We chose to stay in Luquillo, Puerto Rico before our cruise because of its proximity to El Yunque National Forest. It is only about a 40-minute drive from San Juan airport to Luquillo. We chose to stay in an Airbnb as opposed to a beachside resort and I am really glad we did. Later in the trip, we spent a little bit of time in the Isla Verde area. While we enjoyed our time there, most people in the area were from the mainland, and the shops and restaurants catered to mainlanders. By staying in Luquillo, I feel like we got to experience real Puerto Rico.
Luquillo is known for its beautiful beaches and the most popular one is known as Luquillo beach. More than a mile long and shaded with coconut trees, Luquillo beach is a beautiful place to sunbathe and enjoy the ocean.
Luquillo Beach
If you get hungry while at the beach, step over to the Kiosks where 60 local food vendors serve all kinds of food and drink from local Puerto Rican food to Mexican and Italian food as well as your favorite tropical drinks. Before visiting Puerto Rico I read everything I could find about the Kiosks (honestly there’s not much out there) and I had no idea what to expect. Some of the kiosks serve grab-and-go fried food or pizza, but some of them are full sit-down restaurants with a view of the beach. We chose to get dinner from Kiosk number 2, La Parilla. It is one of the full-service, sit-down restaurants serving Caribbean and Puerto Rican food. We tried the Pastelillos (Puerto Rican meat pies), arepas (dumplings), Queso Frito (fried cheese), Bolitas de Queso (breaded fried cheese), Sorullitos de Maiz (fried corn sticks), and Nuggets de Pescado (fish nuggets). Everything we had was wonderful and we finished with flan for dessert!
It is only about a 40-minute drive from San Juan to Luquillo so it is a doable day trip. Or, stop on your way back from El Yunque, enjoy the beach and get some food from the kiosks before you head back to San Juan!
Thanks for stopping by! To read more about this trip check out my Island a Day Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
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