Creole Flavors from Garden to Table: A Group Tour of Puerto Rican Gastronomy & Culture
Your Tour:
7 nights
8 days
14 meals
Up to 4 miles / day
Tour overview
Program activities, schedules and personnel may change due to local circumstances.
In such an event, we will alert you as quickly as possible.
Day by Day
Day 1
Overnight: San Juan
The tour coordinator will greet everyone, and we will review the program schedule, emergency procedures and answer questions. After orientation we will set out with our tour coordinator to take a walk and explore the area around the hotel. At a restaurant, we´ll enjoy a welcome dinner with a delicious set menu.
Day 2
Overnight: San Juan
After breakfast, we will depart by bus to the town of Cataño, from where you will see the breathtaking view of the Bay of San Juan and El Morro Fort. From Cataño, we will take a ferry to cross the Bay of San Juan where we will enjoy a walking guided tour around San Juan, covering the major points of interest, ending with the visit to the San Cristobal Fort, the largest fortress built in the New World, where students will have a guided tour of the castle. Before leaving the area, we will stop to enjoy a group lunch together. At the end of the trip, you’ll have the opportunity to return to the hotel or if you wish, explore the area on your own.
Day 3
Overnight: San Juan
We will set out with a local expert for a lecture on the local food revolution after the María Hurricane in Puerto Rico, and we’ll learn about the evident need of Puerto Rican agricultural sovereignty. Then, we will depart to Santurce and La Placita Anchored by La Plaza del Mercado de Santurce. The surrounding neighborhood is filled with restaurants, bars and live music in every corner. The group will explore the authentic flavors of the island while learning about Puerto Rican cuisine. After this experience, you’ll have free time to explore on your own.
Day 4
Overnight: San Juan
After breakfast, we will depart from the hotel by private bus for the Afro-Caribbean Community of Loíza Aldea, where we will enjoy an authentic performance of Bomba y Plena music and dance. After this beautiful demonstration, we will explore the kioskos at Piñones gorgeous beach, a traditional place to have lunch and where we will be able to relax. In the late afternoon, we will return to San Juan.
Day 5
Overnight: San Juan
After breakfast, we will depart by private bus to the Hunger Corp and the project Cultiva, a volunteer initiative in support of Puerto Rico’s agriculture. We will learn about the work and their goals, and we’ll visit a farm that was affected by Hurricane Maria. After this, we will return to San Juan where you’ll have free time to have lunch on your own and explore the area until the afternoon. We will meet again to visit and have dinner together at Lote 23, a vibrant gastronomic oasis located in San Juan’s art and music district known as Santurce. Open since early December 2016, Lote 23 features 14 food kioskos and 2 Airstream trailers, each offering visitors a unique culinary experience. This outside space, which was once an empty lot, has been transformed into a colorful outdoor food and entertainment space that includes 4 terraces and a stage.
Day 6
Overnight: San Juan
After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet with a local expert for a lecture about the Market Food Truck in Puerto Rico. After this visit we will enjoy an amazing hands-on cooking workshop. There, we will learn how to cook the renowned and most traditional dish of Mofongo and we will have lunch of our own creation! An experience that you can’t miss. You’ll have a free afternoon to relax or explore the city on your own.
Day 7
Overnight: San Juan
In the morning our private bus will be waiting for us to go to El Yunque National Rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system. With nearly 29,000 acres, it is one of the smallest in size, yet one of the most biologically diverse. Come experience the breathtaking scenery, clear mountain rivers, and outdoor recreation through a short hiking adventure. Afterwards, we will take our bus to Luquillo beach where you’ll have the opportunity to taste a traditional lunch in its kioskos on your own and enjoy the afternoon at the beach. In the late afternoon we will depart to Fajardo, a nearby town, to enjoy a delicious farewell dinner and experience the most exciting activity of the trip: a kayak tour through the Bioluminescent Bay of Fajardo. We will return to the hotel in San Juan in the evening.
Day 8
Transfer to the airport at a designated time.
Tour Inclusions
- Bilingual Staff
- Expert Tour Coordinator during the entire program
- Expert Local Guides for the visits included
- Two Food Tours
- Local Experts for two lectures
- Private ground transportation
- Entrance fees to San Cristobal Castle
- Kayak tour at the Bioluminescent Bay of Fajardo
- Hands-on cooking workshop of Mofongo
- 7 breakfasts, 3 dinners, 4 lunches
- Accommodation in 4* hotel at city center in San Juan
- Worldwide Health Insurance through CISI for the duration of the entire program
- Tips are included throughout the visits programmed
- 24/7 emergency support from our on-site staff
- Taxes
Additional Experiences
Customize your trip according to your interests by adding any of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.