Puerto Rico Weekend Getaway

After our legal wedding ceremony in Vermont earlier this summer, Chris and I wanted to celebrate with a quick getaway since our honeymoon wasn't until early 2025. We love any excuse to travel.

So I looked up resorts in the Caribbean that had nonstop flights to Atlanta, was short driving distance to an airport, and that accepted Delta Stays vouchers. One good thing about living in Atlanta is you can get that Delta AmEx and build up miles and other perks quickly.

We booked a 4 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve and holy moly am I glad we did. We could fly into San Juan and rent a car and drive the 35 minutes to the hotel. But the hotel was on a private peninsula so you don't feel like you are anywhere urban. And I love the breakfast buffets at Hyatt Regency hotels, this one was no exception; it sprawled across multiple rooms.

Reading in the shade overlooking the facilities

We took advantage of all of the amenities: multiple pools, a swim-up bar, a variety of restaurants, a private beach, the spa. This place was absolute heaven for a super relaxing weekend in paradise.

The largest hotel pool had chairs in the water

Private beach in front of the hotel

We got a rental car because we also wanted to do some exploring in the area. We drove to the top of El Yunque National Forest for some sightseeing and saw the lush rainforest.

Towards the top of El Yunque Rainforest

This project was an old FDR era public works

Another little excursion in the area was the Luquillo kiosks which were such a surprise! The kiosks are about 60 open-air food and beverage stands right on the beach. We came back here multiple times to try different spots. This is THE beach to go to if you like jet skis.

Luqillo kiosks: photo source here

Luquillo kiosks: photo source here

And my other favorite day trip was when we used Viator to book spots on a boat to Cayo Icacos, a small uninhabited island off the coast of NE Puerto Rico. This was a magical day as we whipped across the water, swam to shore, and lounged around in the water.

View from the boat after a dip in the water

The beach at Cayo Icacos was pristine

This was a quick and easy getaway that was pretty perfect overall. Puerto Rican food, hospitality, and natural beauty made this weekend an absolute winner.