Puerto Rico - Hyatt Hacienda del Mar area?

Question

Hi, I am looking at taking my family to Puerto Rico for a special vacation when I graduate from college. My kids will be 5 and 7 at the time and will spend 1 or 2 weeks at Hyatt Hacienda del Mar. Jan 2010.

Looking for insight as to what to do with kids that age and for places to eat.

I would also be very interested to find a local that might be willing to come to our room and cook dinner for us a couple times or more depending on price. Would love to taste some authentic local food.

We are casual easy going people that speak a moderate amount of spanish.

Would be open to a local guide too, if someone was interested in that.

Very interested to hear some replies!

Thanks to all

Answer 1

That hotel you are staying at is beautiful, it has a long river pool which is great for kids and a really nice beach since it is closed off from the ocean. Right now it's under renovation so the pool is closed but I would hope think that by that time it's open again! If it is, believe me, it's enough to keep the kids entertained for awhile. As far as touristy things to do, a must is spend a day in Old San Juan! There's a little place called "El Parque de las Palomas" where there's lots and lots of pigeons and you can buy food for them and they'll flock around you, it's kind of a tradition for the locals to go there. You can also visit El Morro and there's a museum for kids right by the San Juan Cathedral so going there will probably give you lots of options as far as entertainment goes.

The only bad thing I can think about staying at Hacienda del Mar ... not that many "local restaurants" nearby, there's a lot of fast foods and an Applebee's close by. If you're not renting a car, a taxi is needed to go everywhere! If you find a tour guide, ask them to take you to El Yunque, the rain forest! It's about an hour and a half drive from where you're staying but it's worth the drive! It is extremely beautiful with lots of waterfalls and you can walk around the trails and go in the water and that way you can see a little more of the island!

Enjoy your trip!

Answer 2

Hello. The Hyatt Hacienda del Mar is a very nice hotel in Dorado, which is about a 30 minute drive from San Juan. You will need to rent a car because there is not much transportation in that area. I suggest renting from Thrifty, Payless or Dollar near the airport, they have good prices.

As far as hiring someone to cook for you, I would wait until it gets closer then place a post on:

http://puertorico.en.craigslist.org/     or   http://www.clasificadosonline.com/

But in reality you can get good authentic food at a local restaraunt, just dont go to a chain. You will even see roadside stands where people sell good authentic food too. & in PR, water & food are normally safe & go by US standards.

I suggest you definitely spend 1 day in San Juan. You can walk Old San Juan & see the beautiful historic sites. El Morro Fort is a must see & good for the kids too. Also you guys will be fairly close to the Arecibo telescope & Camuy caves. These are nice sites that are also do-able with kids. You can visit el Yunque rainforest on the east coast. You drive through most & then there are paved trails so its fairly easy to walk to the waterfalls. Then you can go to nearby Luquillo beach, the calm water is great for kids. Or if you want the most beautiful beaches then head to Culebra or Viieques island. Ponce is a great city in the south to see also. There are sites like Seralles castle & el parque de bombas. Hope you enjoy your trip & if you want any more info just ask :)

Answer 3

have fun in puerto rico i suggest you get in contac with your travel agent and see what packeges they have enjoy puerto rico

Answer 4

I think the food thing will be less expensive if you stop by one of the little lunch cafe's.... I'm not sure where you could find someone to cook you authentic Puerto Rican food, if you don't know anyone from there.... Hummm...

If you go to Puerto Rico before "Dia De Reyes" (Three Kings Day) you should go exploring and find all the Houses and Communities that decorate together, so it looks like a united "Christmas Ville" (My dad's family, 8 houses, I think, all decorate continously, and call it "Villa Roman" in Aguada, if you want to stop by. It's beautiful! We've had people visiting from Germany, England...)

Depending on where you are from, the beaches might still be warm enough for you, in January (not for us!).

Points of Interest:

El Morro (Historic)

Camuy Caverns (Geologic)

Arecibo Observatory (Scientific)

El Yunque (Enviromentalist) -this trail/climb might be a bit too much for the young ones, still worth looking into.

Vieques (Brightest Bioluminescent bay in the world!)http://www.biobay.com/

About the guide, I'm sure you'll find plenty of guides at the airport more than ready and willing to take on that duty.....

Have Fun and Enjoy the island!