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Win a 5-Star Vacation to Puerto Rico ~ My New Favorite Vacation Spot!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see the disclosure policy.

The winner of the Visit Puerto Rico Vacation Giveaway has been selected amongst over 2,700 entries! The winner’s comment fell on therebelchick.com as entry number 874 as selected by random.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

So, this time last month I was driving through a rainforest, hiking through the jungle, swimming in waterfalls and enjoying some of the yummiest food ever! Ahhh, I want to go back! Where is this amazing place, you may ask? Well, my husband I took our ten-year anniversary trip to Puerto Rico. I’d wanted to go for a very long time, and we finally did it!

Puerto Rico Vacation ~ Win a trip! www.oneshetwoshe.com

Gorgeous rainbow we saw on the ferry to Culebra Island.

Ever since we got back, I’ve been talking to everyone I know about how they HAVE to go to Puerto Rico someday! Many people don’t realize that because Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory you don’t need a passport and they use the U.S. dollar. You literally get on an airplane and just go!

We only had five days in Puerto Rico, and we saw and did a lot, but there is still more that I want to go back and see. Here are some of the highlights from our trip:

  • Ahhh, the beaches … there are not words to describe the gorgeous color of the water, the beautiful sand or the variety of surf. There is 270 miles of coastline in Puerto Rico, and we managed to see quite a bit of it! My favorite beaches were all on Culebra Island (a short ferry ride from the mainland of Puerto Rico). Apparently I’m not alone since Flamenco Beach (on Culebra) is often cited as one of the best in the world, and the Travel Channel  featured it as one of the top ten beaches anywhere.

photo PuertoRico_Santa038.jpg

  • As I mentioned before, we spent an entire day in El Yunque rainforest. It’s the only rainforest under the U.S. National Park Service, so it’s very well maintained, has good signage and information centers. It’s said you can “climb to the clouds,” and that’s exactly what it felt like. We started the day by getting drenched in a tropical downpour, and then climbed up a tower for a spectacular view of the rainforest. The sun came out just in time for our hike to La Mina Falls where we got to do some swimming in the very cold waterfall. Check out this video featuring La Mina Falls.
  • Our last day we spent walking around Old San Juan and soaked up some of the rich history and amazing architecture of the city. My husband is a huge history buff and insisted on reading every sign, so I learned a lot! We toured El Morro fort and saw walls that have been around over 500 years. Fascinating!

photo PuertoRico_Santa041.jpg Exploring the gorgeous streets of Old San Juan

  • The food, oh the food! We LOVED it! We enjoyed breakfasts at several different panaderias (bakeries) that were filled with delicious pasteries, cakes, sandwiches … you get the idea! My husband’s favorite Puerto Rican food  was found at El Verde BBQ, a local hot spot close to where we stayed in Rio Grande. Don’t think typical American BBQ with everything slathered in sauce. This BBQ had a huge display of whole roasted chickens, fried pork (our favorite), ribs and lots of delicious local side dishes, all done with savory and unique seasonings. So yummy!

Some of the things we missed, but are on our list for our next visit:

  • Definitely the bioluminescent bays! We didn’t go on a tour because there was a full/bright moon during our entire trip, which makes it hard to see the tiny dinoglagellates in the water that generate an emerald green and ultramarine illumination when the water is disturbed (i.e. you can see trails of the litte plankton when you paddle, touch the water, etc.) This delicate ecosystem is very rare and a must see, unless of course the moon is too bright (I’m not complaining … the moon made for some very romantic nightime walks on the beach).
  • My adventerous side was sad to miss the Camuy caverns that run through the third largest subterranean river in the world. We just ran out of time and didn’t get to explore the many caves. There’s also great horseback riding if that’s your thing.

Puerto Rico is absolutely filled with world-class attractions and friendly people that make any trip there into a five-star vacation! Check out SeePuertoRico.com for yourself to learn more about my favorite spots and to discover some of your own!

And I’m super excited to offer you a chance to win a trip for two to Puerto Rico! Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico. The winner will receive a total prize up to $2,000 including:

  • Roundtrip airfare
  • 3-night stay (in one room)
  • Food credit

If you’d like to enter the contest, than you’ve got three chances to win!

  1. Leave a comment about your favorite Puerto Rico amenity (or two, or five or twenty favorites … trust me, it will be hard to choose). Check out SeePuertoRico.com for ideas!
  2. Follow @PRTourismCo on Twitter Tweet a message about what you’d like to do in Puerto Rico with a link back to this post and the hashtag #5StarPR. Make sure to leave your tweet URL in the comment section.
  3. Like SeePuertoRico.com on Facebook, then leave a comment saying that you liked them on Facebook.

I’m already jealous of whomever the lucky winner is! Our Puerto Rico trip seriously was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. We’re already planning our trip back! Good luck

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Comments

  2. Tiffany Schmidt says

    I like the deep history and amazing food. My husband just says golf, lots of golf!

  4. DeidreSH says

    I think that they bioluminescent bays would be awesome. I have always wanted to see that in person! The beaches and history would be a huge plus too!

  5. Paula says

    Oh this is on my life list — bioluminescent bays. I don’t have facebook or twitter so this can be my only entry! Please pick me!

  8. JoeyfromSC says

    This is awesome! lol..I’d love to check out the beaches & the rainforest!

    Thanks so much for the chance to win! Happy New Year!

    Joey

  11. Jennifer Garner says

    I had never thought about Puerto Rico for a vacation, but you sure paint it as a dream. I definitely want to visit the Bioluminescent Bays, and would make sure there is not a full moon during my visit! Sounds amazing. I would love to take my husband. Been married almost 20 years and have yet to take a vacation together. Even our honeymoon was only camping for 3 days nearby. Puerto Rico would definitely be a great option!

  13. Pam Gurganus says

    Being a foodie and caffeine addict, naturally my favorite Puerto Rico amenity is the food and coffee!

  25. Amy Thomas says

    We spent our last trip doing history (caves and old San Juan). It was just an overnight until we boarded our cruise. I could have spent the whole 10 days there! I can’t wait to go back and see the rain forest and focus on the outdoor wonders!

  27. Amy Thomas says

    @utahelitesquad “1 of 10 goals for 2014: take a family vacation! Puerto Rico please 🙂 #5StarPR”

    oh – and I may have posted “Follow the Or So She Says blog. One of my faves! #bestblogs” 😉

  28. Katie says

    I know my husband and I would LOVE hiking through the rainforest and seeing all the beauty the nature has to offer there!! 🙂

  29. Tami says

    I would love it all! The food and beaches come up as big red flags in my mind, but it would be great to see as much as possible! Thanks!

  34. Colleen G says

    I am going camping in Culebra in just a little over a week. My first time, but I am looking forward to it. I am only going to Culebra, though, so would love to get back another time to see more!

  37. Nicole Jacobson says

    I would definitely plan an adventurous day exploring the jungle and dining on fine food!

  43. Jennifer Merrill says

    Oh my! I would love to visit as many beaches as I could! The bioluminescent bays would be amazing as well!

  54. Kristi Hermann says

    I am a new fan of Puerto Rico too! We had a chance to visit in November, my husband won an incentive trip through work. We stayed at the El Conquistador resort and ate at the Dragonfly for dinner in town. Love both places and thought PR was great! We would love to go back! Thanks!

  56. Jennifer McLean says

    Went to Puerto Rico two years ago and would love to go back! The beaches were beautiful and I loved exploring Old San Juan!!

  62. Kellie S. says

    The beaches and the food. My mom lived in Puerto Rico as a teen. She remembers it so fondly. She talks about the beautiful beaches and snorkeling with her brother. If I won I would take her back there. She would be so surprised!

  69. Shelly T. says

    I know my husband and I would love to see the bioluminescent bays and the rain forests! The food sounds amazing also!!

  76. Katie says

    The food sounds amazing but I’ve always wanted to visit the rainforest so I would be super excited about that.

  80. Michelle H. (Mia) says

    The beaches look gorgeous! And I’ve always wanted to go to a rainforest. I never would have thought of going to Puerto Rico until this post, and now I really want to go.

  81. Lisa says

    Beaches! They look amazing. Also would love to see the rain forests. Thanks for the chance to win!

  85. Morgan says

    I think the bioluminescent bays are just about the coolest thing ever! I would also just love to relax on that beautiful beach!

  93. Jill R says

    I would love to go to the Bioluminescent Bay, snorkel, and go rappelling – it all looks amazing!

  94. Cami says

    Old San Juan looks so beautiful, colorful and charming! I would love to spend time exploring.

  97. Emma says

    I plan on exploring the whole island during my lifetime, but for now I would love to do some hiking in El Yunque followed by some lounging on one of the many beaches.

  100. melissa lantz says

    I would be excited to try the food! My college roommate was from PR & she made such yummy food:)

  103. Laura Barker says

    Ooooh, the picture of the beach! Beaches and “climbing to the clouds.!” I am in love and must go!

  105. debbie says

    I would love to go to the all star island and visit some of the state forests. We would love that!

  110. Cindy A. says

    Thank you so much for offering such a lovely and generous giveaway. The beaches, museums, and theaters are definitely on my list of favorites.

  118. Julie Cowart says

    Id love to try Mofongo!! I have heard about it for years and its a popular food in Puerto Rico. Of course snorkeling and all the history!!

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