With the same currency, telephone dialing system and driving rules, Puerto Rico offers the all convenience of traveling within the United States with the allure of a family-friendly tropical island vacation. Many U.S. airports offer multiple daily nonstop flights, and because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, there is no need for U.S. citizens to use a passport. No special immunizations are required for travel to Puerto Rico, but everyone in the family should be up to date with their routine vaccines, including those for influenza, chickenpox, polio, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT). It is always a good idea to consult with your family doctor prior to taking any trip outside of the continental United States. As with any extended trip and airplane travel, pack several toys and games in your carry-on bag to help keep the kids occupied during the flight. When traveling with infants or toddlers, remember to bring extra diapers, snacks and a change of clothes for the kids and yourself in your carry-on bag.
To help ensure an enjoyable vacation for the entire family, make a reservation at one of the kid-friendly hotels and resorts available on the island. For days filled with fun activities for your children, stay at a hotel that offers a kid's club, such as the Las Casitas Resort. The resort's Camp Coqui has an extensive menu of kid-friendly activities, including day trips to the resort's private Palomino Island where children can enjoy nature walks and horseback riding, introductory golf clinics at the Arthur Hills Golf Course and excursions to the resort's own theme park, the Coqui Water Park. The Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, Caribe Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde and the Ritz-Carlton San Juan also feature kid programs such as introductory Spanish classes and kids club beach trips.
Coral reefs provide a natural barrier from strong waves and currents for several beaches around the island. The Seven Seas Beach Park in Fajardo, located next to the Seven Seas Nature Reserve, is protected by an off-shore reef and features two coastal lagoons. Enjoy a sandy beach with calm waters protected by lifeguards at El Escambron. Located in San Juan, the beach park has playgrounds, a restaurant and a friendly atmosphere, an ideal destination for families with small children.
The tropical island is home to several nature reserves as well as a rain forest in El Yunque National Forest. Bring the family to hike along trails to explore the third largest cave system in the world at the Rio Camuy Cave Park or visit the Culebra Wildlife Refuge to see who can identify the largest number of the 50,000 types of seabirds that live in the area. Situated in the Luquillo Mountains in northeast corner of Puerto Rico, El Yunque National Forest is a family-friendly tropical rain forest experience. Consisting of 28,000 acres and more than 1,000 plant and animal species, the park can be viewed from the comfort of your car with convenient stops along the way. Begin your tour at El Portal Rain Forest Center at the park entrance. Kids are welcome to engage in interactive exhibits and watch a short video about the history and ecology of El Yunque. Visitors can drive along the only road through the national forest, Route 191, to see roadside waterfalls and the dense forest. Paved and well-marked trails as well as guided tours provide the opportunity for inexperienced hikers and children to explore the rain forest easily.
Take a break from the beach and bring you kids for a fun and educational experience at the Luis A. Ferre Science Park or at the Museo del Nino. The children's museum, Museo del Nino, in San Juan offers interactive exhibits for children of all ages, including a science center and a miniature television studio. Young children use can play dress up with costumes and explore the museum's playhouse villages. The science park, located in Bayamon, features 42 acres of parkland, including the Planetarium, the Art Museum, the Aerospace Museum, the Marine Ecosystem Museum, the Museum of Natural Science, a small zoo and an Observation Tower. The Transportation Museum has a large collection of antique cars, the Telephone Museum exhibits several antique phones, telegraphs and switch boards, while the Archeology Museum displays a collection of Taino Indian tools and pottery as well as a fragmented human male skeleton discovered on the island of Vieques that is believed to be approximately 4,000 years old. Although the Health Pavilion is the only facility that offers bilingual information, most of the other museum exhibits do not require extensive explanations.
