Good home base for our Puerto Rico explorations
Submitted: January 30, 2013
Stayed: January 2013
We spent last week in Puerto Rico and had a great time at Aquatika. The condo was the perfect size for our family of four (although we could easily have fit a few more). The place was spotless and was stocked with plenty of water toys, towels, beach chairs, kitchen items, etc. It was so nice to have a washer and dryer! We arrived on Saturday, and the complex was as we expected, with families playing on the lawn, swimming in the pool, shooting hoops on the basketball courts, etc. Then on Monday it emptied out and we had the entire place almost to ourselves--large pools (not deep so perfect for younger kids), a nice sized hot tub, playgrounds, mini golf, etc. Unfortunately the water slide does not run in the evenings or on weekends. The beach was a bit murky and the waves were too small for body boarding, but it was MUCH cleaner than the other beaches we visited in Puerto Rico. And apparently the manatees come in periodically, although we weren't there during many daylight hours and didn't get to see them. We did see plenty of colorful little birds and large lizards, and of course we heard the frogs peeping at night. The complex is in the town of Loiza, which, like much of Puerto Rico, looks a bit run down. There is a LOT of litter on the roadsides and many stray dogs and cats in the area. But don't let the appearance scare you. The people in Puerto Rico are SO friendly, even to those of us like me who are struggling with the language barrier. And some of our favorite foods came from the little roadside shacks that cook on open fires made from wooden pallets (crab (jueyes) arepas are fabulous!). In any case, the Aquatika complex is completely secure (it almost feels like an alternate reality as you drive through the gate). Although there was plenty to do at Aquatika, we did spend most of our time out and about. El Yunque is only about a half hour away, as are some great food kiosks in Luquillo (east) and Pinones (west). Fajardo (home to many snorkel and biobay kayak tours) is about an hour away. JC, the property manager, was so helpful and gave us some great recommendations of things to do and places to eat! We would definitely recommend Aquatika to anyone who needs a little extra space or doesn't want to pay the exorbitant prices at the resorts.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children
Helpful votes: 2/2
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
No