Where to eat in Puerto Rico over the holidays
Because Puerto Ricans know how to do Christmas
Today I want to tell you why you should book tickets for Puerto Rico for this holiday season…no passport required!
Many of you know me from my time in Puerto Rico with World Central Kitchen when Hurricane María struck the island in 2017. But the truth is I’ve been visiting the island long before that…I love the sunshine, the beaches, the water, and especially the people. As much as I love the climate and nature of this island, there is nothing more beautiful than the community of this island. The people of Puerto Rico are so welcoming, and so true to each other—I have seen some of the most selfless, generous people of my life. Puerto Rico is America at its best, humanity at its best.
Oh yeah…and the food! The food is absolutely amazing…especially around the holidays. Puerto Rico is an amazing place to visit year round but one of my favorite times to visit is during the holidays. Trust me, Puerto Ricans know how to do Christmas like no one else!
As soon as Thanksgiving’s over the festivities begin and they don’t stop until mid-January. To mark the beginning of the holiday season, each town in Puerto Rico has an Encendido Navideño (Christmas Lighting) where the community will gather in front of the town hall and watch as the main public buildings light up in Christmas lights and Puerto Rican flags.
From there it’s a full 45 days worth of Christmas celebrations. Families and friends will come together late at night and go Christmas caroling, which are known as parrandas—a group of friends and musicians will knock on your door late at night and keep knocking until you wake up and open the door…and then the party gets started!
Of course you can visit Puerto Rico any time of the year, but after reading all of my recommendations, why wouldn’t you go for the holidays?! Yes I know the holidays seem like they’re a million years away, but they’re not people—they’re coming up fast so I’m giving you a little over a month to book your travel and plan your route!
Here are all my recommendations for San Juan and a bit further afield when you go to Puerto Rico. There’s plenty of things to do in the capital of this island, especially during the holidays. I know that there’s so much to do on the island so this won’t be the last recommendation for Puerto Rico that you see from me…
If you know anything about me then you know that I’m passionate about Puerto Rico and its people. I believe that we should continue to support the people of Puerto Rico and one of the best ways you can do that is by visiting the island. So why wait? Visit now!