Live Boricua: Puerto Rico 2024

It has been 15 YEARS - 15! - since I last laid eyes on La Isla del Encanto. In so many ways it was different than how I had remembered, yet still remarkably the same beautiful island filled with charm. I've met more Puerto Ricans in California in three years than I’ve probably known all my life, and while I always feel like a fraud for not speaking Spanish, it’s truer than ever how proud we all are of our culture. Spending a week enjoying the food, music, and beauty of the island was definitely not enough time, but we managed to squeeze in plenty of adventures. While I’m hoping I won't have to wait more than a decade again before traveling back, I'm sure this week spent enjoying Puerto Rico will remain in my heart and memories forever.

Before the good times could begin, we had to first endure a gruesome day of travel, leaving LAX before the sun was up and landing in San Juan around seven o’clock in the evening. Although it wasn’t as hot as L.A., the humidity immediately had my curls springing back to life and doubling my hair in size.

Fortunately the L.A. crew fared better than those arriving from Ohio, whose travels included being stranded along the highway and attempting to pick up a rental car from an overbooked company. Lucky for me and my husband, we were blissfully unaware of these troubles, and even got chauffeured by my sister and brother-in-law all the way to our AirBnB - a gorgeous home with artwork covering every wall and views of the ocean from its balcony. Of course, we could hear the coquí singing as soon as we opened the car doors. The island was welcoming us back with warmth, peace, and a little tree frog to lull us all to a much needed sleep.

Day 1: Luquillo Beach

The goal of the next morning was to let everyone sleep in as late as possible. For nine adults on different time zones, this didn't go too well. Plus, we still needed groceries for the week. So our first day got off to a rocky, somewhat lazy, start as we ran essential errands, took mini naps trying to adjust to the time change, hung out by the pool, and explored the nearby beach.

By the afternoon, we had only one goal: locate some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Climbing into our cars, we made our way to Luquillo. Although popular for its "kioskos" and calm waters, Luquillo is not my family’s first choice. It’s very touristy,  and you can tell the people working at the food kiosks are over all the loud gringos ordering in English and crowding around their take-out windows. It made us feel a little like imposters, but the food was good and the water was warm so we let our fake Puerto Rican-ness slide as we enjoyed pinchos de pollo, mofongo, alcapurrias, and limber de coco on the beach (and yes I did make my husband wear a matching swimsuit - thank you, Old Navy!). 

Day 2: Corozal, Bayamón, & Old San Juan

Okay, this is where it really turned into a Tuttle-style vacation. My family notoriously has no chill when it comes to traveling. No time is wasted and the itinerary is jam-packed with barely enough time to sip water between attractions. Yesterday was our "rest and recover" portion of the trip, from here on out it was go-time. We started our day with a more family-focused stop in Corozal where my great-grandma spent her last days enjoying the quiet and isolated mountains. We visited her grave to pay our respects, and then drove to the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón to say goodbye to great-grandpa as well.

From there we kept on moving to Old San Juan, even driving parallel to San Juan's Pride Parade, before arriving to a parking garage starving, dehydrated, and more than willing to walk another mile to get our hands on some pastelillos. I did my best to order en español, and must’ve been convincing as the unexpected follow-up questions were so fast and fluent that I had to sheepishly respond, "Inglés?".

SO close to getting just a little respect from the locals…better luck next time! Embarrassed from the debacle but rejuvenated from our shared lunch, all nine of us trekked onwards to San Juan National Historic Site: Castillo San Felipe del Morro. This historic fort was established by Spanish rulers to protect the island from enemy ships in the late 1500s. After the Spanish-American War, it served as an active military base for both World Wars, watching for submarine and air attacks (National Park Service, 2019). While grandma found a tiny corner of shade to rest her legs, the rest of us observed cannons, cellars, and gorgeous views of the deep blue ocean, catching a salty breeze and imagining ships on the horizon.

This day of walking was not quite over as we strolled the streets of Old San Juan and made our way to my family’s favorite dinner spot: El Jibarito. The piña coladas were bangin', the bistec encebollado was better than I’ve ever managed to make (sorry grandma), and the air conditioning was a blessing from Heaven above.

Fifteen years later and the place still didn't disappoint. Even though we were all exhausted, it was so fun to finally relax after such an adventurous day. Filled to the brim, we burned a few calories strolling around Old San Juan, enjoying the sunset, and wrapping up our exciting day with a couple cold piraguas.

Days 3 & 4: El Yunque National Forest

The next morning we set out early for a unique view of Puerto Rico’s lush forest. Even growing up in Ohio, nothing could have prepared me for the dense, green foliage of El Yunque. And seeing it from above? Truly an experience I will not soon forget. Junglequi’s Zip Line Tour had us traveling through abandoned buildings, and soaring over rushing rivers while enjoying 360 degree views of an incredibly impressive national forest. The journey continued as we searched for a few hiking trails, first stopping at Yokahú Tower for more panoramic views of the rainforest that nearly completely regenerated after the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The day continued as we spent my parents' anniversary forcing them to fight off mosquitoes and cross slippery terrain in order to glimpse waterfalls and sprawling greenery. Following the Mount Britton Tower and Caimitillo Trails until their closure left us exhausted and ready for the most intense car nap of my life. I'm pretty sure I dreamt of the pool back at our AirBnB, and was more than ready for a quick dip before diving into the Walmart cakes and wine we picked up to celebrate my parents' special day.

Day 5: Vieques & Esperanza Beach

Rising even earlier the next morning (The Tuttles have no chill on vacation, remember?), we viewed a cloudy sunrise with the local crabs, cranes, and lizards before catching a ferry to the island of Vieques.

Making a mad dash from the boat to a taxi, we were thankful for my grandma’s Spanish as we navigated the island like locals for the very first time on this entire trip.

Dropping us off at Esperanza Beach, we were surprised to see how different it was from when we had last visited. This area had, of course, also been affected by past hurricanes, leaving the waters a little less clear and washing up seaweed onto the white sand. I was grateful to see how this area continued to heal itself, and we excitedly viewed all sorts of fish wrapped up in the shallow pools of seaweed. Call me a princess, but I was glad I brought my water shoes (the feeling of seaweed brushing up against my ankles is enough to make me scream running from the beautiful, warm waters).

Covered in sand and having soaked up just a bit too much sun, we weren't picky before choosing a touristy spot across the street from the beach for burgers and - you guessed it - más piña coladas.

Completely beached out and beginning to feel stiff from a sunburn that only the island of Puerto Rico can grace me with, we headed home, too beat to do anything other than listen to the coquí singing sweetly for the rest of the evening. 

Day 6: Kayaking in the Bioluminescent Bay 

A chill day…or so they promised me. We enjoyed sleeping in, taking a dip in the pool, and boogie boarding in the local waters before spending our evening in Fajardo. Unlike my mother, I was forced to face my fears and past trauma by once again attempting a kayaking tour of the bioluminescent bay. Last time we were here, I was newly eleven years old, drifting out to sea in a kayak with my mother: frozen in fear and unable to move through the deep and rocky waters. I was shocked to feel the panic rise up as we put on our life vests and prepared for the sun to set. It seemed a little unfair that my mother was allowed to sit this one out, but I tried to stay calm as I ensured my safety whistle was in working order and readily available should danger arise.

Things really turned around when our tour group began an in depth safety and education demonstration before letting any of us step foot in the water. Fortunately, it seemed my dad had learned from his past trauma too and did everything he could to ensure he wouldn't see his children drifting out to the open sea again. He found a much safer and more thorough group for us to travel with this time around: Puerto Rico Bio Bay Tours. They really provided an incredible experience - even for a non-swimming, non-kayaking tourist like me. The entire team was knowledgeable, kind, and focused on the safety of our tour group. We eased into the open sea, the sun setting and my hand instinctively reaching for my safety whistle, ready to use it and/or throw my husband overboard at the slightest inconvenience to my safety. As we navigated through the lagoon, though, it was hard to notice anything other than the way the island demonstrated peacefulness, beauty, and resilience. Once again, the destruction of Hurricane Maria was evident, but so was the lagoon's strength and regeneration as the red mangroves continued to grow and provide cover to the glowing waters, jumping fish, and illuminated cucubanos. At one point, we could even see the outline of an iguana as it jumped into our path and zig-zagged through the dark waters. It was a true adventure.

Day 7: Snorkeling & Icacos Island

In case you missed it earlier in this blog, let's just quickly recap my family's top shared fear: wide open oceans with no end, drowning, deep waters, etc. Are we even Puerto Rican? To prove to ourselves that we really could be adventurous on the island our ancestors called home, we decided to face our fears as a family with one last ocean-themed hurrah. Arriving early to Marina Puerto Chico for our Icacos Island Snorkeling Tour, we climbed aboard "The Kraken" and enjoyed the salty breeze as it carried us away from the port...enjoyed it, that is, until the snorkeling instruction began. Horrified by the concept of having a measly "banana" around my waist out in open waters, I can't say I fully took pleasure in letting go of the boat ladder and seeing nothing for miles. But as soon as my face hit the water and I saw jellyfish, angelfish, and coral, I was hooked.

I didn’t think it could get better until I heard someone yell, “Sea turtle, follow me!”. Drifting further out than I intended, I followed our guide as she pointed to a small turtle, mesmerized by its smooth rhythm as it glided through dark turquoise waters, the sun sparking on its shell. I didn't think anything could top that, so I made my way back onboard The Kraken for lunch as we traveled all the way to a private beach on Icacos Island.

Anchoring ourselves to the white sand, and watching the captain dive into the clear waters from the top deck, we knew it was only good times ahead. More than a few Coco Libres in at this point, we soaked up our final glimpse of the beauty of the Caribbean, spreading our toes in the smooth sand, and floating in the warm, calming waters.

Until next time, La Isla del Encanto.