Gilberto it's the best!!!! He really takes care of you!!! Has everything you need in his boat!…read moreGreat time!

This was, without a doubt, the highlight of our PR vacation! I stumbled upon this through some…read moreTrip Advisor reviews and learned that the reserve offers an environmentally-friendly way to see the bio-luminescence. In addition to being environmentally-friendly, it is also cost-effective! Let me tell you more! First of all, the reserve offers a lot of different tours and activities but the one I am writing about is the evening lighthouse tour and hike through the bio-luminescent lagoon. If you wish to the tour I did, I recommend booking it online in advance because this tour WILL sell out. It is SO awesome. When we first arrived to the reserve, we parked our Jeep and checked in. It was very easy checking in. We then covered ourselves head to toe in bug spray which I HIGHLY recommend. Then we walked around the main "office" of the reserve and we got to see a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Everything was so pretty! Once we had everyone checked in for the tour, we got on an open-air shuttle with a group of about 16 people. Our tour guide, Francisco, told us a lot about PR and about the natural habitat and what the reserve is doing to preserve and restore it. Our first stop was the Faro Fajardo (Fajardo Lighthouse). This was gorgeous. We got to go inside this historical building and climb to the top and look out and see so many beautiful sights. The stars and moon were incredible and we also could see our resort as well as many other points in PR. We learned so much about Fajardo and about the ecological systems in that area. After leaving the lighthouse, we went on this long walk in the dark on this really sturdy wooden path that led through mangrove trees and out into this beautiful lagoon. It was so beautiful and you could hear the song of the coquis. Once out at the end of the walkway, we were given long sticks that we were able to use to swirl the water around and see the sparkling bio-luminescence. It was amazing! It was so beautiful and we learned so very much. It also meant a lot to us that the money we spent on the tour was going towards the greater good of protecting the natural environment in Puerto Rico. I cannot say enough about how wonderful this place is. We wanted to go back during the day but didn't have enough time on our most recent trip so we have it on our to-do list for next time. If you do anything in PR, check this place out!

Inexpensive ($12 - $22pp) tours offered by this 316 acre nonprofit nature park (just down the road…read morefrom Seven Seas Beach and the restaurant Costa Mia) are great value for anyone interested to learn about the variety of ecological systems of Puerto Rico. The Reserva Natural Las Cabezas de San Juan provides guided tours of (among other things) the 3 types of area mangrove forests, the famed Laguna Grande bio-bay, some less traveled beaches and reefs, an active archaeological site, and El Faro, the 1882 Spanish white lighthouse on the top of the tallest point with spectacular 360 degree views around Fajardo. Our family attended a 9:30a tour of the park which included a tram trip to the lighthouse with stops to explore the mangroves and a rocky, windy beach. Our local tour guide and geologist by trade, Francisco, was very friendly and knowledgeable about all aspects of the reserve and was a wealth of information about Puerto Rico in general, as well. Although our tour was scheduled to be in Spanish, Francisco quickly switched to English when it was clear that all attendees were from the mainland U.S.. We were glad to have brought water, hats, and umbrellas, as there were some portions of the tour in the hot sun. Evening walking bio-bay tours (where you stay on a board walk and activate the dinoflagellates via long poles) tend to fill up weeks to months in advance, so visit the park's website (it has an English version) and make your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates. This can be a great option for travelers who are not interested in kayaking to the bay or would like a quieter, more "one with nature" experience. If you try this, be sure to cover yourself with mosquito repellant, as the bugs are relentless in the mangroves. FYI, Francisco says that the best time of year to view the brightest bio-bay action are from March to July, and you should try to go when the moon is not full; he also says that Mosquito Bay on Vieques is really the best bio-bay, so go there if you have the time. We were very disappointed to find that the park's gift shop was unable to process any transactions during our visit (prime tourism season over the winter break). We were told, "Oh, we just did inventory for the year, so we can't make any more sales." ¿Qué? This was such a shame given that the nonprofit certainly needs funds to further their work and they missed out on more than $500 in sales from the tour attendees during our visit alone (all of whom would have gladly purchased a $20 t-shirt and other items after hearing our guide's convincing spiel about how we could help preserve this ecological wonder). Perhaps this story illustrates some of the economic problems PR is facing.... FYI, the park's entrance is guarded and gated, but it may be a surprise to hear that the beaches surrounding the park as well as the interior's bio-bay are required by law to be accessible to the public. This means that if you are adventurous, you can follow the beach trail from in front of the Costa Mia restaurant until you reach a path that runs right into the bio-bay.

WOW! This was one of my favorite lifetime experiences. It's worth the effort to get to Culebra to…read moreexperience the SEAVenture Tour with Culebra Island Adventures. Starting from the beginning: You need to take a ferry from Fajardo to Culebra to access the tour. CIA makes sure that your ferry tickets are reserved in advance. (When you arrive at the ferry terminal in Fajardo, you will quickly realize that this is CLUTCH. The ferry terminal is an absolutely disorganized hot mess.) I would recommend arriving at least an hour early. Even though you get to skip the very long line of people waiting to buy tickets, it's still a bit confusing to find the correct (shorter) line and get your tickets. Damian, one of our tour guides, was in touch with us consistently by text message to make sure we got our tickets and boarded the ferry. The ferry ride is about an hour long, and please prepare in advance if you get seasick, and bring your sunscreen and hat! It's a rough ride over to Culebra. The way back is far smoother. I would recommend getting a seat on the top and toward the middle, under the awning. That way you get a cool breeze and still enjoy the views without getting splashed by ocean water. That being said....all of this is more than worth it to experience the untouched beauty of Culebra. The waters are a clear, turquoise blue. Laura greeted us at the ferry terminal in Culebra and immediately took us on a brief walk to the van. We took a short ride to Tamarindo Beach, where the tour began. My husband and I appreciated the efficiency and the fact that NO time was wasted on the tour. It was extremely well-organized. We had a relatively small group of folks. Damian gave us a thorough explanation of the tour agenda (kayak, snorkel over one reef, return to shore for snack, more snorkeling, trip to Flamenco Beach.) This was the first time I have had a tour guide explain how to kayak in detail. Damian's tips were very helpful in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable kayak ride. We snorkeled over a beautiful coral reef for about 45 minutes and saw a puffer fish, eels, and vibrantly colored coral and fish. If you follow the guide (Laura) closely, you won't miss any of the wonderful marine life! We then returned to the shore by kayak for a delicious snack (homemade ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, apples, soda/water.) Then came the highlight of the tour--swimming with the sea turtles! We walked into the water directly from the beach this time. It wasn't long before we spotted several turtles, and they are a sight to behold. These gentle giants will allow you to swim directly over top of them and alongside them, making for excellent photo opportunities. This was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Speaking of photos, Laura chronicled our journey in detail using her underwater camera. Within days, she posted almost 400 pictures of our snorkeling tour on Facebook. We were able to download photos directly from Facebook for free. The pictures are AMAZING. This is one of the best perks of the tour! I love that they weren't trying to make us pay an extra $10 per picture, which they easily could have done. The last stop on our tour was the stunning and serene Flamenco Beach. Ahhhhhhh. The sand is white, the water is crystal blue, and it's not crowded. My husband loved body-surfing in the huge waves. We were able to purchase some beers at the refreshment area, and we sat on our towel and enjoyed the scenery. I would do this tour again and again if I could. It was so well-organized, the guides were knowledgeable, and the price is very reasonable. Make the effort to do this if you are in Puerto Rico! Thank you, Damian and Laura!

Lovely visit to the El Portal Visitor's Center at El Yunque…read more Instead of stopping there first, I ended up starting at Mount Britton and working my way back. This put me at El Portal at around 3pm-ish on a Sunday which was very empty. I paid the $8 admission fee upon driving into the El Portal parking lot. From there, it is a short walk to the El Portal Center. You cross a lovely and scenic elevated walkway on your way there. Once there, there are a lot of great exhibits and art installations throughout. There is also a discover trail there. There is a small movie theater which shows a movie at certain times that explains the history of the rain forest. Well-maintained cafeteria offering a variety of food and drink options. Lots of tables and chairs to accommodate even the busier times. Great gift shop and the bathrooms were clean. All staff were friendly and helpful.

Great stop after hiking! Employee that was at the initial entry checkpoint was so helpful and kind…read moreand this center was so well maintained and cared for. Watched the little documentary that was playing and used their bathrooms a few times before we trekked back to the city. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the area and learn about the wildlife and history.

Wonderful trip!! Yamin and our Captain gave us an amazing day on the water. We spent a relaxing…read moremorning snorkeling, swimming and floating. Snacks and lunch were perfect!! Highlights of the day including Matilde, Luca (and friends) and sea turtle sightings. We looking forward to booking again and are hoping to do the Culebra overnight.

Have no idea where to begin. My son has special needs with food and Roxi called me to go over what…read morewe were serving. Didn't make it to culebra as planned because of the water but we didn't care they still took us to a beautiful beach. We've spent so much $$$$ on mediocre meals since being in Puerto Rico and the bbq served for lunch was probably the best meal we've had here. If we ever come back to Puerto Rico it is to do this again. Roxi we are so grateful for your hospitality

No customer service. This could have been a great stay, however, the front desk staff was below…read moreincompetent. Vieques is a gorgeous island and deserves the best hospitality which Hix Island is not offering. You can drive by and check out the architecture, but I do not recommend spending your money here. For staying in Puerto Real, book at Finca Victoria. For a more lively experience, book at El Blok in Esperanza.

AVOID STAYING HERE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!!…read more While I am aware of how hard the travel industry has been hit due to Covid it is saddening to see that customer service has been affected this greatly and my party and myself will not be returning to stay at Hix accommodations around the world. This is why... My party and I unfortunately had the worst experience when we stayed at Hix Island House in Vieques and strongly advise potential vacationers to book at other accommodations in Vieques (Such as El Blok). We felt that the listing on Expedia where we booked our stay through was very misleading since none of the amenities mentioned were actually available, such as the pool and yoga. The property felt like a ghost town with us only being able to communicate with the manager via phone as even reception hours were inaccurate. In addition, the only other guests staying at the time mentioned they received an email that the pool was broken and we were never communicated until we brought this up to management. To make matters worse, my friend had an injury happen at Hix Island House in the horse floor fence. While it had a sign to hold onto the rail, there was a pole sticking out of the wall that the rail was on which made my friend have to walk around the pole and have her fall through the fence. While we booked for 2 nights we only stayed one night after this ordeal and when we requested a full refund due to all the reasons above, the hotel through Expedia only approved a partial refund. Even after pleading our case to why a full refund should be given no acknowledgment/ at the bare minimum an apology was made by management of Hix Island House or Expedia.