Family-Friendly Puerto Rico: The Beach and Beyond
by Jan Aaron

We are walking down the palm lined path behind the Inter-Continental Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My guide is a curly-haired moppet, Lara, with one hand in mine and the other clutching a sticky red lollipop. Lara, on loan from her mom, shows me the hotel’s day camp where she plans to make sandcastles. Almost all major hotels here have supervised daycare facilities.

Look no further for a family-friendly destination: it is here. In Puerto Rico, families find entertainment in sightseeing as well as the sights to see. For instance, when visiting Old San Juan with youngsters whose little feet may easily tire, traipsing cobblestone streets, there are non-charge trolleys for enchanting transportation to key points of interest.

For families, El Morro (open daily 9-5) is the most amazing sight in Old Juan. The larger of the city’s two old forts, it features a maze of secret tunnels, lookouts, dungeons, ramps, barracks and vaults. Also check out the beautiful Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (299 De Diego Ave., Santurce, Tues-Sat. 10-5; Sun., 11-6) where an interactive children’s gallery is to open shortly.

Journeying beyond old San Juan reaps other rewards. El Yunque, a 45-minute drive, is the only tropical rain forest in the United States. Here youngsters learn the secrets of the plants, flowers and birds that pack the 28,000 lush acres, from interactive exhibits at El Portal Tropical or rangers booked in advance for two or more.

Ponce, about a 90-minute drive from San Juan, offers a peak at the past at Castillo Serrallés, a magnificent mansion with handsome furnishings (closed Mon., 787-259-1770, guided tours) and a historic plaza with its old fashioned outdoor market and the 1882 firehouse, now a museum. Unique for family fun here is a visit with Kenneth Melendez, a famous mask-maker and musician who demonstrates his arts for visitors.

(For information contact the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Old San Juan Station, 787-721-2400, fax 787-722-1093.)

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2001.