Wanderlust: 3 Spots to See in Puerto Rico

In February of 2013 and 2014 I went to Puerto Rico. Now, it's February of 2015 and - wait for it - I'm not going to Puerto Rico :(  Ultimate #FIRSTWORLDPROBLEM

Cue the world's smallest violinist.

Despite the horror of living through the winter without a Caribbean respite, I thought it'd be fun to share some Puerto Rican snapshots to brighten this dreary wintery Thursday. For me, the island is the perfect mix of history, nature, and relaxation. Also, you don't even need a passport to fly to Puerto Rico! And they take the U.S. dollar! And most people speak English! Talk about an easy breezy Caribbean destination. Have you booked your flights to Puerto Rico yet? If not, here are the pictures:

1. History | Check out Old San Juan

I highly recommend exploring Castillo San Cristobal and El Morro - both huge castles, which were used to protect the island in many wars. The views from these forts are simply stunning. And the cute little nooks (above) are everywhere!

Note the American flag, Puerto Rican flag, and Spanish flag. The island is incredibly rich in history, as it had four centuries of Spanish rule after Christopher Columbus "claimed" it for Spain. Puerto Rico means "rich port" in Spanish -- which is one of those facts that seems super obvious once you know it. (And that's my sister, Becky, in the pink!)

Told you about the views!

2. Nature | Wander El Yunque 

I had never been in a rainforest before walking through El Yunque,  and I fell in love with the greenery. The pictures don't do it justice. (For the record: none of my pictures do any of it justice.) That being said, we saw a lot more plants than animals. Don't go in expecting wildlife sightings! 

We took a tour bus from our hotel to the rainforest. I'd recommend this, as driving through the forest seemed daunting. (Full disclosure: I suck at driving.) We got rained on one year (shocking, right?!), and had to buy ponchos. But I still enjoyed every second of my time exploring El Yunque. 

The above falls are La Mina Falls, and it was totally worth the hike to see them! It was an easy, paved path (rather slippery when wet).

3. Relaxation | The Beach 

Can you believe we had this view from our hotel room? Both years, we stayed at the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino because if it ain't broke don't fix it. Also, in my former life I traveled for business constantly so had quite the collection of Marriott points.

This is the perfect spot to sit and binge read Game of Thrones, no? The hotel was right next to the beach, and they had chairs and umbrellas for free. The BEST part of PR? The weather. It's basically always 84 degrees. Seriously. I still have San Juan on my phone because I love torturing myself.

You're welcome to make any of the above pictures your background on the computer and pretend you're relaxing in La Isla Del Encanto. 

Adios, amigos! :)