We had never been to Luquillo (or Puerto Rico), so we didn't know what to expect. We had been road-tripping around the island for about 10 days and Luquillo was our final destination.
At first glance, it didn't seem like much was going on in the area. We were a bit concerned. We were a few hours early before our scheduled arrival, but we decided to check out where the hotel was to get our bearings.
While doing so, we ended up meeting Dylan the owner. Super nice, awesome guy. Originally from the mainland. He was kind enough to let us check in early because the room was available. This was unexpected and certainly welcomed!
The room was GREAT. SUPER clean, SUPER modern. VERY nicely decorated. Lots of little touches to make it so welcoming: robes, beach towels, yoga mats, beach chairs. Dylan sure knows how to decorate. Good water pressure, nice hot water, beautiful tile work, comfy memory foam bed, great sheets and blankets.
We stayed on the top floor. Directly outside was a community deck with lights, a couple picnic tables, and some hammock chairs. The ocean and beach is LITERALLY steps away. You can hear the waves. It is incredibly relaxing. We spent time on the beach, which was very quiet. It was just us, some surfers, and a little flock of pelicans that provided HOURS of entertainment.
A few minutes walk in one direction (along the beach) is a laid back restaurant called Boardriders. They served up really good fish tacos (mahi) and churrasco sandwiches. You sit and have your meal right along the beach. It's super chill and awesome.
About 500 feet away from the Surfing Turtle is a little breakfast and lunch walk-up place. Super cheap prices and great breakfast sandwiches. There's also a nice restaurant directly across the street.
El Yunque is only about a 15 minute drive away (book reservations ahead of time bc of COVID!!!!). Big line of 50+ kioskos were also about 10 minutes drive away. Across the road (about 5 min drive) there is a KFC, McDonalds, Wendy's, Walgreens, and a grocery store called Amigo (not a Walmart, as Maps suggests).
After some hesitation because of the few reviews of the Surfing Turtle, this stay ended up being our favorite out of a 10 day trip. The location right on the beach is perfect. The owner is so great. The rooms were so clean and modern. Has a hostel feel, not a chain all-inclusive. Mix of all ages staying there, mostly on the younger side, but we are in our 40s and didn't feel like we were the "old people" haha.
Highly recommend if you are looking for a modern, chill place in Luquillo with a great, quiet beach right behind it. We definitely would stay here again. read more