activities

Best Things to Do in Puerto Rico: Boating, Snorkeling, Adventuring, and Relaxing

katie went there3 Comments

Puerto Rico is known for its beautiful landscape and turquoise blue waters that bring people worldwide to its shores. This post will tell you the best things to do in Puerto Rico to help you get the most out of your vacation on this beautiful island! The best activities in Puerto Rico are sailing, snorkeling, ATVs, horseback riding, ziplining, and hiking.

TIP: Book your main activities towards the beginning of your trip just in case they reschedule due to bad weather or maintenance.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post that I receive a small commission from, but they do not add cost to your tour booking. Some links in this post send you directly to the tour company’s site that I do not get commission on when I think it is the better/easier way to book the activity.

Sail to Nearby Islands

This is my favorite activity when it comes to taking in the island life! These trips are around 5 hours and include food, music, floats, and drinks. Boat day trips are just a combination of all things great on an island- clear endless water and good vibes. Some boats require you to meet at the marina in Fajardo, which is about 1 hour from San Juan. Others offer roundtrip transportation from your hotel. These boats have plenty of floats so you can just chill in the water or swim to shore and lay on the beach.

Puerto Rico Catamarans will usually take you to 1 of 3 islands off of Puerto Rico: Palomino, Icacos, or Culebra. For the best snorkeling, Culebra is the best option, but for just a nice clear beach, Icacos and Palomino are both extremely fun for a day in the sun!

Soar Through the Treetops

Puerto Rico is a rare gem in the fact that, if you are a US citizen, you do not need a passport to see a tropical rainforest. Ziplining is an awesome way to get a bird’s eye view of this tropical wonder! There are 2 areas you can zipline at: the rainforest and the dry forest. Both are beautiful, it just depends what you want to see or where you are staying.

Enjoy Caribbean Sunset Sailing

This is a great option that departs right out of the San Juan harbor, making it easy to get to by Uber or taxi. This sailing excursions takes you around the Old San Juan historical walls, giving you a new perspective on this beautiful city. The sunset sail is from 5pm-7pm so that you can take in the entire sunset and make it back to the dock as soon as it gets dark. These sails come with snacks and drinks, and are the perfect setting for any occasion- a date night, a girls trip, or a family activity. The sunset sail is usually more calm whereas the boating day trips that I mentioned earlier can get rowdy, depending on the crowd, but both are extremely enjoyable.

Ride through the Foothills of the Rainforest

I LOVE Carabali Adventure Park, and I think you will too! They offer ATV rides and horseback rides on a large, beautiful property just below the El Yunque Rainforest National Park. I’ve ridden horses twice and loved it. Carabali also offers ATV and UTV tours. They may let you go fast on certain straight paths in the tour, but remember this is a tour, so you have a guide who sets the pace.

Be Adventurous on a Puerto Rico Rainforest Hiking Tour

If you are looking for adventure, but feel a little weary of doing it on your own, a guided tour is perfect for you! Puerto Rico tour guides cannot bring tour groups to the actual El Yunque Rainforest National Park road right now, but they will take you to great hikes, waterfalls, and natural water slides on the outskirts of the national park road, which are fun and adventurous! Be sure to wear water shoes or tennis shoes that you do not mind getting dirty as it can be extremely muddy. Guides will show you where to jump off into the water and will usually provide life jackets for safety during the tour. Honestly, locals go to these places by themselves all the time, but if you don’t have a rental car or just want to be on the safe side, I recommend a guided tour.

These are some of the best excursions in Puerto Rico with easy access from San Juan. I did not list the bioluminescent bay tour just because I have not personally been, but have been told by friends that it is best to experience during a new moon (no moon) so that you can see the water light up best. I hope this helps you when planning your next Caribbean adventure!

If you have experienced an excursion in Puerto Rico that you enjoyed, list it in the comments below!

Happy Travels,

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Things to do in Siena, Italy: A list of fun activities in this magical city

katie went there1 Comment

Siena, Italy is known for medieval history and impressively preserved architecture. Many still live in and within its walls, keeping up Siena’s romantic reputation and cheering for their favorite team during the annual horse races in the square. Siena is a bustling city in tourist season, but quite walkable. Stay on the sidewalks as city buses stop for nothing! Just wandering the streets is breathtaking when admiring the architecture that remains perfectly sound to this day. There are plenty of things to do in Siena to explore this area for at least 2 days. A few popular activities in Siena include shopping, eating, visiting museums, take a tour or class, and having an elegant Opera evening.

Siena Italy city view in Tuscany

Siena Shopping

Most Tuscan cities have cute, touristy shops that offer post cards, trinkets, and lots of leather! Italian leather is something you will want to take advantage of while here. Real leather is hard to come by in the states, but even the smallest of shops in Italy offer genuine leather purses for as little as 20 Euro. You could also grab a tasteful leather journal to record your best Italian travel memories. I grabbed my green, stamped leather purse from an upstairs vendor as well as leather bracelets for friends back home.

Italian Leather Purse shops

Eating

It’s no secret that Italy is known for incredible food– pizzas, pastas, aperitifs, gelato, and delicious wines. You are basically good to go with food on every corner in Siena. We found a quick, a la carte spot that charged by the kilogram, and everything was delicious. Look for where locals are eating on their lunch break, so you know it must be good.  

Siena Italy Piazza del Campo
Siena Italy Pasta
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Museums

Siena is full of history, culture, art, and beauty. To get the backstory on this incredible city, visit a few of the many museums it offers, or visit them all if you are staying a few days. Museo dell’Opera Del Doumo boasts of having one of the best views of this beautiful city, so be sure to bring your camera for scenic, landscape shots. The Siena National Art Gallery is also a great way to see the local talent that came from this area. Be sure to bring your student ID everywhere in Europe as most attractions offer a discount. Another excellent museum to view is the Santa Maria Della Scala, which holds the actual Fonte Gaia that was replaced by a replica fountain in Siena’s main town square, Piazza del Campo.

Siena Italy Torre del Doumo

Take a Tour

What better way to experience a city than with a local? I took a tour and pasta-making class through Airbnb.com while visiting Rome, and it is one of my favorite memories of Italy to this day. Airbnb has several experiences in Siena with great reviews, including cooking classes, wine tastings, Opera evenings, and themed tours. All you have to do is search your destination on Airbnb.com, and choose the “experiences” option to display all tours and activities offered in that city.

Elegant Opera Evening

The best Opera, according to Trip Advisor ratings, is the Italian Opera in Siena, which is only a 10 minute walk from Piazza del Campo. Adult tickets are 25 euro and students get a 10-euro discount with their school ID. Children under 12 are free. The opera begins at 9:30 pm, so get all dressed up, and enjoy a delicious Italian dinner before the show.

Siena Italy Opera
Photo by Victor Freitas on Pexels.com

I hope this post sparks your interest to visit Siena and to love it as much as I do. I used Rick Steve’s Guide to Italy as my “tour guide in a book” if you will. He describes each destination beautifully and provides the history that makes everything come to life!

For cheap flight options, sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights to get alerts when cheap flights are taking off near you. I started this European trip in Paris, France, because Scott sent me an alert for a flight from Atlanta to Paris for $495. Once you are in Europe, easyJet has cheap, country hopper flights. I could not have been more impressed with easyJet as an airline!

Happy Travels,

Katie

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Savannah, Georgia Tour Guide: A welcoming gift from locals to visitors

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Savannah, Georgia has much to offer when it comes to delicious cuisine and nightlife. Restaurants vary from super fancy to casual and fun. They even have plenty of coffee shops perfect for getting work done or taking a load off from sightseeing. Having so many options can really get overwhelming. I will be in this city for 1 year and know that there’s no way I’ll be able to experience everything. So, to narrow the list, I asked a few locals about their favorite places to eat, drink, and explore in hopes to give you some guidance while you visit this lovely city.

If you are a military family, you may also want to check out this post -> The Ultimate Savannah, Georgia Guide for Military Families

Savannah Georgia Photography in Ardsley Park Downtown
Secret Key Photography

I created a Printable Savannah Tour Guide featuring all the local favorites that Savannah residents recommended. Enter your email below to receive the guide in the subscription confirmation!

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Success! You're on the list. Here is your Savannah Tour Guide PDF: https://katiewentthere.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/graphic-designer.pdf

Feel free to print off my Tybee Island Tour Guide as well since you will be nearby 🙂

Savannah has beautiful historic apartments and lofts available through VRBO.