Romantic Puerto Rico Getaway: Slowing Down to Reconnect
Isabela, Puerto Rico, February 2023
Quick note: these photos are all from my old iPhone 8, which means the quality is… let’s say “vintage.” I’d love your recs- should I buy a real camera or just upgrade my phone for the next trip?
When you picture a romantic getaway to Puerto Rico, you probably imagine swaying palm trees, mojitos by turquoise water, and music spilling from seaside bars.
And yes, that exists: it’s real, and it’s waiting for you.
For Liam and I, this trip was about more than just beaches and sunshine, though we were definitely excited by the weather and promise of swimming in the ocean.
It was also about slowing down, resting, and finding some peace during a season that was taking a lot out of us.
Puerto Rico wasn’t a luxury escape, that’s not really our style. It was a reset- full of ocean breeze, sea turtles, sweet moments, mojitos and mofongo.
The Journey Begins: San Juan to Isabela
We landed late in San Juan tired but buzzing with that mix of excitement and exhaustion and a couple of glasses of airplane champagne.
The warm, humid ocean air hit as soon as the plane doors opened, heavy with salt and guava. We found an easy hotel near the airport, collapsed into bed, and let the city hum outside the window while we finally slept.
The next morning, we picked up some coffee and pastries and walked to Charlie Car Rental for our rental car. We tossed our bags in the trunk and started driving west toward Isabela.
There’s something so meditative about driving along the coast- palm groves swaying, ocean flashing between cliffs, roadside fruit stands selling sweet bread.
One unplanned stop at a small gas station turned into an impromptu conversation with a woman selling candies from a basket.
That tiny exchange set the tone: no rush, no agenda, just openness.
By the time we got to Isabela, the air felt softer. The light was even different: slower, warmer, more forgiving.
Jobos Beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. Sometimes you can swim, sometimes the current is a little too strong. We were lucky enough to catch some days of swimming.
Moving With the Island’s Rhythm
Our little cabana was off the coast, tucked into a quiet, lush grove of trees with pretty flowers and glossy green bushes.
We were close enough to the ocean, so the sound of waves filled the air.
Our first stop was walking to Ola Lola’s Tiki Bar, tucked behind palms, with green paint and wood details.
Ola Lola's Tiki Bar on Shacks Beach in Isabala: 332 Barrio Bajuras, San Antonio, Isabela 00662, Puerto Rico.
We sat on a low top in the middle area, with plastic cups of beer, surrounded by laughter, dogs napping under tables, and easy conversation.
We decided to come back the following night for trivia (that we completely and totally bombed)!
Later in the evening, we walked down to the beach and swam in the dusk, ending the night by watching the sky turn gold and purple.
For the first time in a long time, there was nothing to plan, nothing to rush off to. Just the two of us, sitting quietly at the foot of the ocean.
Crash Boat Beach, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Our first day at Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The ocean here is deep, blue, and can get really wavy. We swam for hours from one point on the far right to the pier on the far left. We would climb up the rope ladder and jump off the pier into the ocean. If you take (or rent) goggles, you can snorkel around the pier and see lots of colorful fish and sea life. Food and drink vendors are present and lovely.
Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla is the kind of place that lives up to every postcard and Google Maps exploration. The concrete pier stretches into the sea, ending into a deep area with a rope ladder.
Bright boats float on turquoise water while vendors set up their stands with grills for food and fresh piña coladas. You can rent paddle boards, kayaks, and other beach toys just as easily.
We got there mid-morning, before the crowds, and spent hours swimming, diving, floating, and drying off in our rented beach chairs.
The air smelled like sugar and salt. It was simple, full of families and laughter, and perfect, the kind of ease couples hope for on every trip but rarely find.
A Note on Puerto Rico’s Reality
Before I go any further, let’s pause and acknowledge something deeper about Puerto Rico, something that is brushed under the rug by a lot of travel blogs and destination guides.
Puerto Rico is breathtaking, resilient, and endlessly generous.
And that’s no thanks to the US colonial rule.
Since 1898, when the U.S. took control of the island from Spain, Puerto Ricans have lived under American colonialism without political representation or voting rights in elections.
They serve in the U.S. military, pay federal taxes, and hold U.S. citizenship, yet we’ve not extended very basic democratic rights every mainland citizen has.
The island’s economy has also been systematically constrained by federal laws like the Jones Act, which limits trade and drives up prices for goods.
When hurricanes hit, like Hurricane Maria in 2017, which killed thousands and left the island’s infrastructure shattered, the federal response was slow and underfunded.
The disgusting image of trump tossing paper towels during a relief visit said the quiet part out loud: Puerto Rico is less.
And yet, despite the ongoing neglect, Puerto Ricans continue to rebuild, to create, to celebrate. But let’s not pretend that they should have to happily cater to our tourism needs.
As visitors, we carry a responsibility to act from that reality: support the local businesses, learn the island’s history, and understand that tourism here isn’t just a vacation.
It’s an opportunity to show respect, appreciation, and support.
Go to: Together Puerto Rico to make a donation directly to folks on the island.
When the Island Slows You Down
After months of going through the motions, managing life, work, and emotions we hadn’t fully processed, the slow rhythm of the island finally caught up to us.
We stopped rushing, we slowed the pace down. We savored. And in that stillness, the deeper reason for our trip surfaced.
A week before we left for Puerto Rico, we lost a close family member. The grief was raw, and we almost canceled.
But we decided to go. Maybe a little bit to escape, but mostly to move through it together in a new space.
Puerto Rico held that space gently, and I am so grateful for our vacation to Isabella.
The days became less about distraction and more about presence: quiet mornings starting in comfy beds, coffee on the terrace and walks down to the beach, drives into Jobos Beach with the windows down, meals that didn’t require words.
It reminded us that healing doesn’t always happen in stillness, sometimes it happens in motion, together, in a place you didn’t even know you needed.
Surf, Salt, and Shared Laughter
We rented surf boards from Palo Restaurant and Surf Shop, where you can eat, attempt to surf, and watch the waves crash into the rocks all in the same hour.
The owner pointed out into the ocean and talked about where to go, grinning when we admitted we were new.
“The ocean will teach you- watch what the locals do and do that. Try not to step down onto the shale.”
I wiped out three times before catching one small wave that carried me for maybe two seconds- two thrilling seconds.
Liam was a bit steadier, more patient, and I realized how much of partnership is about quietly cheering for each other’s small victories.
Once exhaustion convinced me to ditch the surf board, I decided to swim around like a dolphin. With my trusty goggles, I dove in and began to explore the coral, shells, and sand.
A flash of green caught my eye, and I realized there were sea turtles…. all around me.
Liam didn’t believe me at first but with his goggles and our very old go-pro, we swam together and with the turtles, close enough to touch their shells but in-awe enough not to.
The go pro captured some pretty grainy selfies of us with the turtles and an almost-usable video of me gliding next to a flock, if it weren’t for a very-obvious nip slip.
Afterward, salty and starving, we climbed back up to Palos and ordered mofongo stuffed with garlicky shrimp and sauce so rich it demanded silence between bites.
That day was perfectly imperfect, and the meal alone could convert anyone to island life.
The Quiet Work of Traveling Together
When you’ve been with someone for a long time, travel can become a mirror.
You see how you both handle being lost, how you react to plans changing, how you forgive, what happens when you’re embarrassed.
For us, travel is joy. And, it’s a test we seriously live for.
Laughter one minute, silence the next, GPS insisting we drive into the sea. But somewhere between the confusion and the calm, we always find ourselves and each other.
One night in our apartment kitchen, while we cooked and sipped rum, Liam asked softly, “What’s something I can do to lighten your load when we get back and everything is happening again?”
It stopped me. Not because I had an answer, but because I knew he was dead serious, and genuinely wanted to know so he could help.
That’s the beauty of traveling with someone who knows you deeply: you don’t need to fill the silence, and the conversation flows from the heart and soothes the nervous system.
Dancing in San Juan
Our final night brought us back to Old San Juan, where bursts of pastel buildings glow under strings of lights and cobblestone streets pulse with life, laughter, and music.
We met Liam’s parents, wandered aimlessly, and stumbled onto a plaza where a small bar tucked into the street was blasting music begging to be danced for.
People were dancing, laughing, clapping- and before I knew it, we were dancing and speaking a little Spanish, learning salsa moves from an older couple who volunteered their services.
I’m not a natural dancer, but that didn’t matter. The music and the crowd carried us. For the first time in months, we weren’t thinking, just moving.
It felt like the island’s final gift- to remind us that even after loss, joy is still possible, still waiting to be found if you open your eyes and look.
San Juan, Puerto Rico. The streets are alive with music, dancing, foods and people. Lot’s of laughter, movement, and smells.
Five Lessons from Our Puerto Rico Couples Vacation
What we brought home wasn’t a souvenir. It was a practice and a reminder- a way of moving through travel (and life) with more intention, presence, and care.
Choose Local Over Corporate: Find locally owned guesthouses and car rentals. The small effort connects you more deeply to the island, and the people who make it what it is.
Delegate as Love: Split the stressful tasks. Liam drives, I plan. It’s not about fairness, it’s about care. Thoughtfully remove unnecessary pressure so both people can enjoy the journey.
Leave Space in the Schedule: Margin is magic. Don’t overplan. The best moments happen in between the ones we try to control.
Let the Place Hold You: Hard conversations don’t need to only happen at home. Let the rhythm of a new place soften them. The ocean can hold things you can’t yet name.
Participate, Don’t Perform: Eat at the roadside stand. Dance in the plaza. Sit quietly with your drink. Real romance is unscripted, and it doesn’t all need to be recorded.
Why Puerto Rico Is the Perfect Couples Vacation Destination
Stay: Look for small, family-run guesthouses near Isabela or Aguadilla for the best ocean views and local connection.
Eat: Don’t miss Ola Lola’s Tiki Bar for sunset drinks or Palo Surf Shop for dinner and surf rentals.
Do: Visit Crash Boat Beach, explore Jobos Beach, and leave time for unplanned drives along the coast.
Learn: Read up on Puerto Rico’s history before you go, and approach each space with respect and curiosity.
Walking to Secret Beach in Isabela, Puerto Rico. It’s a couple of miles to get all the way down to the rocks and coves of Secret Beach, and totally worth the effort. We found so many tide pools and areas with mellow water to wade into and relax on the way.
Closing Thoughts
A romantic getaway in Puerto Rico isn’t just about beaches or perfect weather- it’s about remembering the reasons for being together.
It’s the laughter over spilled drinks, the shared sunscreen, the silence between waves and wading into water.
When I think back now, it’s not the sunsets I remember most. It’s the soft, unhurried rhythm that taught us to breathe again- together.
That’s the real beauty of Puerto Rico. It doesn’t demand your attention. It restores it.
Puerto Rico reminded us that travel isn’t about perfection- it’s about presence.
It’s how you show up for each other in the in-between moments, when the map doesn’t load or the waves are too big and you’re stuck in the ladder.
If you want your next trip to bring you closer instead of wearing you out, try Travel Talk, our free guide for couples who want to travel intentionally.
Inside, you’ll find 125+ prompts and questions designed to help you communicate, connect, and actually enjoy the journey together.
