My Favorite Airbnb: A Group-Friendly Rincón, Puerto Rico, Home That Felt Like Our Own Slice of Paradise

As a particularly cold-blooded East Coaster, my travels are almost always to slices of paradise wrapped up in sunshine and balmy air. This year, the girls trip finally made it out of the group chat and to the oasis of Puerto Rico. It came to fruition after a period of profound change and grief for my friend group, when being together felt especially important.The drive from Aguadilla airport to the laid-back town of Rincón began to melt away our worries,Lush island foliage provided privacy and peace of mind around the pool and by the time we pulled into our peaceful little Rincon Surf Club Airbnb, we could breathe a sigh of relief. I was overjoyed that the balcony with the hammock chair we saw in the listing images was ours, so I could start each morning bright and early with a cup of coffee and a blistering sunrise. I was ready to relinquish some of my overzealous New York City tendencies to really feel the benefits of Rincón’s slower, more fluid pace. After a seamless check-in, the first thing on our minds was a dip in the crystal-clear pool which we shared with a few other neighboring properties. With our swimsuits on and a celebratory drink in hand, we preemptively planned out the week ahead, taking into account all the communal space around the pool to eat dinner, play games, and take naps in the hammock.Our local expert and good friend James was living nearby, right in the heart of Rincón. He prepared a laundry list of ideas for things to do, including the lively Art Walk in the town square and a burlesque show at Roots Restaurant to end our week with a bang. Our Airbnb was just a short 10-15 minute drive to the center of town and all the nearby beaches. Most of our days were spent parked either at home lounging in the pool or at Playa Doña Lala beach for optimal sun and sand. The home had plenty of communal items on hand to make our time more fun, like snorkelling gear, beach chairs, umbrellas, and yoga mats. This came particularly in handy when we signed up for a yoga class on a nearby horse farm at West Coast Ecuestre. Nothing could prepare us for the kind of stillness that settles in when we were high up on a platform surrounded by trees, listening to the distant thunder of galloping horses and the sweet sound of children’s laughter.The Airbnb's communal gear was stocked and easy to access. The writer with her travel companions Thrifty as New Yorkers are (or rather must be), we cooked most of our meals with the help of the property’s excellent kitchen setup. They had all the tools we needed to make pasta dinners, tacos, sandwiches for the beach, and endless bowls of late-night cereal. On days we didn’t eat in, we enjoyed nearby places like Wake and Break for breakfast, The Beach House for lunch, and one of the island’s holy grails for dinner: Bakku. It might take a while to get a table, but the decadent Japanese-inspired island experience was well worth the wait. Standout flavors were the melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu and the imaginative smoked cocktails.Late nights were spent in the ocean under the moon. By the end of the trip, we had a routine down pat: dinner, night swim, showers, and a restful retreat into each of our three private rooms. The primary bedroom was a space that made you want to linger. On the first night, we made a communal wardrobe in that room’s closet. It felt cozy without ever feeling cramped. The other two bedrooms were just as inviting, with enough room and storage that everyone truly had their own space within the property. The main areas were great for gathering and chatting, while our private rooms gave us space to decompress on our own. The Airbnb always felt safe, secure, and had everything we needed. Any rainy days were saved by how comfy it was—we watched home videos in the living room, took long naps in the king and queen beds, and lingered over good conversation, perfectly content to let the rain keep us inside.There’s something uniquely fun about discovering a new place with old friends. I hardly need to go anywhere beyond my couch to have a good time with these people, but I must admit that a lovely pool, spectacular views, and a little adventure went a long way in bringing us even closer. We often fantasize about the shared land we’ll live on together one day, and this Airbnb felt like a small, beautiful preview of that dream. It gave us more than just a place to stay for the week, but a place to truly land, exhale, and explore the life we’re always talking about building together.