Las Casitas Village, Puerto Rico: Why These Resort-Apartments are Ideal for Families

Now that we have a baby, we take slightly different approach to traveling.

We travel slowly. We have to stick to some semblance of a schedule. We have more stuff. And we stand out because everyone loves (or hates, depending on circumstances) a baby. It used to be easy to relax wherever we were, but now it's challenging to find time to just do nothing.  So when planning vacation, we now put a more value on convenience. 

On a recent trip to Puerto Rico to visit family, we spent a few nights in Fajardo to get away from the city and enjoy the beach. Knowing how much time we'd spend in our rooms because of the baby's nap schedule, we sought out an apartment style accommodation - one with a kitchen where we could prep and store B's food and also a place we would enjoy while the baby slept.

We found the perfect place in Las Casitas Village in Fajardo. Puerto Rico. We had stayed at the neighboring/affiliate hotel, El Conquistador, last year before the baby arrived and very much enjoyed the cliff-side sea view and spectacular beach at Palomino Island.  

This time, since we were traveling with an eight-month old and my grandmother, we opted for a two-bedroom ocean-front apartment. It was PERFECT!!!!

This place is an ideal option for families. Here is why:

Space & Kitchen: Our two-bedroom apartment had a large living area, three full bathrooms, and two patios - one overlooking the ocean and one over the garden. If you aren't a fan of direct sun (important with a baby) there was always a patio with shade. ​Also, one of the bathrooms had a stand-up shower which was ideal for my elderly grandmother who has trouble getting in and out of deep bathtubs.

Service: While the apartment amenities are convenient, equally important is that it's a resort.  This means your apartment is cleaned every day, there is a concierge, butler and room service at your disposal, and you don't have to go far for a bite to eat, a drink, the pool or beach. Apartment rentals are great, but traveling with a baby is a lot of work so the last thing you want to worry about is cleaning or cooking. All of that is taken care of for you (if you want) at a resort-apartment. 

The entrance to our casita. One advantage of the top floor unit is the view. 

We spent most of our time on this HUGE balcony overlooking the ocean.

The light-filled living room was spacious and you could see the turquoise ocean from every corner.

The kitchen came fully-equipped so all we brought was food/drinks. Here is my grandmother, probably about to make a cafe con leche, which she drinks like water.

The master bedroom was huge and opened up to the ocean view balcony.  

Balcony with a View: We spent most of our time on the ocean-view patio while B napped. It was stunning and so relaxing. We brought our own drinks & apps and enjoyed the warm ocean breeze. Better view than any restaurant in town!

The views from our oceanfront balcony - paradise in every direction! 

We overlooked a (recent) shipwreck - see it there on the bottom right?

We set up B's crib in the massive en suite bathroom off the master because it was dark and quiet. We would hang out on the patio while he napped a few feet away. Hopefully this isn't a major parenting fail and you won't judge us harshly for putting the baby to sleep in the bathroom. He loved it! 

We rolled him out for air every now and then :) 

Early morning wake-ups aren't that bad when this sunrise is right outside your window. Here was the morning view from our patio.

​Family Friendly without Chaos: Many families were vacationing at Las Casitas - especially  parents with babies & toddlers. All of the families we encountered were well behaved and if a little one cried, the parents would whisk them out of the pool area to calm down - much appreciated by all! Guests and staff were all very considerate. It never felt crowded either. The eternity pool was popular, but always had available chairs. There is a second pool in the central courtyard - we had this pool to ourselves both times we visited!

A father and son enjoy the eternity pool.

We typically had the central pool to ourselves. It didn't have a sea view, but it was surrounded by gorgeous flowers in every color. 

B  is clearly a fan of swimming. That third pic was actually a squeal of delight thought it might seem otherwise!

Enjoying the view and likely pondering why anyone would buy an apartment on that tiny island in the distance with no land access. Why?!?

Peace & Quiet: Another advantage to staying at Las Casitas was that we avoided the corporate crowd. Resorts in desirable warm destinations often book large corporate groups this time of year. Las Casitas Village was void of the corporate crowd and mainly full of families and couples on vacation. However, lots of action was available a short walk away at the resort if desired.

Palomino Island: Palomino Island is the resort's private island and the location of its white sandy beach. Ferries run every 30 minutes, and this is included in your stay at the main resort or the Casitas. Palomino is GREAT for kids. The water on the side of the island facing the mainland is calm, there is a restaurant on-site and lots of activities for older kids (mini golf, bags/cornhole, giant chess, basketball, sandbox, horseback riding, kayaking).

Our spot on Palomino Island 

One of the many reasons why I like this beach for kids is the gentle tide. 

Missing that turquoise water already...

Nani's first game of bags (or cornhole depending on where you live). B was cheering her on! 

The beach-side mini golf course - a new addition to the island.

On the ferry ride back to the resort we saw our casita in the distance (the blue one on the top of the hill!)

Access to El Conquistador: As previously mentioned, another benefit of Las Casitas is that you have access to the main resort pools, restaurants, golf course, shops and other amenities. Each apartment at Las Casitas has 'butler' service. If you aren't up for the walk, you can call up and they'll drive you over tot the main resort in a van or golf cart. B particularly loved meeting this talking parrot that said "Hola". B is learning how to speak (in two languages) and the talking parrot is bound to confuse him even more! 

This place was so beautiful. I'll include some more pictures of the grounds in my next post!