Money-Saving Travel Guide to Visiting Puerto Rico in 2025

Puerto Rico has easily become one of my favorite places. The culture is vibrant, the people are warm and proud of their heritage, and the scenery is nothing short of stunning. With its dramatic mountains, dreamy coastlines, and rich cultural heartbeat, Puerto Rico truly gives Hawaii a run for its money. Whether you’re traveling on a budget or just looking to stretch your dollar, This money-saving travel guide will show you the best way to find cheap airfare, how to save money on accommodations, and provides a list of activities that are cheap or free. Here’s how we explored this Caribbean gem affordably.

Flights & Getting Around

Roundtrip Flights: $200 per person
We scored roundtrip flights from Indianapolis to San Juan for just $200 by using Google Flights. Google is my favorite tool to save money on flights and still book directly through the airline instead of a third-party website. (click on link for free step-by-step guide on how to score cheap airfare using google flights.)

Rental Car: $170 for 8 days + toll fee ($3.95-$4.95/day)
Having a rental car gave us the freedom to explore the entire island. We rented through Alamo, located at San Juan airport. Based on the research I did prior to our trip, Alamo and Enterprise had the best reviews of all the car rental places. We booked directly with Alamo and did the pre ckeck-in online, which allows you to skip the rental counter and go directly to the parking garage and pick out your vehicle. I highly reccommend doing this to save time. Just note, some roads throughout Puerto Rico can be narrow and very curvy, so use caution when driving. For parking, watch curb colors: White = legal parking, Yellow = no parking, Blue = handicapped.

Where We Stayed

Accommodations: $50-$90 per night
We stayed overnight in Carolina, Aguadilla, and Fajardo as we traveled around the island. You can find some pretty decent prices on Airbnb’s if you are willing to stay outside the main tourist areas and do a little driving. Our place in Fajardo was the most expensive of the three, but we liked that it was closer to the rainforest and the ferry to Culebra.

Dining

Street food is a must, especially in Santurce, Isla Verde, and along the coast, where food trucks serve up delicious alcapurrias, bacalaítos, and empanadillas. Local spots offer dishes for under $10, and markets or panaderías are perfect for grabbing fresh pastries, sandwiches, or fruit. Skip the pricey tourist restaurants and try roadside chinchorros or low-key eateries for a truly authentic, budget-friendly taste of the island.

Unique & Local Experiences

Old San Juan Walking Tour: $35/person
I found this tour looking under the “experiences” tab on Airbnb. Our guide was a local who lived in Puerto Rico all her life and knew many details about the area. She took us through hidden alleys, art murals, and scenic viewpoints we would have never found on our own. It was a perfect into to our first day on the island. You can also find these types of tours on Viator at pretty cheap prices. (Many travelers don’t realize that Airbnb offers more than just places to stay—you can also book local experiences and excursions directly through their ‘Experiences’ tab, connecting you with locals who host everything from tours to hands-on activities. I recommend checking this out as we have discovered some really cool things using this tool.)

Castillo San Felipe del Morro: $10 to go inside (free to explore outside)
I personally think paying the small fee to go inside is 100% worth it. Walking through these 16th-century Spanish fortifications with the ocean as your backdrop feels like stepping into another era. There’s so much history to take in, and your ticket also gets you into Castillo San Cristóbal, so it’s a great deal if you’re planning to explore both.

La Placita (Santurce): No Admission Fee
La Placita de Santurce started as a traditional marketplace in 1910 but now comes alive at night with music, dancing, and vibrant local bars. By day it’s a farmer’s market—by night, it’s one of San Juan’s hottest spots for food, drinks, and culture.

Narrow and Winding Roads on the Drive to Charco Prieto Waterfall Hike.

Nature & Adventure (Almost Free!)

Charco Prieto Waterfall Hike: Free –Just outside of Bayamón, this challenging but totally worth-it hike takes you to a breathtaking 130-foot waterfall tucked deep in the mountains. It’s best suited for experienced hikers—some of the inclines are steep, muddy, and slippery. Previous hikers have tied ropes along the trickier spots that you can use.

Cueva del Indio – $10 per person with easy access through parking lot or Free with a longer hike. Located along the northern coast of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, it is one of the island’s most breathtaking natural wonders. This dramatic cliffside cave features ancient Taíno petroglyphs carved into the stone, along with stunning ocean views, rock arches, and powerful waves crashing below. Warning: watch out for holes that you could fall through as you are walking on the cliffs. While there’s a privately owned entrance that typically charges around $10 per person, you can actually access the site for free if you park further down the road and walk along the coast.

El Yunque National Forest: Free to enter park or guided tours as cheap as $26 on Viator – We booked a guided tour on Viator for just $26 per person that took us to the natural rock slide and rope swing. The tour included the parking fee and life jackets, but you will need your own transportation. There are also guided tours with transportation coming from San Juan that I have seen for as cheap as $60 on Viator and Airbnb. Entry to the park is free but you do need to pay a small fee if you want to enter the visitor center. After our guided excursion, we hiked the Mount Britton Trail on our own—a 0.8-mile path through the cloud forest with a consistent incline to the top. There’s a stone tower at the top with absolutely stunning panoramic views. It definitely makes the climb worth it. If you plan to do this hike it’s best to arrive early, since parking near the trailheads is limited.

Best Beach Days

Crash Boat Beach (Aguadilla)
This beach is free to visit, though you may need to pay for parking depending on where you leave your car. It has a fun, laid-back local vibe with food stands, snorkeling spots, and a pier that’s perfect for jumping into the water.

Buye Beach (Cabo Rojo)
Also free, Buye Beach is a calm, family-friendly spot that felt a little more relaxing to us. You’ll find pinchos grilling nearby and cold Medalla beers available, adding to the chill vibe. We actually liked this beach more than Crash Boat—the waves were gentler, and the water was noticeably clearer, making it a perfect place to just float and unwind.

Playa Flamenco (Culebra Island)
This one costs just $2 per person to enter. We visited this beach as part of a tour I booked on Viator for $135. This price is a little steep for me but it did include the ferry ride to the island, transfers to Tamarindo and Flamenco beach, snacks, and a guided snorkeling tour with equipment. Playa Flamenco was hands-down our favorite beach in all of Puerto Rico. The water was incredibly calm and crystal clear, and the scenery was stunning with few buildings around. It felt like a true island escape.