In November Brian and I escaped chilly fall for a week of summer weather in Puerto Rico, which neither of us had ever visited. No beach bums here—we squeezed every ounce out of our vacation, from kayaking bioluminescent waters to hiking waterfalls in the country’s highest cloud forests to swimming with sea turtles on a tiny island off Puerto Rico.

And that’s just the outdoor stuff: We got some culture time in by visiting the historic forts of Old San Juan (part of the U.S. Park Service system) and the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico.

Coqui frog in Puerto Rico

Add some fresh pina coladas and amazing coffee and it was an incredible trip. Here’s a Flickr set with some highlights: