The Caribbean's family destination

By Staff

updated 6:57 p.m. ET April 6, 2006

Without so much as the need to apply for passports, families can hop on any of dozens of daily nonstop flights and head to Puerto Rico for their family getaways. And what an escape this destination is. Despite its all-American currency, phone service and travel ease, this geographically diverse outpost so close to our mainland offers savory tastes of the exotic -- plus countless miles of absolutely beautiful beaches abutting the warm clear sea. Puerto Rico invites you to explore beyond the shore.

Waterfalls thunder down hills at the end of jungle trails so tame a 4-year-old can hike them. Some beaches have water calm enough for toddler play, and others boast surf wild enough to keep any teen with a surfboard happy. Dad and bro can golf, Mom and sis can spend days at the spa. Forts once used to fend off pirates now stand proudly near cafés offering mango-filled pastries with a stiff café con leche. It's hard to imagine a locale with more for American families, no matter the age of the children or the interests of the parents.

Families Welcome Here

Let's begin with the Latin warmth that greets visiting families. Puerto Ricans by culture adore children, and they welcome kids throughout their island. You'll find highchairs in posh restaurants. You'll see inflatable tubes in use at resort swimming pools. You'll spot Pampers in grocery stores.

Best of all, Puerto Rico is easy to reach and traverse. As San Juan is a hub for U.S. flights to the Caribbean, it receives dozens of flights daily from mainland cities. Airports in Ponce and Aguadilla welcome visitors to other parts of this diverse destination.

The airports stock plenty of rental cars, and the rules of the road are the same as they are back home, so exploring together is easy and affordable. Avis offers a full menu of rental vehicles for American travelers eager to explore, and the process is simple and friendly. Want a Jeep for off-road exploring? A minivan large enough for the children and the luggage? Simply call 800-331-1212 or visit avis.com. Budget alone has seven rental offices in Puerto Rico, from the generously stocked lot at San Juan's airport to smaller offices in locales such as Yauco. Whether you're looking for an economy car or a luxury vehicle, Budget stocks what you want. To learn more, call 800-472-3325 or visit budget.com.

And then there are the hotels. Oh, the hotels! No matter the budget or interests, families can find just the right place to stay. Major resorts have multiple restaurants, casinos, water parks, beachfront lounge chairs, kid camps and teen clubs. Other properties boast pools and beach access plus daily activities. Eco-oriented families can stay in remote areas. Boutique hotels welcome families looking for intimacy.

Hotels go out of their way to welcome families. At the Westin Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort & Spa, for instance, children often can stay for free. Indeed, this 600-room, opulence-oriented resort offers a Kids for Free package that enables two children ages 4 to 12 per family to lodge and eat for free; they also get to participate in Westin Kids Club and receive 25 percent off golf and spa activities. After bicycling, kayaking and playing in the game room, families often find themselves participating in the activities held frequently at one of the resort's two pools.

Touring Pirate Perches

Although Puerto Rico's resorts offer so many activities that it's hard to leave, enchanting Puerto Rico offers even more fascinating ways to spend the day.

Zach Stovall/Caribbean Travel & Life

For a bit of history, spend a day in Old San Juan, a walled section of the capital known for its cobblestone streets and lovingly restored centuries-old buildings. At El Morro, a 200-year-old fort, children can reenact Colonial history. Cannons, secret passageways and 60-foot walls bring history to life -- although plenty of kids spend their time at the fort flying kites in the breeze from the San Juan Bay. They can buy the kites right there.

To make learning more fun, be sure to make a stop at Plaza de Hostos. Kids can cool off with shaved-ice treats in tropical flavors sold by piragüeros while grown-ups souvenir-shop for crafts.

The Children's Museum, or Museo del Niño, specializes in interactive exhibits that demonstrate, for example, the importance of dental hygiene or pet care. At the Time Out Family Amusement Center, families play high-tech video games. Kids can stretch and climb at the playground in Luis Muñoz Marín Park.

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