The Best of the Caribbean by Day and Night

With crescent-shaped beaches and translucent turquoise waters, who wouldn't want to spend their dream honeymoon on a tropical island in the Caribbean? 

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches and sizzling, Latin-favored nightlife are always a draw, and old San Juan’s colorful spanish colonial architecture and cobblestone streets never fail to charm.

old san juan puerto rico
Photo courtesy of Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Day: Hit the beach in the Condado resort area, where refreshing rum punches await. In Old San Juan, explore historic churches and shop for wooden santos (saints) and other traditional handicrafts. After a tour of the massive Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a 16th-century Spanish citadel, stop for a tamale at a mom-and-pop cart in the central square, then hop a ferry across scenic San Juan Harbor to have a tour and tasting at the Bacardi rum distillery, the world’s largest.

Night: Once the sun goes down, Old San Juan really comes alive. start off with a piña colada at Barrachina (the drink is said to have been invented here) on Fortaleza street, and dine in one of the hip restaurants like Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar (dinner for two, $100) serving Puerto Rican fusion cuisine (the ceviche is a must). Try your luck in the Condado casinos, and if you still have energy, hit the salsa clubs to try out your dance moves.

Where to Stay: Hotel El Convento, a convent-turned-boutique hotel, is definitely the most romantic place to stay in town. The 58 rooms overlook an inner courtyard, and have tiled foors, wrought-iron chandeliers and wood-beamed ceilings. Be sure to take a peek at the former nuns’ chapel where weddings now take place. Room rates start at $195 a night.

hotel el convento
Photo courtesy of Hotel El Convento

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