Puerto Rico - Pitstops for Kids

Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico with kids

April 21, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

There’s a reason I keep writing about vacationing in Puerto Rico with kids: this destination is affordable and convenient to reach from many points in the US and Canada. Within just a few hours, families can be on tropical beaches and exploring a different culture, without even needing a passport (for US citizens).

If you’re planning a Puerto Rico vacation, we have another great resort pick for you: Bahia Beach Resort, located on the northeast coast along two miles of pristine beach. Bahia Beach lodging ranges from home rentals to the luxury of the St. Regis, with activities to keep your schedule packed your entire stay (though definitely reserve some time to explore further afield as well…see below).

Our top activity picks at Bahia Beach:

Bahia Beach activities range from relaxing to adventurous. Right on property, families can access golf, tennis, and miles of beach, as well as swimming pools and a kids’ club.

Hit the beach (and the pools): The two miles of white sandy beaches at Bahia can be accessed all year long, but for the poolside fans, there’s also a beach club with pool (and access to the sand), cabanas, a bar, and full poolside food services. When in Puerto Rico with kids, I recommend at least one or two full days dedicated to water and waves…find chairs or a cabana and camp out here from breakfast until dinner!

Go jump in a lake: Or rather, kayak on one! Yes, there’s a lake at Bahia Beach. At the Boathouse, get a kayak or canoe to explore 70 acres of canals and lakes on the resort’s grounds. Also accessible is the Espiritu Santo River, with mangroves and a wide variety of bird species. Families can also fish, paddle board, sail, or windsurf on the lake.

Take a day trip: Day trips to other points on Puerto Rico can be arranged at Bahia Beach, in some cases even eliminating the need to rent a car. Families can visit Old San Juan, which is located nearby and explore El Yunque, the sub-tropical rainforest at the eastern end of Puerto Rico. If you visit, start at the El Portal Visitors Center to get an introduction to the rainforest with exhibits and a film. From there, check out the Cloud Forest on the La Roca Trail, or discover waterfalls while hiking (I suggest a private tour to see the best sites).

Iguana Kids Club: Set the kids up at the Iguana Kids’ Club at Bahia Beach, and have a little adult time on the sand, in the pools, or dining out. Kids’ clubs vary greatly from property to property, so we always recommend visiting in person with your child before making definitive plans. What I like about Iguana Kids’ Club: it’s located primarily outdoors, under a pavilion, which just makes sense to me in a destination such as Puerto Rico. Ages 4-12 are accepted, and staff takes kids outside of the club regularly, whether on nature walks, for bird or turtle feeding, or for scavenger hunts. When kids’ clubs never take kids out of doors, I run from them fast! Of course, there will be some indoor moments, during which the club is equipped with fun inside gear such as board games, a Wii station, movies, a reading area, kitchenette, and arts and crafts materials.

Have you been to Puerto Rico? What are your go-to activities?

Puerto Rico: An exotic vacation, without the exotic hassles

January 20, 2016 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following post is written by guest reviewer Sue Rodman of Field Trips with Sue.

In many ways, a Puerto Rico vacation is the ideal family friendly destination. While it’s undoubtedly in paradise, it’s not hard to get to Puerto Rico from the east coast of the US. In short, Puerto Rico is a family-friendly exotic destination made easy.

The sun drenched white sand beaches of the Caribbean have always been a huge draw for families wishing to get away to an exotic location. At the El Conquistador Resort & Las Casitas Village in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, you get the alluring vibe of the Caribbean, without having to secure a passport, exchange money or purchase an international phone plan. Since Puerto Rico is a part of the United States, it’s easy to travel between the territory and mainland, and many airports have direct flights to San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.

The El Conquistador Resort & Las Casitas Village offers a shuttle service from Luis Munoz Marin International airport in San Juan. It’s about a 30 – 45 minute ride to the family friendly resort, which is located at the eastern tip of the island on a 300-foot bluff.

El Conquistador Resort vs. Las Casitas Village

The El Conquistador & Las Casitas Village is a 500-acre, Waldorf Astoria AAA Four Diamond resort. The El Conquistador has individual guest rooms and suites, while Las Casitas Village offers 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom villas. The villas are individually owned, but can be rented through the Hilton website. Guests at Las Casitas Village enjoy all the amenities of the neighboring hotel. On our trip we stayed in the guest rooms overlooking the marina, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. On a clear day, I could see all the way to St. Thomas!

Free Things to Do at El Conquistador Resort

When I think of a Waldorf Astoria hotel, I think luxury, and expensive. The El Conquistador is definitely luxury, and you can certainly spend a good bit of money if you want, but there are also lots of activities included in your stay that could amuse your family for a day or more. My favorite free activities are ScoutAbout and Palomino Island. ScoutAbout is a scavenger hunt around the property. Find the items and collect colored bands. It’s a wonderful way the see all of the resort, and although the program is made for the kids, there are lots of adults that do it too.

Palomino Island is reason alone to stay at the El Conquistador. The free ferry from the resort to the island is a soothing ten-minute boat trip that offers stellar views of the resort. The first thing I noticed when we got off the boat at the island was the butterflies. At first I thought they were birds there were so many.

Once on the island, splash in the water, hike to the top of the mountain for a bird’s eye view, or commune with the iguanas and butterflies. You’ll even find a few ScoutAbout bands here, as well as a host of fee-based water sports like jet skis, horseback riding and even mini golf, because what beach doesn’t have mini-golf. They do have snorkeling at Palomino Island, but I’d recommend taking a boat from the marina. I went snorkeling from the island and saw some fish, but mostly grass. I met a woman at dinner that went off the boat in deeper water and saw ‘all the fish in Finding Nemo.’

Where to Eat at the El Conquistador Resort

The El Conquistador has 23 restaurants, bars and lounges on site. There is everything from Chops steakhouse to Starbucks Coffee, as well as local restaurants like Las Brisas and the Stingray Café. When I saw Chops and Starbucks I was a little disappointed that we wouldn’t get to sample regional food, which is so much a part of travel, but was excited to see that many of the restaurants offer at least a nod to traditional Puerto Rican food. We sampled Piragua, which is a Puerto Rican snow cone, Mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish made with seasoned plantains, and sipped Acai, a super food similar to a smoothie. It was topped with granola and quite delicious.

Don’t Miss Activities at the El Conquistador Resort

Anyone with kids will want to spend at least one day at the 2.4 acre Coqui Water Park within the resort. The park has a lazy river, infinity pool, zero entry area with a slide for little ones, and of course bigger slides, including the El Gigante Dormindo (The Sleeping Giant) with a 40-foot drop that reminds me of a similar slide at Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World. I opted not to try that slide because I don’t like going airborne several stories above the pool. I would much rather leave the kids with dad and slip away for a spa treatment at the Waldorf Astoria Spa. The hot tub and soothing steam room are a little more my speed.

One of the most unique activities at El Conquistador is Foot Golf. My husband is a golfer, but I’m not. However, I can appreciate the beauty of the Arthur Hills golf course at El Conquistador and would love an opportunity walk the course and see the views. In Foot Golf, you use a soccer ball and your feet to drive and sink a putt. It’s a great way to get kids and non-golfers to experience the course.

As we disclose whenever applicable, Sue was hosted by El Conquistador Resort, as a guest on behalf of Pit Stops for Kids. All opinion is her own.

Puerto Rico hotel review: Condado Plaza Hilton

January 15, 2016 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following post is written by guest reviewer Sue Rodman of Field Trips with Sue.

The sound of crashing waves lulls you to sleep at night, and eases you into the morning. The view is like a cruise ship, nothing but water and white caps as far as the horizon. Welcome to the Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the only hotel to overlook both the Atlantic Ocean and the tranquil Condado Lagoon.

Puerto Rico Hotel Review: The Condado Plaza Hilton

The Condado Plaza has two towers with 571 guest rooms. The hotel was built in 1963, and the interior was recently renovated. The sleek mid-century design by Leo Daly, made me think it was the type of place you’d find Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin back in the day. Indeed many of the A-list crowd in Puerto Rico visit the hotel’s signature restaurant Pikayo, an award winning eatery by top Puerto Rican Chef Wilo Benet.

Our group stayed in the tower overlooking the ocean. Another tower has family friendly suites and overlooks the Condado Lagoon. Parents have room options, which include a door that will separate them from the kids, always a nice feature when little ones go to bed before the adults. Balconies on this side of the hotel offer skyline views of San Juan, which is beautiful in the evenings.

Exploring San Juan

The Condado Plaza Hilton is located about 15 minutes from Luis Munoz Marin International airport, and a few miles from Old San Juan, a must stop on your trip to Puerto Rico. Old San Juan reminds me of an ocean side New Orleans with colorful buildings, iron balconies and cobblestone streets. The National Park Service maintains two forts in Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and Castillo de San Cristóbal. My family loves visiting old forts and getting the Junior Ranger books. The weathered stone structures with the crystal blue green ocean in the background are also beautiful picture spots.

Activities at the Condado Plaza Hilton

After a day exploring Old San Juan, the Condado Plaza 24-hour pool area is the perfect place to relax. The lush green grass of the lawn, with blue lounge chairs is perfect for resting in the ocean breezes. The main pool complex has a salt-water pool, as well as a larger pool with swim up bar and water slide and baby pool for the kids. Off the pool area is a beach with swimming protected from the larger ocean by a series of rocks. We went snorkeling off the beach. The hotel provided all the equipment, as well as an armband booklet of the types of fish we might see. Our trip was in December, when water is perfect for surfing, but it was a bit rough for snorkeling. Instead, take out a kayak or stand up paddleboard from the water sports desk located by the Condado Lagoon. Our group went kayaking and came upon three manatees that played with us as we paddled toward the other side where music festival was setting up.

ScoutAbout at the Condado

One of my favorite activities at the Condado was the ScoutAbout scavenger hunt. Kids pick up a map at the front desk and search the grounds for kiosks where they find information about the hotel or area and collect a colored armband. Collect all the bands and hand them in to the front desk for a special one with the hotel’s name. Although this is supposed to be a kid’s activity, it’s fun for teens and adults too because you learn about the area. I discovered the story behind the dog like rock out in front of the beach. It is said to be from a dog that waited faithfully so long for it’s owner that it became petrified in the spot.

As we disclose whenever applicable, Sue visited Condado Plaza Hilton as a guest of the resort, on behalf of Pit Stops for Kids. All opinions remain her own.