At this port we did the clear bottom kayak experience. This was much different than we expected. First, it was hard work! We are not extremely athletic but are pretty fit and we thought it merited more than 1 star on HAL's intensity scale. We also did not intend to be kayaking in the ocean waves. Many people brought nice cameras with them on the kayak and they got soaked. Our kayak was completely full of water. Also, we did not see ANY fish or coral from the glass bottom of our kayak. I mean absolutely nothing! After Kayaking we went on short hike that was not really scenic at all. There were lots of shells and coral on the beach that were interesting to look at but at least half of the hike was through a very dry wooded area. The ocean views that we saw on this excursion from the kayak were very pretty but I wish we would have chosen a different excursion.

A final problem with this excursion was that we expected to leave at 8:30 and expected to be back in time to go to Margaritaville but HAL had a miscommunication with the excursion provider and we did not leave until 9:30 so we did not have hardly any time when we returned. This was somewhat disappointing.

We did the El Yunque rain forest hiking tour which was very nice. It is about an hour drive from San Juan but it passed quickly. Upon arriving at El Yunque we stopped at an observation tower with beautiful views all the way to the Atlantic. Then we went on our hike. The hike is pretty strenuous--all very hilly. It is about .8 miles but seems like much more. I think it took about 45 minutes to hike to the water fall and 45 minutes to hike back. The foliage along the way is very interesting and the path is concrete and well marked. The falls are very pretty. You can bring a swimsuit and go for a swim--but HAL's description does not tell you this. This excursion was very enjoyable and well worth it. Our guide was very knowledgable and entertaining.

Upon our return, our guide dropped us off in Old San Juan (others returned to the ship terminal). She dropped us off near Fort San Cristobal, but we decided we would rather see El Morro so we immediately walked there taking a road that bordered the Atlantic. The sign said it was a mile but I don't think it was. Tickets to El Morro were around $4 (I don't remember the exact price) and it was very interesting. There are about 6 floors to tour and we did it in about 45 minutes but we did not stop to read every single thing and I think we skipped a floor or two. This was well worth the visit and I think enjoyable for both adults and kids. Afterward we walked around Old San Juan which is pretty easy to navigate and easily walkable once you realize that the street names are painted on the buildings at each corner. We easily covered most of the area on foot in 2-3 hours. San Juan Cathedral is definitely worth a visit. It is very close to El Convento.

We also enjoyed looking in the shops at the Puerto Rican made arts and crafts. Puerto Rico Arts and Crafts on Fortaleza has a very nice selection. Most of the shopping is on Fortaleza and San Francisco streets. We also found a nice cigar shop on Del Cristo.

We finished up the day eating dinner at El Jibarito near Sol & Tanca. This is an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant. It was very much like the food that my father-in-law who is Puerto Rican cooks. It was very good but most of it was not quite as good as my father-in-law's food. I would highly recommend the red beans that come with the white rice as well as the fried plantains. However, you should add alot of salt to the fried plantains. The yellow rice was also very good. My husband ordered pasteles which is perhaps the quintessential puerto rican dish. It was very good but is different. It is made from plantains and pork. I read many reviews recommending the mofongo de plantain but I thought that it lacked flavor. I very much enjoyed the sangria. It was probably the best drink I had on the whole cruise. Our whole meal cost only $40 including alcohol and we ordered extra sides so it was a very good deal.

At this port we did the discover scuba shore excursion and had a great time. Scuba was fun and easier than I expected and we also got to see lots of fish and coral while snorkeling when we were waiting our turn to scuba. I would highly recommend this excursion.