Expert: Nancy Torres - 5/25/2006

Question
My husband and I are trying to plan our first vacation as a married couple! I d like to give you a little background of what we like in a vacation, with hopes that you can lead us in the right direction! Here it is:     We are busy-body tourists! We love to do things on our own, not huge on the tour guides, but we will do some if we feel it would be in our best interest rather than going out on our own.     We LOVE to shop! No big on malls and stores that I can find in easily at home (San Francisco). We like bargans, homemade stuff, crafts and flea market style shopping!     We love to eat! I m a vegetarian so a veggie plate is a must!     We love to be outside taking pictures, or pulling off onto the side of the road to small shopping areas or random eco-parks (mexico).      I am a huge scrapbooker, so going somewhere like Senior Frogs (mesico)is a must- JUST so i can have the pictures to scrapbook!    Night life is nice, but not a must. We dont NEED to go our eveynight- we d rather be up early and venture all day!     We loved mexico (Mayan Riviera), and loved all the outdoor shopping in Play Del Carmen (if you ve ever been).  We also did beach side horseback riding, snorkeling, parasailing and random things like that!    Hopefully PR is the right place for us! Please, point us in the right direction!!!!

Answer
Hola, Cheri.  
Last year I had a couple of clients with similar interests.  They were planning vacations on the Caribbean, but haven't choosen the island they would like to go.  I suggested they come here and they decided to stay in the East.  Well, they stayed for 3 months in Ceiba and liked it so much that I found an apartment for them in Luquillo and they now own a property here, a 1b/1b apartment in front of the Ocean, which they rent as short-term rental now.
This is just to give you an idea of how much you can enjoy your vacations in Puerto Rico.  I haven't been in the places you mention in Mexico, but I feel you and your husband like to go to a place and discover it by yourself.  My husband and I like to do the same, no matter where we go.  
First, select where you are going to stay or, if you have the time, make arrangements to stay in different places (North, South, East, West, center of the Island....).  You will find the activities you like in any of those areas.  If you start by staying in the metropolitan area of San Juan (Isla Verde, Condado, Old San Juan),  you can enjoy night life, theaters, museums, restaurants, hotels, casinos, beach, parks, shopping malls and you can walk the Old San Juan streets full of stores, cultural events, cruises, historical sites, etc.  Señor Frogs and Hard Rock Café are located in Old San Juan.  If you go to the East, you will like to visit El Yunque Rain Forest, the beautiful Luquillo Beach, the islands of Vieques and Culebra, the El Conquistador Hotel and its Palomino Island (horseback riding, water sports) and you still will be able to visit Shopping Malls and restaurants.  The West area is beautiful and there are towns like Rincón, where many US visitors like so much (as well as surfers from everywhere).  In the South part of the Island, you can visit Cabo Rojo and its "poblado", full of small stores and restaurants; La Parguera in Lajas, where you can rent a boat and visit other small islands; Ponce and its famous Art Museum.
I enjoy going to the mountains, its sceneries and the more simple way of living there.
So, pick up your place, rent a car and plan to hit the road and visit as much as possible.  Ask, for example, to the employees at the hotels for things to see and do, make new friends, don't burn yourselves too much, plan to drive on low traffic hours, and enjoy your stay.
And, if you have more questions, just write again to AllExperts.com.
Saludos,
Nancy