​Hey Reader,

Castles atop craggy cliffs. Cobblestone streets paved with blue bricks. Chirping Coqui frogs. Mountains, Caribbean Sea, tropical rainforest, and bioluminescent bays.

Welcome to Puerto Rico, a lush, enchanted place that defies simple explanation. It is both an island and an archipelago with its own small islands; it has a strong Latino identity despite belonging to the U.S. as a territory; its language, food, culture, and history are informed by a mix of Indigenous Taíno people, Spanish colonizers, West African people brought against their will, immigrants from Europe, China, other Caribbean, and Latino countries, and mainland USA. Its complexity is also its beauty, and its story is still unfolding. And it is a magical place to visit.

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Spending 4 days in Puerto Rico is just enough to get a taste of what the island has to offer. On our 4-day Puerto Rico itinerary, you’ll explore the historic city of San Juan, wander the colorful, blue-cobblestone streets of Old Town; snorkel in the clear blue waters of Culebra, one of the islands off the coast; hike through the tropical rainforest of El Yunque in search of waterfalls and lagoons; and kayak through a bioluminescent bay. ​

Plus, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a three-generation trip: a 9-month-old baby, my 70-something-year-old mother, and me. (...And Jeremy, of course!) I have a TON of cousins in Puerto Rico. I wanted my mom and I to reunite with our cousins, and for them to meet Jeremy and Baby A for the first time ever! ​

Disclaimer: Our trip was sponsored by Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase. Learn more here. All opinions, recommendations, bad jokes, and mistakes made during this trip (we made so many mistakes, y’all, it’s almost impressive) were 100% my own.

Until next time,