WITHOUT A PADDLE…read more Kayaking during the day proving too easy?  How about kayaking at night...through a mangrove forest. As my wife and I planned our second trip to Puerto Rico, we agreed that a bio bay kayak tour should be on the list.  Only 5 biobays exist in the world, 3 of which are in PR (in Vieques, La Parguera, and here on the far northeast corner of the island).  There's a few kayaking tour companies in the area, each offering a similar bioluminescent excursion. Hang on, biolu-what?  I'll skip the TED talk--all you need to know is that a certain kind of marine plankton makes the water in extra salty lagoons glow blue.  It's the same science that gives jellyfish, fireflies, and deep-sea anglerfish their special ability to produce light. When we arrived around 8pm, tour guides gave our group of 15-20 life vests and provided instructions, like what to do if your ass falls out of the kayak.  Our goal was Laguna Grande (literally "big lagoon"), roughly 1 mile from our starting point on the shores of Fajardo. So......getting to Laguna Grande is not easy.  Along with a partner, you'll paddle your way through a narrow channel surrounded on all sides by thick mangroves, including an overhead canopy.  This is tricky during daylight hours, but at night the difficulty ramps up.  Keep in mind that visibility in these thick mangrove patches drops to near-zero at times. You might (probably will) have to avoid other kayak groups and (possibly) motorboats as you make your way to the lagoon, all while trying not to crash into the person in front of you, fall too far behind, or be knocked unconscious/impaled by low branches.  The outbound trip was not super chill, thankfully coming back was less stressful. Having an experienced partner is CRUCIAL. Bio bay tours are very much like whale watching, in that your visit is based almost entirely on luck.  A lot needs to go right in order to see magic stuff in the water, like the moon being in its 'new' phase (full moon casts too bright of a reflection) and no recent rainfall (rain comes down as fresh water, decreasing the lagoon's salinity). Under ideal circumstances, the microorganisms appear as florescent blue swirls when you move your hand/paddle through the water.  What we saw were closer to electrical 'sparks', still cool but not vibrant.  Capturing what little bio-presence we saw on camera would've been impossible, so we smartly kept our phones in the car. Oddly enough, mosquitos weren't a problem. * TL;DR * For me, this was more about the journey than the destination. If I'd hung all of my hopes on seeing tons of bioluminescent activity, I would've been disappointed.  I was focused more on trying not to capsize while also listening to the symphony of 'coqui' (the local island tree frog). It can be romantic with a spouse/partner, assuming they're not yelling at you the whole time. Wear comfy clothes (swim trunks aren't a bad idea) and be aware that parts of your outfit will be crunchy the next day, due to the lagoon water being twice as salty as the ocean. Mangroves play a critical role in the tropical ecosystem, but they stink! Would definitely recommend this to anyone over the age of 18; it's an awesome late-night adventure and one of the most unique things you can do while in Puerto Rico.

What a beautiful experience. Had great guides during our Bio Bay tour. Our guide told us all about…read morethe science and history of the bay. Very cool, don't miss this magic!

After hours of research, I decided to reserve Rafael for 3 days of private excursions for my family…read moreof 5 and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Thanks to Rafael and his wonderful family I have fallen in love with Puerto Rico again. Rafael's vast knowledge of the history of Puerto Rico, religion, and the hot spots across the entire island provided an amazing tour of approximately 75% of the island in our 3 days. Not only did we get to experience the most beautiful areas of the island but also got to enjoy the best of Puerto Rico's culture and food. We felt safe at all times due to Rafael's professional security and previous experience in the US Army. Prior to our arrival, Rafael worked with me to determine a customized travel plan that not only included excursion specifics but also airport transportation, travel assistants, and concierge services. He also reviewed a detailed list of items, such as, age of family members, medical conditions, activity and food restrictions, etc. Rafael is extremely professional, always on time and has great communication skills in both Spanish and English. You can trust his 7 year old son Daniel when he says, "Your wish is his[Rafael] command." Our excursions were 8-12 hours each day and throughout our trip Rafael and his family made us feel like a part of their family. I have traveled to over 8 countries and 35 states and can declare that Rafael is the best tour guide I've ever met.

The perfect getaway was the best excursion we took with Raphael. The snorkeling experience was…read morebreathtaking followed by a speechless view from the Indian caves. Then the waterfalls and mojito stop just completed our day. This is a must do in a Puerto Rico with Raphael. We loved the Puerto Rico 101 and we felt safe with him at all times. He truly goes above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied. We will definitely be back.

Scary place, if you get rooms to the end, on ground floor. This building is aside from the main…read morehotel, it's a 2 floors building, close to next door private house. Be careful, there were someone trying to break into our room, jacking up the door, around 3:00 AM. Affortunetly, I was awake, started screaming for them to go away, and immediately call front desk, who sent security to check on us. The night after, our last night there, I couldn't sleep, stayed up all night. Be careful, try to get rooms on main building where the front desk office is at.

I ended up staying here due to my flight being cancelled and being placed here. During such a…read morefrustrating time the employees and general manager did everything to make us feel at peace. I had an easy check in process! The views from here are breathtaking! This is a must if you're visiting Puerto Rico! 10 out of 10 experience. The room was very up to par and also has amazing water pressure/ hot water which is not very common everywhere in PR. I will definitely be coming back to stay my next visit to PR.

We used Luis a total of 6 times during our stay in Fajardo, each time he was on time and very…read moreprofessional. His assistant who takes the calls and schedules the rides is as equally as professional as Luis.. they are an exceptional team and will give you recommendations on places to visit and eat. The black van is nice, clean and comfortable. Ride around in style and on time with Ortiz Transportation.

This is a great service! We've used them multiple times over the past 2 years. Very professional…read moreand clean. Luis is a safe driver & is always on time. Highly recommend for service to/from the airport and around the Fajardo/ Ceiba area.

Got here at 5:45am to get tix to Culebra.... Worth it bc the line got so long and fast too. Culebra…read moreresidents get first dibs and everyone else waits in line on a first come first served basis. Glad we got here so early even tho the line doesn't open until around 7:30am and the boat doesn't take off until 9am. Thank goodness I did my research on trip advisor and came early... Lots of locals came early too. Met a couple from San Juan who got here at 5am. Lots of pissed off people who came around 7am and couldn't get tickets

I would give the zero stars if I could, but once the lowest option so here it is. Woke up and drove…read morethey are based on reviews to be there at 7 AM. Paid a guy five dollars to park on the street which I don't even think is legal but hey I guess he's got to make his money somehow. Went to the ferry terminal to notice that hundreds of people had already bought their tickets at 4 AM... Who knew!?! The people running the shit show have no idea how many tickets they sold, but there more than happy to have you stand in line for hours in the hot sun while you wait to find out if you are priveledged enough to get on the boat. Since flying is not a financially viable option for my family of five I guess will miss this one. Oh and there was also a tour company more than happy to get me a ticket in the boat and a scuba excursion for the low low price of $75 pp.

AMAZING! This deserves way more than 5 stars, it was the…read moreabsolute best! This was my favorite part about my vacation. The adventure is challenging but extremely fun! You'll be hiking, body rafting, cliff jumping, rock sliding, and everything in between! I cannot stress enough how unforgettable this experience was. Ricardo and his team are beyond incredible. They definitely made this adventure even more exhilarating. They are very welcoming and very fun to be around. The tour even includes food before and after the adventure, which was awesome. I definitely recommend doing this tour if you go to Puerto Rico! Definitely worth my time and money. Amazing experience of a lifetime! *Take hiking shoes and if you don't have any, RENT some from them. You will be sorry if you don't! Also take long sleeve shirt and leggings if possible, you'll get tons of scratches if your arms and legs are uncovered!

I booked a private outing with Ricardo and his team in December 2014…read more After arriving at the teams base camp I observed how prepared these guys were for the day, from all angles, including safety as well as fun. The entire tour from the maintenance of the private trails to the coordination of activities was expertly handled. Throughout the day I did things not experienced for decades like jumping off 40ft waterfalls, repelling down rock faces, and body sliding down natural water slides. I brought my young son along for the adventure and here again these guys shined in a big way, Fernando specifically paid extra special attention to his safety but also making sure he had a great time. The expertise in safety and the detailed oriented planning put into this adventure allowed me to do what I came to do - have fun, without fearing injury or harm to my young Son. These caliber of activities (some might call them "extreme") would not usually instill such a feeling of calm and safety in me - or most people in general. This was the best tour of any kind that I've ever been on. If you love nature, hiking, andwater do it. It's the best money you'll spend on a tour.

Best Excursion Experience - Highly Recommend Castillo Tours!…read more Our day with Castillo Tours was absolutely incredible! Huge shoutout to Captain Tito, Eli, Adrian, Mathew, and Brian--this crew went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. From the moment we stepped on the boat, they made sure my family and I were well taken care of. I never had an empty cup, lunch was delicious and on point, and they even took the time to teach guests the basics of snorkeling. You could tell they genuinely cared about making sure everyone was comfortable, safe, and having a great time. The boat was super clean, and the whole vibe was fun, welcoming, and relaxing. I 100% recommend anyone on vacation to try this tour--you won't regret it! And if you can, request this exact crew. I'll definitely be coming back for another round.

Amazing experience! The highlight of our vacation in Puerto Rico. The catamaran was in great shape!…read moreHowever the captain and his crew made the difference, courteous, attentive, hospitable and fun! Every single passenger had a great time! They are great ambassadors of Puerto Rican Hospitality and Castillo Tours quality of service. I highly recommend this experience!