Puerto Rico is more than just a place with nice beaches, and I hope this list of 25 things to do in San Juan Puerto Rico and beyond with kids convinces you that it’s the perfect place to vacation with your family!
I’ve been to Puerto Rico twice in my life. Once with my best friend for spring break during our senior year of high school and once with my family for a couple of days before we went on a cruise. Both times I absolutely loved it, and I’ve been trying to come up with an excuse to go back. Every year we go on one big family trip. Before my son was born, my husband and I went to places all over the world – Greece, Italy, Hawaii, The Bahamas, and plenty of other places. Things have changed now that we have an almost two-year-old, and we need to stay a little closer to home. After researching things to do in Puerto Rico on SeePuertoRico.com, we decided that Puerto Rico sounded like the perfect vacation destination, even with our toddler in tow. I especially love that going from D.C. to Puerto Rico is simple because you don’t need a passport or even foreign money, just hop on a plane and go! When we originally started talking about going to Puerto Rico, we were both a little worried about what we would do with our almost two-year-old once we got there. We didn’t have anything to worry about, I found a TON of things to do with kids on SeePuertoRico.com including some world-class attractions that I know will turn our little family vacation into a five-star vacation. There are others but these are just the best things that I found in my research, plenty of things to keep you busy for a week or even a month.
San Juan Puerto Rico with Kids
Go to the Beach
If you’re planning a trip to Puerto Rico, I’m going to assume you’re planning to spend at least one day at the beach. These are two of the most family friendly beaches but if these don’t work for you, there are a plethora of other beaches available as well. In fact, Puerto Rico has 270 miles of coastline, including beaches featured in the Travel Channel’s top 10 beaches. Punta Salinas Beach Park – This beach sounds perfect for kids and even toddlers with its calm water, lifeguards, security, and other facilities. Boqueron Beach Park – A mile-long beach that’s easily accessible, has smooth-as-glass water, and excellent facilities like lifeguards, gazebos for picnicing, restrooms, and even a playground for the kids!
Explore the Flora and Fauna
Puerto Rico is a prime location for some amazing hiking. These are some of the more popular natural destinations for kids, but you can also just check out the nature page on SeePuertoRico.com for all of the spectacular options. El Yunque National Forest – The only subtropical rain forest in the United States and simply amazing. Kids will love watching and listening to all of the birds and other wildlife. La Marquesa Forest – This is a 600-acre forest right in the middle of the city and offers everything from great flora and fauna, a butterfly conservator, and even a funicular railway. What kid doesn’t like a railway? Caguas Botanical and Cultural Garden – A botanical garden that combines various cultures, it’s full of tropical flora and great wildlife.
See a Bioluminescent Bay
One of my favorite experiences in Puerto Rico was kayaking out to see a bioluminescent bay, aka glow in the dark water. You can learn more about bio bays on SeePuertoRico.com but just know that it’s a once in a lifetime experience and your kids will love it. These two have kid friendly options for getting to the bay. Mosquito Bay – This is the most brilliant bay on Earth with a density of 700,000 organisms per gallon of water, amazing right? Visitors can either kayak or take an electric pontoon boat out to the bay. La Parguera – This is the first known bio bay in Puerto Rico and can be reached by kayak, small boat, and larger glass-bottom boats.
Visit Historical Landmarks
Puerto Rico is full of history and has some of the coolest historical landmarks to explore. El Morro – This huge fortress was built in 1539 and served as the stronghold for Puerto Rico over the years. Now it’s a great place to explore, climb, and tire your kids out. And it has an amazing field in front that’s perfect for kite flying. Plaza Las Delicias in Ponce – This beautiful plaza is home to the first firehouse (and an antique firehouse) in the Caribbean and probably the most amazing fountain in the area.
Embrace Puerto Rican Culture
You can’t have a trip to Puerto Rico without embracing the Puerto Rican culture and there are plenty of ways to do that. Break Bread – Puerto Rico has some of the most amazing bread I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried bread in some of the most famous bread places in the world like France and Italy. It’s soft and sweet and so good that I made my dad bring me some home on the airplane after their trip to Puerto Rico last year. Heladaria Lares – This ice cream parlor has been serving unique ice cream flavors like rice & beans, corn, and tomato since 1968. And for the less adventurous, your typical vanilla and chocolate. Baños de Coamo (thermal hot springs) – Thermal sulfur water springs that have been open since the 19th century and recently renovated into a wonderful place to spend an afternoon enjoying warm water that’s said to have healing powers by the locals. Ride the Trolley around Old San Juan – A short and free trolley tour that circles the city and allows your family to see the historical sites without walking. Parque de las Palomas – Translated as pigeon park, this is literally a park where hundreds of pigeons hang out to eat bread and food from visitors. Explore Old San Juan – The city center is lined with cobblestone streets, restaurants, and shops for exploring. Spend a morning or afternoon (if it’s not too hot) trying out ice cream from street vendors, local fare from the restaurants, and picking up a souvenir or two.
See a Show
Puerto Rico has a rich theatrical presence both for adults and kids. If you’re not around for Teatro del Ninos, then check out these other theaters to see if any of them have shows especially for kids. Teatro del Ninos – If you happen to be in Puerto Rico on the third Sunday of the month, Paseo La Princesa hosts a children’s theater that is a free event with things like music, games, clowns, and treats for the kids.
Go to a Museum
I know, I know you aren’t going on a warm and exotic vacation to go to a museum, but if you’re going for a week or more, these options are great for kids and will give you a nice break from being outdoors all week long. Children’s Museum in San Juan – Just what it sounds like, this museum is made just for children and includes tons of activities to keep them entertained from a mini TV studio to a children-only town, and plenty of educational exhibits as well. It’s located right in Old San Juan and would a perfect break for the kids on a day that you went shopping or explored the city. Children’s Museum in Carolina – This children’s museum is for more than just children with 100+ interactive and educational exhibits, outdoor games, a go-kart course, and even a full-sized airplane for children to explore. Museum of Transportation – If you have kids that like things that go, they’ll love trying out all of the transportation themed activities like flight and race simulators.
Other Attractions
Chiquitines Island – Part of the bigger Algergue Olimpico, this water park area is made just for kids 4 1/2 feet and under, complete with water slides, splash pads, and even a tropical forest like lazy river. Aguadilla Treehouse – Located in Columbus Park, this huge wooden structure is built around a large Bunyan tree and includes stairs, walkways, overlooks, and even benches for tired parents to just sit and watch their kids climb. And once your kids tire of the treehouse, Columbus Park has a small boardwalk, a small beach, and a couple of playgrounds for the kids. Arecibo Lighthouse – This isn’t just a lighthouse, it’s a complex full of fun things for the kids including awesome looking playgrounds, a pirate’s ship, bumper boats, and even a mini-zoo. Villa Campestre – Only available to the general public on weekends, Villa Campestre is an educational farm where kids can pet and feed animals as well as play on bouncy houses, a treehouse, amusement park rides, and an “ice” skating rink where you can slide around without actual ice. Mayaguez Zoo – The only zoo in Puerto Rico that hosts 17 species of wildlife from lions to monkeys. Las Cascadas Water Park – The largest waterpark in the Caribbean, a great place to cool off on a hot day These were just some of the ideas of things to do in San Juan Puerto Rico that I found on SeePuertoRico.com, check it out yourself and come back and tell me what you want to see first! Then go Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico. Follow Along with SeePuertoRico.com Like SeePuertoRico.com on Facebook Follow @PRTourismCo on Twitter
