Denver is getting a direct flight to this sunny island, full of rainforests and rum, beaches and bananas

When looking for beach vacations from Denver, the choices have historically been to head south or west — Mexico, Belize and California come to mind — in part thanks to direct flights available to these destinations.

As of Oct. 29, United Airlines will be offering a new daily direct flight from Denver to San Juan, Puerto Rico, that makes this Caribbean island to the southeast a better option than it has been for people traveling from Colorado. Currently, it requires at least 7.5 hours of air travel with at least one stop to get to Puerto Rico, but it will be 5.5 hours on this direct flight.

“The newly launched United route connecting Denver to San Juan is a tremendous addition for both destinations,” said Leah Chandler, chief marketing officer for Discover Puerto Rico. “Whether you’re eager to explore natural wonders like El Yunque rainforest or savor the local culinary delights from farm-fresh dishes to artisanal beers, we invite visitors to immerse themselves in the richness and vibrant Boricua culture.” (Boricua is another word for describing someone who is native to Puerto Rico.)

As one of five inhabited United States territories, Puerto Rico is both a distinctive destination with its own history and culture as well as a Caribbean jaunt without the hassles of passports and currency differences. It’s a strange relationship, and you just might find yourself discussing whether or not Puerto Rico should become a state with anyone from your Uber driver to a local business owner — it’s a perennial topic here!

Like the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico’s first inhabitants were Indigenous people who lived off the land. The Tainos lived on this island for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived in 1493. As the Spaniards took over, they built up forts to fend off the Dutch, French and English. There was a brief moment of autonomy in the 1800s for Puerto Rico, but it became a U.S. territory in 1898. Today, all of this history is reflected in the island’s cuisine, architecture and culture, making it a unique experience for travelers.

Before my recent trip to Puerto Rico, I could think of two things I knew about this U.S. territory: Hurricane Maria slammed into this tiny island in 2017 with Category 5 force, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” who is of Puerto Rican descent.

After a four-day visit, I saw the territory has largely bounced back from the hurricane, and I now have a list of reasons to go back because even though the island is a mere 100 miles long and 35 miles across, I could not do it all.

Where to stay

It’s a short drive — under 30 minutes — from the airport to Old San Juan, also called Viejo San Juan. This walkable historic area is the ideal setting for your stay in the city.

Hotel El Convento is in the heart of Old San Juan and is right across the cobblestoned road from the oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere, Catedral de San Juan. The building was constructed in 1646 as a convent and in 1959 the process to convert it to a hotel began; it opened in 1962 as a hotel. It was updated in the early 2000s and continues to host guests from around the world.

What you don’t see from the historic exterior: a plunge pool, fitness center, two restaurants and a bar. The 81 rooms will have views of the plaza or San Juan Bay with floor-to-ceiling windows that can be shuttered for privacy.

You can step outside and in a few minutes be at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Catedral de San Juan, Calle Fortaleza (Umbrella Street) and other historic sites worth a visit. Given the number of excellent restaurants, bars, galleries, museums and significant buildings, this centrally-located hotel makes sense for an easy walking vacation to see it all.

Where else to stay

Just beyond the old town area you can find the name-brand hotels that are ubiquitous in just about every destination, but do yourself the favor of opting for a boutique hotel to get a sense of the local history, architecture and style.

Villa Herencia is also a former convent in Old San Juan near the Puerta de San Juan, and is worth a stop on the walking path around this neighborhood. This hotel is much smaller with only eight rooms, a sunny rooftop patio and artwork by locals on display in nearly every room. A breakfast of fresh and local fruits is included in your stay.

The Gallery Inn is more like updated history than completely modern, and that is its charm. TVs? No. Read a book, play a piano or look at the art. Elevators? No. There is a small wading pool, an afternoon and evening bar and restaurant, and you can walk throughout Old San Juan from here.

The best beachfront hotels will likely be the big brand names, so splash out for Dorado Beach Ritz-Carlton. This was a plantation that was bought by a Rockefeller and turned into a resort in the 1950s before it was developed into the luxury resort it is today.

Fairmont El San Juan in Carolina, near Old San Juan, is a destination itself with four swimming pools, beach access and its own shops, nightclub and restaurants.

Budget travelers who don’t mind the crow of a rooster will enjoy the beach life at Loquillo Beach Hostel. It’s clean, simple and a decent location for a beach vacation.

If your visit includes Vieques, plan to stay at El Blok, a thoroughly modern fortress of a building that was designed with nearby coral reefs in mind. Enjoy a drink at La Tertulia, have a meal at Placita, then go up to the rooftop to look at the stars.

Eat and drink

You won’t go hungry in Puerto Rico with so much perfectly spiced fresh seafood, native produce and a culinary scene that is hungry to experiment. You’ll find dozens of plantain variations on pretty much every menu, as they are staple of the diet here.

Santaella is a chic spot built around the globally-inspired menu by Chef Jose Santaella, a Puerto Rican native. His cookbook, “Cocina Tropical,” highlights many of the dishes you can enjoy here: shrimp tempura bao buns, alcapurrias (green bananas, root vegetables and crab), both cooked and raw seafood, and much more.

The restaurant relies on local farmers markets for many of the ingredients. The cocktail and wine lists are at least as extensive as the food menus here, including some drinks made with Puerto Rican rum.

Where else to eat and drink

Agritourism is thriving in Puerto Rico, so you could make a day of it by doing a tour and lunch. Like many aspects of life in Puerto Rico, the whole experience of going out to eat and drink is made into a fun adventure. Frutos del Guacabo is one place where you can go on a tasting tour, learning about this small family farm, milk the goats and stay for lunch. You can also tour coffee and chocolate farms.

My experience with the local specialty, mofongo, was that it is never the same from restaurant to restaurant. This is a sort of island meat and potatoes-type dish, but it is made with mashed plantains and garlic and then accompanied by pork or any meat or seafood, or just vegetables. It might be a side dish or a main course.

La Casita Blanca is a classic Puerto Rican restaurant where you can try mofongo, bacalaitos (codfish fritters), banana soup, tostones and other local dishes. Take home some of this flavor from their gift shop.

Chocobar Cortés is in Old San Juan, but they do have locations in Condado and the South Bronx in New York. This is a family-run chocolate maker and restaurant where they have creatively come up with ways to merge chocolate into all kinds of unexpected dishes like grilled cheese, a cheeseburger (chocolate is in the ketchup!), pumpkin soup and more. Stop in for a hot chocolate or just to buy a chocolate bar to take home.

Caféteria Mallorca is an old-school diner that has one specialty done several ways, which is a traditional sweet roll with powdered sugar that is then made sweeter or savory. For example, you could get an egg on yours, or ham and cheese, or just buttered. It’s a simple menu but delicious.

Take a tour of Casa Bacardi where you can go on a tasting tour or try a mixology class. Be sure to check age limits and length of tours when you plan this outing.

When in Old San Juan, pop into La Factoria, a multiroom bar where you can have a drink, dance to live music or move into another room and bop to the DJ. The drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18, but some bars require guests to be over 21.

Play

When it comes time for activities in Puerto Rico, you will have to make some hard choices: day or night? Rainforest or beach? Modern or historic? Assuming you came to an island for beach time, I’ve got a recommendation.

During my trip, I found myself spending an afternoon in Luquillo, about a 30-minute drive from San Juan. There are several beaches here, though it’s subtle to move from one to the next. What you will find here is absolutely everything you might want to do while at the beach, so you barely have to move to eat, drink, shop or try a variety of water sports.

Just off a busy road, there is a long strip of connected businesses, primarily fresh seafood restaurants and bars with rum and ice-cold beers, but also shops with swimsuits and cute souvenirs to bring home. Once you pass through the small storefronts, the stunning beach spreads out in front of you and the road noise disappears.

The question is, what can’t you do at the beach here? Rent a beach chair and just gaze into the turquoise and deep blue waters; walk a few steps to one of the bars and bring your drinks back to the beach or right into the water; take a horseback ride that is gentle enough for young children; go jet skiing; go snorkeling; go swimming; hang out on a sandbar; go kayaking. The list seems endless and you won’t want to leave.

Where else to play

Luquillo is close to El Yunque National Forest where your best choice is to hire a local guide and spend the day hiking, exploring, even zip lining. Within the tropical rainforest there are waterfalls that cascade into natural swimming pools (yes, you can get in the water). Other activities include horseback riding and ATV riding.

Vieques is a small island off the eastern side of Puerto Rico with much of the land preserved as a National Wildlife Refuge. Once a training ground for the U.S. Navy, today Vieques is best known for the Bahia Bioluminiscente, a bay that is home to glowing microorganisms. It’s a magical experience to drift through these waters at night.

If you can’t make it to Vieques, there are “bio bay” tours on the main island. Be sure to check ahead on details like if you can get out of the boat (some people prefer to swim during this experience, but it’s not always permitted) and if you can wear bug repellant.

Don’t miss a chance to take in some traditional dancing — either observing or learning. There are many festivals throughout the year where you are likely to witness dancers in elaborate costumes and masks performing dances that pull from African, Cuban and Spanish cultures: Bomba, merengue and salsa.

If you’re staying in Old San Juan, you’ll be soaking up history nonstop, but you can also sign up for a walking tour and learn about who walked here before.

If culture is your thing over exploring nature, there are numerous museums, art galleries and art tours across the island. You’ll have to narrow down your choices based on personal interests such as military history, archaeology, class or contemporary art, island history and more. If you could only go to one, try Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico as it has historic to contemporary exhibits.

What you should know before you go

Airport: Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, also known at San Juan Airport (SJU)

Passport needed: No, not needed for U.S. citizens.

Currency: U.S. dollar

Time zone: Eastern Standard Time (shortly after these flights begin it will be Eastern Daylight Time)

Language: English and Spanish

Weather: It tends to be hot and humid year-round, according to Discover Puerto Rico. High temperatures are typically 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a dry season from December to April and a wet season from May through November, which includes hurricane season.

Seasonal closures: Before booking a flight, check with all of your intended destination points about possible closures as some business take several weeks off during rainy season, for example.

Transportation: Parking and even driving in Old San Juan can be challenging, but if you’re going much beyond this area it will be handy to have your own wheels.

LGBTQ travelers: Puerto Rico is welcoming to all travelers.

Typical foods: You don’t want to miss trying mofongo (many variations on this mashed plantain and meat dish), rice and beans (many variations), tostones (fried savory plantains), amarillos (fresh and sweet plantains), and rum to drink.

Flight details from Denver to Puerto Rico: United is not the only airline with flights to Puerto Rico, but it is the only one that will soon offer a direct flight to the island. These nonstop flights will be offered once per day, along with flights with one or more stops each way. During the peak of hurricane season in September through late October, it will only have a nonstop flight once per week, according to a spokesperson with the airport.

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