Cruising to San Juan with Kids

My family has always enjoyed our time in the Caribbean, especially San Juan, Puerto Rico. We love strolling the old city, and of course the beaches.  We have also visited and enjoyed two of the three activities I’ve cited below, with hopes to try the third. I hope your family enjoys them as much as we did.

 

The Forts-There are two historic forts in San Juan, about a mile apart from one another; Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro) and Castillo San Cristobal. Spain built these fortifications to secure their position in the Caribbean and protect the city of San Juan. El Morro is the larger of the two and you can either take the free trolley between them or walk. Special note…there’s a big lawn in front of El Morro fort and locals and tourists enjoy flying kites there and picnicking on the grass.

Cruising to Grand Cayman Island With the Kids

Are you cruising to the Caribbean and looking for something to do with the kids when your ship docks in Grand Cayman? Well obviously there’s the gorgeous Seven Mile Beach, but if you’re looking for a different type of activity here’s some suggestions.

Stingray City:  Visit the Stingray City sandbar, a long, raised ridge in the ocean that enables you to stand in three to five feet of water. During the many tours that are available through the cruise line or booked independently, you can swim with, feed, and take memorable photos with these friendly rays. Even small children will enjoy petting the rays. It may be the highlight of your Caribbean cruise.

Caribbean Hot Spots…and I Don’t Mean the Beach

Every Caribbean island has that one place that you just have to check out while you’re there. That spot that even the locals love to visit. Here’s some of my top picks.  After all, there’s more to a Caribbean island than just gorgeous beaches!

Arikok National Park on Aruba: I visited this park by taking an all-day shore excursion via jeep.  The ride was a blast but dusty and bumpy.  Still, it’s a really fun way to see the area. Covering almost 20 percent of the island, Arikok National Park is home to a variety of unique attractions and cultural heritage sites, including spectacular caves, original Indian rock drawings, and unusual land formations. Bring a swimsuit to splash around in the Natural Pool.

Cruising to Cuba

Ah…Caribbean cruising! White, palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, the rhythms of salsa, cha-cha and rumba. But hold on, I’m not talking about cruising to just any Caribbean island! I’m talking about cruising to Cuba!

These days, Cuba is the most enticing island in the Caribbean! Many years of political isolation (Cuba is one of the world's last defenders of communism) has prevented the island from becoming developed and commercialized like it’s many neighboring islands. In fact, when you read literary exposés or look at photographs, it seems that Cuba is lost in time, somewhere in the 1950’s.