Celebrate your retirement in Puerto Rico with vibrant adventures across the Island. See the El Yunque Rainforest, savor authentic Puerto Rican food, and learn about Taino history. Plus, discover luxury hotels and beach resorts.
Puerto Rico’s vivacious Live Boricua spirit — expressed through its people, traditions, and flavors — makes it a perfect celebratory destination to cap off a career of hard work. This Caribbean gem boasts easy air access and affordable cruises, with no passport required. Excitement meets ease and luxury here, so read on for your greatest adventure yet.
Welcome to Puerto Rico, where pork highways are a thing.
Discover Authentic Puerto Rican Food
Talk of Puerto Rican food circles the globe — and for good reason. Dishes blend elements of Spanish, African, and native Taíno cuisine, so expect meals rich in flavors like earthy-sweet saffron, zingy citrus, and smoky harissa.
If you’re an explorer at heart, drive Route 184 along the Central Mountain Range to Guavate, known as the “pork highway.” Here, you’ll find slow-roasted pork at lechoneras (restaurants specializing in pork), yuca al mojo (garlic- and lime-marinated yuca root), and plenty of cold local beers to savor.
Visit Hacienda Lealtad in Lares to try local coffee.
If you appreciate guided tours, consider booking a rum tasting or mixology class at Casa BACARDÍ Puerto Rico. Explore the Island’s rich rum history within this Cataño-based distillery or at a Don Q Rum Tour in Ponce.
Equally steeped in coffee as it is rum, Puerto Rico’s lush mountainsides are best viewed with a cup of fresh, hot joe in hand. Visit a working coffee hacienda like Hacienda Lealtad in Lares, where you can learn about the farm-to-cup traditions that make the Island an international coffee destination.
People enjoy the waterfall at Juan Diego Falls in El Yunque.
Outdoor Adventures
One of the best facets of Puerto Rico is its landscape, which is as diverse and beautiful as its culture is. Sail across bioluminescent bays, relax on a white-sand beach, or explore a lush mountainside. With six unique regions to explore, your opportunities for adventures run deep.
El Yunque National Rainforest is both a sacred space in Puerto Rican Taíno culture and the only tropical rainforest in the United States, so you don’t want to miss it. Take a guided tour through its midnight green peaks and valleys, where waterfalls are nestled within. Trails range in difficulty, but the 1,557-foot-high Yokahú Observation Tower offers an easy way to catch a birds-eye view.
Plan to visit the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, too, which enchants travelers with its expansive views. Birding is encouraged, since more than 145 species live within the forest. Don’t just look within the trees, though — you’ll find plenty of gorgeous underwater creatures within the Island’s bioluminescent bays, which you can see by boat or kayak.
Ancient petroglyphs can be seen at places like Piedra Escrita and Cabachuelas Nature Reserve.
Art & Culture in Puerto Rico
Find a world of inspiring art-and-culture-focused museums and sites in Puerto Rico. From learning about the Island’s Indigenous people to exploring Olympic history, it’s impossible not to appreciate Puerto Rico’s artistic heart and soul.
Start with The Taína Route, an informative tour highlighting the Island’s Indigenous Taíno people. The route runs from Arecibo to Jayuya, where extraordinary scenery and some of the Island’s best coffee await.
If you’re celebrating your retirement during the holidays, spend Epiphany in Juana Díaz, since this city hosts the largest Día de Reyes celebration around. San Juan boasts a spectacular boat parade this time of year, too.
Immerse yourself in the art scene of charming Ponce.
For the museum-savvy, swing by the Taller de La Playa or Museo de Arte de Ponce in Ponce, which houses an internationally renowned collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and folk art. Explore paintings and personal artifacts in Guayama’s historic Museo Casa Cautiño. Olympic enthusiasts will love Museo Olímpico de Puerto Rico in Salinas, which is dedicated to the history of Puerto Rican athletics.
Mar Chiquita is one of the most popular natural pools on the north coast.
Beaches & Beach Resorts
Puerto Rico’s brilliant waters are worth a visit alone. Imagine walking across silky-smooth sand while ocean waves lap in the near distance. Whether you swim, surf, or sunbathe, the Island’s oceans invite a sense of wonder.
Celebrate your retirement at Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, where exclusive Caribbean luxury fosters extraordinary adventure. Or, choose another beachside accommodation and tour several waterfronts. Spend your days in Manatí at Mar Chiquita, a turquoise-drenched, natural limestone pool; in Cabo Rojo at La Playuela, a secluded, unspoiled beach; or in Fajardo at Cayo Icacos, an uninhabited island with crystal-clear blue water.
Nestled between the ocean and El Yunque National Forest, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club is one of the east region's most notable luxury resorts.
Luxury Hotels & Experiences
Perhaps you’d prefer to mark the end of your career with a little pampering, which Puerto Rico provides. From renowned spas to golf clubs and resorts, you can stay and play Caribbean-style.
Rest easy at San Juan’s prestigious Condado Vanderbilt Hotel and Spa, which is a short distance from the heart of the city. For more seclusion, tuck away at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club in Río Grande.
Coamo Hot Springs offers visitors a relaxing escape that could be considered the pinnacle of relaxation.
Treat yourself to a shopping spree at the Puerto Rico Premium Outlets in Barceloneta, an essential outlet with luxury brands. If you’d rather sit than shop, soak in a thermal pool at Coamo Hot Springs, or indulge in an extended Ayurvedic wellness retreat at Finca Victoria in Vieques.
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