Bays. What a crazy experience this was!  Puerto Rico has a few bays that basically “glow in the dark.”  The glow is microorganisms in the water that are activated when you touch them.  This means you kayak in the dark.  It was a pretty crazy experience.  I definitely recommend it but on a night where the moon is not so bright – as recommended in the Puerto Rico travel guide too.  The moon actually made a big difference of how bright the bay lit up.  I didn’t get any pictures of this because….well….it was dark!

Drink Out of a Coconut! This might sound weird but it was one of my favorite things I did in Puerto Rico.  You can buy a fresh coconut on the beach from a stand.  They use a machete to cut it open and give you a straw.  Once you drink the coconut water you can bring it back and get it chopped in half and eat the coconut guts!

Relax in the Shade!  I say this because by just the third day my skin was ready for the shade.  And I really think one of the most relaxing things in the world is sitting on a sunny, breezy beach under an umbrella.  Your skin will thank you later!

Overall this trip was awesome.  A great getaway from winter in the Northeast.  Whether with your family, significant other, or girlfriends Puerto Rico has something for everyone!  (But I highly recommend it for a Girlcation!)