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--- 2433101
I'm going on a trip with my bestie in July to Puerto Rico. What should I know before my trip or advice about things to do to make the best of it?
--- 2433105
If it helps budget is about 5k
Coming from America
Trip is going to be about a week long
I plan to visit the rainforests and Viequez for bio beaches.
--- 2433107
Of course those aren't the only things we want to do though
--- 2433207
>>2433105
Budget should be more than enough to get through the week depending on where you're staying
Stay the fuck out of Bayamon
La Perla is fine as long you don't take any pictures there
--- 2433929
>>2433207
Thanks for the advice. 

What's wrong with Bayamon?
--- 2435262
>>2433207
How is Cidra?
--- 2435283
>>2433101 (OP)
5k is more than enough as one of the anons above said. Old San Juan is a fun visit for just a day to visit the old forts and seeing the colonial architecture. just be aware that Old San Juan is solely for tourists and damn near like a living museum that clears out after 4PM thanks to all the airbnbs.
if you're renting a car and feel like adventuring the island you can go drive to Ponce to see the firehouse then go to the countryside like Lajas (one of the 3 luminescence bays is there). countryside is where the Puerto Ricans from the cities go for vaca so it's pretty chill if you do your research.

>>2433207
As for La Perla, I have no idea why you would go there. the area has improved over the last couple of years especially during daylight hours but you're visiting a slum ultimately. unless you're a 20 something who wants to buy some weed you have no reason to go there.
--- 2437191
>>2433101 (OP)
Best way to split the week is to beach bum/tour during work days and then on the weekend you focus on downtown for packed nightlife. Your schedule should look something like this:
>Sun-Wed
Rainforest (must prebook tickets/tour guide with tickets or you're stuck on the weakest hikes/river swimming, they will not let you in up top without a booking anymore)
Bio Bay in vieques is a scam now, you cannot swim in it after a shark attack, better off going to the one in La Parguera since some boat tours will let you take a dip there still, some tours will do kay kayaking/boating during the day too as a combo deal. If you want to save time, you can do a rainforest tour to the bio bay kayak tour in Fajardo, stopping at the Luquillo Kiosks for food (La Parrilla has good lobster and fish) to tick those boxes in a single day. 


Rest of the days should be spent at a beach resort or airbnb, the recommendations would be either Rio Grande, Palmas del Mar Airbnbs (if you can score one in Marbella that's the best one) or go to Rincon if you want older cheaper hotels but actual surfing. Dorado is good too but the hotels are too pricey and the beaches too calm for my taste. Catamaran trips to Caja de Muertos or Icaco/Palomino are great too, the latter easily accessible from Palmas and Rio Grande. Palmas has no night life though so it really is beach bumming and drinking all day every day. 
>Thurs
La Placita en Santurce is great at night, can spend the day in Isla Verde touring around and going to the beach there
>Friday
Condado and Calle Loiza, La Concha Hotel casino has cheap ($5 and $10 tables) for most games
>Saturday
Old San Juan for nightlife. If you don't mind the smell, Casa de Montecristo is a high end cigar lounge with the best stocked bar on island. La Factoria is a good bar if you're 23+ (arbitrary entry requirement), El Batey is a nice dive, La Taverna Lupulo is the better beer hall.

Don't go to La Perla, it's a literal ghetto.
--- 2437198
>>2433929
There's nothing in Bayamon besides the Costco really.
>>2435262
Boring rural shithole, however a daytrip to Cayey is pretty good to go to a lechonera. Wouldn't be a bad way to spend saturday noon, driving up to get spit roasted pork in the mountains.
>>2435283
>vsj is solely for tourists
m8, vsj has been the go-to spot for locals to hang out in every single saturday night for decades. It never doesn't have life in it unless you plan on partying on a tuesday night.
>Ponce
Capital of the south but realistically it's a two street city with the lighthouse and Don Q house as stops and that's it. 
>La Perla is good for weed
Shitty weed, better off going to buy perico (cocaine)
>countryside is where locals vaca
if by countryside you mean Rio Grande, Dorado, Luquillo, Humacao (really palmas del mar), Rincon and La Parguera, then sure. The rest? Lmao no. Luquillo also isn't the most tourist friendly/safe area either, wouldn't recommend it compared to others. 

Final tips:
>Don't drink Bacardi at all, stick to Don Q and Ron de Barrilito, don't do the distillery tours
>For local beers avoid Medalla/Magna (piss water) and stick to Ocean Labs
>try Mofongo, Fried Red Snapper, Lechon, Tostones, Alcapurrias, Amarillos (sweet plantain instead of salty), Churrasco (skirt steak) and some spanish stuff like Croquetas, Pulpo a la Gallega, Ceviche...
There are tons of great restaurants downtown, do some research. La Picara by Chef Xiomi is a must, despite the expense (get a reservation), Santaella is also great. Oh and when you go to La Placita, be sure to stop at La Penultima as its the best bar in the area.

Post your itinerary/plans so far and I'll lyk if you should swap some shit out. If you want to beach bum in style, Culebra > Vieques, Flamenco Beach is world class.
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>>2433101 (OP)
hurricanes
--- 2440041
Thanks guys for all the advice. You guys are awesome. 
Will post itinerary in few days. Still working on it.
--- 2440922
>>2440041
It really isn't too hard. I'll give you a sample for a 7 day stop:
>Land and go to Wyndham Rio Grande/Palmas del Mar airbnb to check in day 1. If airbnb go to costco or a grocery store and buy food and drinks, beach bum it up that day.
>Rainforest > luquillo kiosks for food > fajardo bio bay kayak tour day 2
>day 3 go to the beach all day or hit up a catamaran in fajardo to do Icacos and Palomino
>day 4: isla verde during day and Placita at night
>day 5: Ocean Park swim, condado nightlife and calle loiza for food
>day 6: Old San Juan day and night
>day 7: beach and another night at old san juan

Alternatively: Casa de Montecristo has jazz nights on thursday, so you do old san juan (vsj) thurs and saturday, placita on friday and condado on sunday/day 7. You can do a lechonera in Cayey sunday morning (drive out from san juan around 10am to make it there for lunch)