This was our second visit to Puerto Rico. First things first, our flight left on Saturday December 19th and returned on December 24th. Prices we roughly $800 per person. We flew in San Juan International, however we stayed in Fajardo.
Let me give you a few tidbits on why we chose to stay in Fajardo. For one, San Juan is on the Atlantic ocean. December is the rainy season the seas can be a little less forgiving than the Caribbean.
Secondly I have been a Hilton Hotels guy since traveling for work got me Diamond status a few years ago. Just can't beat the perks and upgrades! None of the Hilton hotels in San Juan have a great beach with crystal clear blue waters. So we chose to stay at the El Conquistador , a Waldorf Astoria resort in Fajardo.
Here is a view of the outdoor entry way
Pool area views from the lobby
The hotel provides a shuttle service from the airport for $39 per person each way. It's about an hours drive from Fajardo. On our first visit we didn't leave the resort so it made since not to rent a car. We did venture out this time, more on that later.
So about the digs! Upon entering the resort there are sweeping views of the meticulous golf course. There is a long drive up to the circular entrance. The hotel property includes buildings in multiple locations. There is Las Brisas which are larger rooms for families located high up on the cliffs. The main hotel is where the lobby, pools and restaurants are located. (they have a Starbucks on site) The main hotels hotel rooms are located on the point of the cliffs and offer sweeping views of the ocean.
A view from the top of the cliffs
You can see private Palomino island off to the left in the distance
Las Olas and La Vista rooms below
Since the hotel itself is located at the top of the cliff the hotel has twin gondolas that transport guests from the upper cliff side to the marina. About halfway down there is another pool surrounding another pool. At the bottom there are multiple buildings with rooms offering a close up view of the ocean. There are also suites (La Olas) located in smaller buildings adjacent to the marina and ocean.
A view of our suites and the ocean
Having status with the hotel chain has it's benefits. Along with the upgraded room, the hotel delivered a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries our first evening there.
There is an added benefit to being on the lower level; The ferry to the private island leaves from here every thirty minutes starting at 9am. The last ferry leaving the for the island is 4pm and on it's way back 5:30pm.
The lower level also includes two restaurants, a convenience store, dive shop, and a water park.
The snorkeling is great - saw an Octopus!
Be sure to bring some water shoes, the old coral is scattered under the crystal clear blue water
A view from the ferry
On the island there is plenty to do if the sun and the water aren't enough. There is a restaurant for lunch, a few shops for the necessities if you forgot them. There are two bars and a motor sports rental. You can rent snorkeling gear or a kayak. There are stables and for a fee you can tour the island up to the peak and see the surrounding islands.
The weather was gorgeous, it wasn't too hot. About 75-85 each day, with periods of rain. We could see it coming in the distance , so we headed to the restaurant and had a snack. The water temperature was a bit brisk at first, but once you got in you didn't notice. The first time we went was in July and temperatures reach close to 100 each day.
Local wildlife
We decided to rent a car one day and drive back to San Juan, we wanted to tour "Old San Juan". There is an Enterprise rental car office inside the resort lobby. If you want to rent a car, plan ahead. We got lucky and got a car at 1pm. It's around $85 to rent a car for they day.
We used our Google maps to get us there. The drive is not bad at all, like I mentioned earlier it's about an hour's drive. On our drive we saw some of the other Hilton options. The Embassy Suites is convenient to the Airport, but it's right on the highway and not much of a tropical feel. We passed by the Hilton Condado, they have a beach but the water isn't crystal clear. Seeing these hotels confirmed we made a right choice to stay in Fajardo.
There is plenty of parking in Old San Juan. This part of the city is built within the walls of the old forts that protected the city. Most of the parking is towards the bottom of the hill that is Old San Juan. There are places that will charge you a pretty penny, however we found a public parking deck that let us park for 4 hours for $3.26. There is a trolley system that will shuttle you around. We chose to walk ourselves. We started at the largest of the forts, which are a US state park. The San Cristobal fort is large and high and is the largest of the forts.
Here is a view from the top
As you can see this is where the cruise ships dock, there were two there when we arrived. The city is large enough you don't even notice the extra people.
We were a bit hungry so we grabbed an empanada from a local street vendor. We decided to hoof it along the old fort walls down to the Castillo San Felipe El Morro. 
It was getting later in the day so we decided to head back towards the car and explore some of the city, do a little shopping and grab dinner along the way.
We decided to do dinner and try some local fare at Barachina
The view from the street hides the beautiful courtyard restaurant. The Pina Colada and Roast Pork make an awesome combination.
Puerto Rico is a wonderful place to visit, the weather and people are warm and welcoming. We will be back, this is one of my favorite places in the Caribbean.
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