Puerto Rico has long been on our radar as a destination worth checking out, but prices can often be prohibitive. This week we found some of the best prices we've seen all year for a 4-night flight and hotel package for two in Puerto Rico. Stay at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in September and you'll save $125, plus you'll receive a $100 food and beverage credit to sweeten the deal. (Prices start at $742.58; deal ends August 29.)
The hotel is ideally located on the northern coast and offers visitors a range of activities from hiking through a rain forest to kayaking in bioluminescent bays. We picked out a few of our favorite reasons why this is a must-book offer.
10 Reasons to Book This Puerto Rican Vacation
The Only Resort on Puerto Rico's Northeast Coast
Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa is the only resort situated on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, making it an excellent base for exploring this side of the island. The resort itself includes over a mile of pristine beach and 500 acres of tropical resort grounds.
You Don't Need a Passport
Nothing gets a vacation off on the wrong foot like arriving at the airport and realizing you've left your passport at home (despite your partner's obsessive-compulsive need to remind you to pack it since you started planning the trip three months ago). But since Puerto Rico is a US territory, you can keep calm and produce your driver's license or state ID card to continue on your island vacay.
Adjacent to El Yunque Rain Forest
Puerto Rico's 28,000 acre El Yunque Rain Forest is right next to this resort. Explore the abundance of waterfalls, thick foliage, and ancient Taino petroglyphs. Don't miss the stunning La Mina Falls and keep your eyes peeled for indigenous animals like the Puerto Rican parrot and the Coqui tree frog.
Balinese Relaxation at the Hotel's Mandara Spa
Trade in your daily coffee fix for a Caribbean Coffee Body Scrub Ritual treatment at the hotel's onsite Mandara Spa. With all your day-to-day stress literally scrubbed off, unwind in the meditation area with breathtaking views across the Atlantic ocean.
Night Kayaking on a Bioluminescent Bay
Experience the other-worldly beauty of a bioluminescent bay at Laguna Grande in nearby Fajardo. This bay is home to billions of half-animal, half-plant hybrids that light up the ocean like aquatic fireflies. Two-hour night kayaking tours can be arranged direct from the hotel. For best visibility, book a tour during the new moon phase of the month.
Colonial Culture in Old San Juan
Puerto Rico's capital city dates back 500 years to the early 1500s, when it was first settled by the Spanish. Today, the blue cobblestone streets lead tourists through the city's shaded plazas, monuments, forts, and museums. The city is also the best place to shop in Puerto Rico. If you're looking for a souvenir, hop on the city's free Old City Trolley to find shops selling caretas (ceremonial masks), santos (figurines of saints), and handmade lace.
2 Championship Golf Courses and the Caribbean's Largest Tennis Center
The resort boasts two 18-hole Championship Golf Courses: the Ocean Course (designed by Tom and George Fazio) and the River Course (designed by Greg Norman). The signature 16th hole on the Ocean Course is considered one of the best in the Caribbean. If you're more interested in your forehand than your follow through, there are 11 Har-Tru courts and two layered layout hard courts. The resort even keeps four courts lit in the evenings for night play.
Delicious Puerto Rican Cuisine
Puerto Rican cuisine blends Spanish, Caribbean and African influences to produce a flavor uniquely Puertorriqueño. Nearly every dish is accompanied by plantains, and fish and pork play key roles in most meals. Check out the hotel's Iguana Pub, serving up Puerto Rican favorites accompanied by rain forest views. The resort also has 10 other restaurants and cafes with cuisine varying from Asian to burgers.
Scuba Diving and Other Water Sports
The Wyndham's position on the northern coast makes it an ideal destination for water sports enthusiasts of all varieties. Wave Runners, kayaks, banana boats, and parasailing equipment is all available to rent from the hotel. Nearby Fajardo is also recommended by Frommers as one of the best scuba diving sites in Puerto Rico. Divers can hand-feed reef fish and explore the unique double-barrier reef surrounding Palomino Island.
Try Your Luck at Rio Mar Casino
If you're worried that you're just too darn relaxed, add some adrenalin into your system by spending an evening in the resort's Rio Mar Casino. Open until 2 am daily, the casino includes table games like Roulette and Black Jack, over 150 slot machines, and a sports bar with five 50-inch plasma HDTV screens to kick back and watch the game on.
Still not convinced? On the off chance that fun in the sun just isn't your thing, check out our travel page for all the latest deals for destinations around the world.
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Please note that, although prices sometimes fluctuate or expire
unexpectedly, all products and deals mentioned in this feature were
available at the lowest total price we could find at the time of
publication (unless otherwise specified).
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