Now we all know I am by no means a travel blogger and this doesn’t exactly tie in with my usual topics on health and beauty but I received soooo many requests to cover my recent holiday in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, I thought, why not? Beauty and the Masseuse is my personal blog, and besides, there was sooooo much beauty in Puerto, and I’m not just talking about my deadly boyfriend(Ken) swanning around in his swimming trunks! There was literally so much to do and to see. I didn’t want it to end. It was myself and Ken’s first holiday together and we couldn’t have picked a better place than Puerto Rico….it was so couply (pretty sure that’s not a word, but it totally should be in fairness!)
Where we stayed – Yaizasol Premium Apartments
I swear to God, I cannot sing the praises of this complex high enough. Immaculate, beautifully decorated, super modern and quiet, yet close enough to everywhere that you’re still in the midst of things.
It had all mod cons including; cooker, fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster and air con, which was basically my lifesaver over there. It’s an ADULTS ONLY establishment, which initially I wondered did it mean some kinky swingers club type place but alas it wasn’t, it just meant there were no children allowed stay…music to my ears!
Situated up a little hill in Puerto Rico it had it’s own pool, rooftop terrace with jacuzzi and stunning views of the beach and all it’s surroundings. We stayed on the top floor and had beautiful see views from our private balcony. If you’re staying there, I’d recommend the top floor over the bottom floor. People staying in the bottom floor apartments were right beside the pool which was great but they had no privacy while sitting out.

There was a Hyperdino(supermarket) at the bottom of the hill, which was super handy. This is where we stocked up on necessities for the apartment…basically, water and coffee. Actually, we bought fruit, ham and fresh bread too for breakfast, but who was I kidding, there was no way I was making my own breakfast on holidays! The apartment was a seven and a half minute(to be precise) walk to the beach and I really thought it was a perfect location. It was cleaned almost every day, except Sundays, which is fair enough like, everyone needs a day off! When we were leaving the gentleman in the office even ordered our taxi to the airport and secured us a brilliant discount. Customer Service was A1. If we were to ever go back to Puerto Rico again, we’d go back to Yaizasol, top class!!!

My Top 5 Things to Do in Puerto Rico
1.Swim
I grew up in Dunmore, a little fishing village, so it’s no real surprise swimming is at the top of my list. I was in my element in the water…it was gorgeous and without doubt my favourite thing to do. We bought a snorkle and mask too, so seeing all the sea life underneath us was amazing. Some of the best things in life really are free!
2. Eat
Anyone that knows me, knows how much I’m obsessed with food and since I don’t drink alcohol anymore, going out to really nice restaurants is something I really look forward to. I always find food abroad to be shockingly bad. This time, I used Tripadvisor and it was the best thing I ever did. Every night we chose a restaurant from the Top Ten Rated on the app and then typed the name into Google Maps so we’d know exactly where to go. I had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted in Puerto Rico!
3. Dolphin Watching Boat Trip
Before we even arrived in Puerto Rico we booked this trip through Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor really is so handy. I was obsessed with dolphins when I was younger so this was on the top of my list to do. We got to see some of the beautiful coast of Gran Canaria and after some time we were surrounded by a family of dolphins. It was amazing!!
4. Jet Ski Safari
We booked our Jet Ski in the Water Sports Centre just off Puerto Rico Beach. The Safari option is more expensive that a regular jet ski ride but it’s definitely worth it. We had a guide, who drove ahead of us on a speed boat while taking high quality photos of us on the jet ski. Ken drove and I was on the back, I have zero sense of direction, so was definitely the best option! He was in his element, I was hanging on for dear life, but it was some laugh!!

They put the photos on a USB stick and then you can purchase it for €20. He brought us up along the whole coast up to Mogan and we got to spin around the picturesque beaches. On our way back, our guide came to a stop and we were wondering what was going on?! Next thing we knew, two bottle nose dolphins were alongside our jetski. We could almost touch them. They were huge! When we arrived back our guide had said that that very rarely happens on their trips, we couldn’t believe our luck! An experience I’ll never forget!
5. Amadores Beach Club
If you’re looking for some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of Puerto Rico, you’ll love Amadores Beach Club. We got a taxi from our apartment over to the Club, which only cost a fiver. Views of the sea wrap around the club, chill out music plays overhead and I actually fell asleep, which is a miracle in itself, because I never sleep, let alone in the day and outside!
We rented a big round bed, which was €40 for the day, and we were given a remote control to call our server anytime we wanted to order food and drinks….was very fancy altogether. The burger was unreal and they had a huge selection of cocktails and mocktails too. There was a huge sea water swimming pool, jacuzzis, and hot tubs to enjoy and we loved it!
There is a beautiful walk from Amadores to Puerto Rico along the cliff and there were stunning views of the sea and coastline. It’s only a kilometre, so wasn’t long at all!
We did lots of other things as well including a trip on submarine boat, scuba diving, fish pedicures and a trip to the Mogan Markets. Mogan is soooooo pretty and well worth the short spin over!





My Top 5 Restaurants
I would highly recommend all these restaurants. the food, ambience and customer service in each of them were second to none. I’m not going to write a review on each of them but instead show you what I got. For lunch I’d highly recommend Harbour Lights. We went twice for our lunch. It was the best fry up ever!!! If we found it sooner we would have went there every day. Overlooking the Puerto Rico Bay it had stunning views and the staff were so friendly, and the woman from Newcastle was hilarious!!! My top restaurant picks for dinner are below.
1. The Beer Harbour


2. Restaurant Fusion Nube



3. VIP Pizza


4. Da Pinnochio


5. Cosi Come Sei


No surprise really, I came home over a half stone heavier!!! But it was totally worth it. An unbelieveable holiday with my amazing boyfriend and I definitely won’t be forgetting it any time soon. If you’re ever thinking of going to Puerto Rico…just go!
Sarah
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