There’s Another Side to the Island of Puerto Rico, And It’s Getting Even Easier to Fly There 

The vistas at El Morro. The party at La Placita de Santurce. The flavors (and history) at Barrachina. The shopping in Condado. The street food Piñones. They’re all must-stops when you’re visiting Puerto Rico. But the island of enchantment (oh how we wish they went back to that tourism tagline) is so much more than just San Juan. 

Head to the west coast of Puerto Rico, and you find a completely different destination entirely; it’s barefoot cool, beachy, palm-laden and low key, with surf towns and seaside towns and a completely different vibe. It’s a place for bringing some chairs, some Barrilito and some positivity to a deserted beach for the afternoon.

Whether your’e checking out the waves at Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla or trying an El Pirata at Rincon’s Villa Cofresi, the west coast is a vibrant, fun, engaging side of the island. 

And it’s about to get far easier to reach, with plans for a new nonstop flight connecting Miami and Aguadilla’s Rafael Hernandez Airport. Beginning May 24, Frontier Airlines, which has a huge presence in Puerto Rico, will connect the two cities, with the only regularly-scheduled flight from Miami to the west coast of the island (JetBlue does operate one from Fort Lauderdale). 

For now, the service will be flying once every week on Saturdays. The service, which has already launched bookings. So what about prices? You can book fares on Frontier for just $118 roundtrip in the airline’s basic fare class (that doesn’t get you a carry-on, though). For a pair of checked bags and other perks like boarding priority and choosing your seat, it’s about $365.96 roundtrip. 

Aguadilla already has flights from the New York market, with nonstop routes on both JetBlue and Newark from the area (JetBlue is cheaper at about $260 roundtrip right now). Find more flight options here.

Are you planning a trip to Aguadilla? Then you’ll need a hotel room. One thing to note: this is not a luxury destination — the ambience here is largely one of surf towns and small boutiques, and a focus on classic, toes-in-the-sand kinds of vacations. 

You can find that at properties like the Rincon Beach Resort, set on the town’s Anasco Bay, with rooms from just $177 per night. (Yes, there’s a swim-up bar). We loved it on our last visit, particularly the cocktails at the Pelican bar and restaurant.

The aforementioned Villa Cofresi (and its famous Pirata, more here) is a beloved place to stay, with a privileged perch right on the town’s golden sands. Rooms from $232 per night. 

And there is one notable exception to what we said about luxury: just under 30 minutes from the airport is the decidedly lovely Royal Isabela, a boutique resort that just so happens to be the home of one of the best golf courses in all of Puerto Rico, the David Pfaff-designed 18-hole course.