the number 1 thing i would schedule to do is go to a bioluminescent bay---an unbelieveable experience!!! i recommend the one they have in vieques...a pr island-a ferry goes there every day. the bay in vieques allows you to swim in it, whereas some of the bays on the main island don't... they only run tours during times of the month when there's not a full or nearly full moon, so if you're going any time close to the full moon, this won't be an option.

i would recommend one of the snorkeling trips out of fajardo-- always fun.... they have a snorkel trip out to culebra(another pr island) which has an absolutely gorgeous beach-flamenco beach which is one of the nicer snorkel trips, imo.

there is a place near el yunque which has mountain biking, horseback riding and atv riding which is fun for kids and adults!!! a good 1/2 day trip!

We went last Jan. for 4 days. We stayed at the Grand Melia Resort in Rio Grande about 45 minutes from San Juan.
The problem with this particluar resort is that it is limited in things to do at the resort unless you want to Golf. There is a beach but not all that great for us since we are from Florida with beautiful beaches. Also since it was not a busy time (too close to Christmas, I guess) some of the restuarants were not open. It was not convenient to just run get a sandwich out of the resort - Rio Grands had Mcdonalds etc but communicating with the locals wasn't easy - most do not speak English.

We did the Rainforest Tour - did go to the local beach but didn't stay - did go into San Juan and saw some of the sites. We hit it on a festival weekend and the streets were crowded. One word of warning - the people there drive like there are no laws - if there is a space between you and the car in front of you - they try to get in. And the streets do not have street signs in San Juan - they are on the buildings and not easy to see.

I can pull out my Puerto Rico guide (Frommers) and look at places to stay - I know some of the people who were on the Raintforest Tour with us were really pleased where they stayed.

Also there is a site called TripAdvisor - people write reviews and give advice on places to eat and see. Once I give you some names of places to look for - check them out.

There are also other hints about renting cars and such I can give you - you can email me through GW and I can get back to you directly.

Oh, TripAdvisor is my number one source for travel! Seems like none of the PR hotels have consistently good reviews, unfortunately. In talking more to our travel agent, she said she doesn't like PR that much but for a quick trip it's good. Now I'm thinking we may just travel a bit further and go to Aruba, where we have been twice and the kids just love it and always beg to go back. We haven't been in maybe 5 years. DH and oldest DS can only go for 4 days, but the rest of us can stay longer because it's the younger kids' school vacation week :)

Anyway, our trusty travel agent is supposed to get back to me later with ideas. It's so hard to find a direct flight from Boston to beachy temps in Feb.! We went to Nevis last year which was truly awesome, but we all need to stay for a week to justify traveling that far. It took us most of a day to get there!

It's my favorite island! I've been at least 6 times, both for work and for vacation. Old San Juan is fun if you like specialty boutique and artist stores, but can be really crowded when the cruise ships are in. (ignore the adds for discounted jewelry - not even!) The old fort is worth a stop too. Second the suggestion of Bio Bay, and would add El Yunque (the jungle) to the list - you can see a lot by driving, more by hiking. There are some great petroglyph areas in the interior, far off the beaten tourist path. Also second the Culebra suggestion - great little island that most don't know about - in addition to snorkeling tours, theres a ferry service and daily flights to the island. Glass bottomed boat tours are also a lot of fun. It's a great island!

I was there in 1977 and had a ball, disco was king.

We stayed at the Hilton, which was nice if memory serves me right.

The beaches are just lovely. Old San Juan is a must.

DH & I are going in about two weeks for a 5-day trip. We were also looking for a quick trip, nice weather, and a not-too-lengthy nonstop flight from a convenient airport.

We like walking around & exploring urban areas on vacation, vs. spending all of our time on the beach, so we focused on the san juan area. In old san juan, el convento gets really good reviews, and was recommended by an attorney I met at a conference who lives in puerto rico; unfortunately el convento was sold out for part of our stay. So instead, we're staying at la concha, in the condado area just outside san juan (we also considered marriott stellaris but la concha had larger rooms).

A few friends have gone to PR in the last few years, and loved it. They chose the resort approach, instead of staying close to or in san juan, maybe b/c they have kids or it may just be their preference. One family chose El Conquistador, raved about it, and went back the following year. Another family chose the Wyndham Rio Mar, in the same area as El Conquistador (near el yunque) but less expensive.

I've noticed that there's less information about PR than other destinations, and wondered if travel agents might downplay the destination. But from what I've read, and my friends' reviews, I think that it will be fun. I did a short weekend trip to PR about 16 years ago while in law school, but I don't remember anything from that trip other than that the hotel was nice (ritz carlton) but not in convenient walking distance to most places, and that I enjoyed a day trip to el yunque.

Well, thanks everyone but we mentioned Aruba to the kids and they went nuts, so the flights have been booked! We already had a bit of snow (now gone) last night... ugh... so I'm glad to have the trip to look forward to!