Golf Getaway

Start your swing through Puerto Rico’s top courses by following in the footsteps of the pros at Grand Reserve Golf Club, a challenging, manicured course in Río Grande where the PGA Tour plays the Puerto Rico Open. Just up the road, two more stellar courses await at the Wyndham Grand Río Mar Rainforest Beach and Golf Resort: the seaside Ocean Course by Tom Fazio, and Greg Norman’s River Course, which sweeps you into dense, ball-hungry jungle. Also in Río Grande is the new Four Seasons Resort and Residences Puerto Rico (formerly the St. Regis Bahía Beach), home to the Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed Bahía Beach Golf Club. And if you stay at the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Reserve, you can play its testing TPC Dorado courses, which wind through avenues of palm trees and offer brilliant holes that stretch right to the water’s edge.

Elsewhere on the island, east of San Juan, Arthur Hills’ El Conquistador layout at the El Conquistador Resort is, fittingly, the island’s hilliest course—a rollercoaster ride that you’ll never want to end. West of San Juan, the clifftop Royal Isabela Golf Club at the eco-minded Royal Isabela resort is another must-play course.

Stay

The expansive El Conquistador Resort, perched high on a hill overlooking the sea, is the epitome of a just-right tropical getaway. Along with its thrilling golf course, the property features four outdoor pools, five restaurants and bars, and a water park. It even shuttles guests to a nearby private island, where the white-powder sand and clear, blue waters make every sip of your tropical cocktail taste all the more indulgent.

Eat

Dine al fresco at El Conquistador’s Café Bella Vista, which opens for lunch and stays hopping until midnight. The skirt steak fricassee empanadas de ropa vieja are the perfect start to a meal that includes either the pan-seared snapper in tomato creole sauce or signature brick-oven pizzas like La Boricua, with roasted pulled pork and sweet plantains.

Do

You’ll have spectacular views of the nearby El Yunque rainforest from the El Con’s golf course, but don’t miss the opportunity to experience this national treasure up close. Hiking trails lead you through a lush paradise of waterfalls, natural pools, and exotic foliage, where you’ll be serenaded by boisterous parrots and the beloved native tree frog, coquí, whose squeaky song echoes its name.

City Escape

Puerto Rico’s legendary Boricua spirit touches everything, especially the colorful culture of San Juan, where sun-splashed days are filled with adventure, and the nights pulsate with a sophisticated vibe. Puerto Rican culture is a mélange of indigenous Taino, Spanish, and African influences, and in San Juan, you can revel in many aspects of that heritage. The city is a feast for the senses—from the historic charm of Old San Juan, with its plazas and the centuries-old forts of Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal, to the raucous nightclubs, where the sounds of salsa, bomba, and reggaetón keep locals and visitors alike dancing late into the evening. The culinary scene is also thriving, with regional dishes like plantain-based mofongo, tostones, and the mouthwatering, spit-roasted pork dish known as lechón asada.

Stay

Spanish Revival architecture is prevalent in San Juan, and the elegant Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is one of the finest examples (inside and out). Its 317 rooms and suites, many with ocean-view terraces, feel like island luxury on steroids. After a day exploring San Juan, retreat to the hotel’s beach club or enjoy a rejuvenating spa treatment like the Bamboo Heritage massage before venturing out for the night.

Eat

You won’t need to leave the Condado Vanderbilt to enjoy one of the most acclaimed culinary experiences in the Caribbean. The 1919 restaurant by internationally renowned chef Juan José Cuevas features fresh, flavor-forward dishes, such as dorado with lentils in a tamarind and red wine jus.

Do

For more than a century, La Plaza del Mercado de Santurce, locally known as La Placita, has served as San Juan’s most bustling marketplace during the day—and a lively destination at night. Tap into the block-party energy by visiting a chinchorro for a local snack of fried fritters, or choose a more upscale restaurant like Santealla, with its creole-focused menu. After the sun goes down, you can sip craft cocktails and dance to strains of Puerto Rico native Bad Bunny at local bars like Jungle Bird and El Coco de Luis, or at the nightclub Tulum.