United States travelers often wonder, are the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) or Puerto Rico the better vacation destination?
Both destinations are United States territories and offer similar benefits. For example, U.S. citizens don’t need a passport, the U.S. dollar is the currency, U.S. cell phones generally work and they’re both amazing Caribbean vacation destinations. So which is better, the USVI or Puerto Rico? We’ll break it down below.
Why Visit The USVI or Puerto Rico?
The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are both great destinations. They are super easy to get to from the U.S. Most major airports have direct connections throughout the year. Additionally, you can find some great deals on airfare during the winter, when Caribbean destinations are popular with U.S. travelers. You can’t go wrong with either destination. While neither island is the cheapest destination in the Caribbean, they both make up for it in convenience.
The Virgin Islands are a cluster of several islands, the largest of which are St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. All of these islands are quite small. The Virgin Islands are not densely populated and amenities are limited.
Puerto Rico has one major island and two minor islands. The main island is about the size of Connecticut. Puerto Rico’s main island is quite populated. It’s minor islands are sparsely populated and more natural.
You can find U.S. businesses, such as KFC, Ace Hardware and Walmart (and spinoffs), in both countries.
Is It Cheaper To Go To USVI Or Puerto Rico?
100% Puerto Rico. While we absolutely loved our time in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we were blown away after the fact by the money we spent. There was no cheap Caribbean vibe in the USVI. In fact, it defiantly had more of an upscale resort vibe. We spent about double on our USVI trip, than that of our Puerto Rico trip.
Is The USVI or Puerto Rico Easier To Get To?
We thought Puerto Rico was easier to get to. Puerto Rico has non-stop flights from our local airport throughout the year. There were only regular non-stop flights to the USVI during the peak tourist season. Outside of that, you’d need to be flexible in your travel dates. Additionally, driving in Puerto Rico was easier to do as their road system was more similar to the U.S. road system.
Does Puerto Rico Or USVI Have Better Beaches?
100% USVI! I’ve never seen more amazing beaches in my life. Also, I’ve never seen such great off shore snorkeling either. So whether you want to soak up the sun or enjoy underwater activities, the Virgin Islands are a better destination.
Is The USVI Or Puerto Rico Better?
This is such a hard questions to answer because the islands do have very different vibes. So we broke it down by type of vacation below. All of these are based solely on our opinions.
- Historical and Educational – Puerto Rico
- All-Inclusive Vacation – USVI
- Rainforest – Puerto Rico
- Beaches – USVI
- Food – Puerto Rico
- Nightlife – Puerto Rico
- Under water activities – USVI
- Surfing – Puerto Rico
- Safety – Puerto Rico
- Culture – Puerto Rico
- Relaxation – USVI
Is Puerto Rico or USVI better for a family vacation?
We think Puerto Rico would be a better option for a family vacation with young children. This is because there are lots of different things to do on the island, many of which cater to small children. However, if you are traveling with a grown family, we think the USVI would be better because it is so small, it would be easy to spend your days doing different things and then meeting up at night.
We hope this article has helped you to make a decision about which island vacation is right for you. Please leave any comments or questions you have below!
If you’re ready to start planning your Caribbean vacation, here are links we thing you’ll love:
