"Isabela best kept secret in Puerto Rico" Isabela by gwensmith

Our family went for a getaway to Villa Montana Beach Resort for Thanksgiving weekend. We wanted a quick and easy location with lots of sun and warmth. With Jetblue flying out of Newark, it was perfect. It was cheap and quick to get to Villa Montana from home and only a few minutes from Aquadilla airport. What a treat, especially when traveling with 3 kids.

We like Puerto Rico but had never stayed on the west coast. We had stayed on the east coast but found it too commercial and too busy. We can't get all excited about casinos and nightlife. We want relaxation, great beaches and a really nice place to put our feet up.

Villa Montana looked like a good alternative to all the action in the east and frankly we were looking for more peace and quiet this time. But the kids needed to have things to do and Villa Montana was the ticket.

They could swim, hike, play tennis, horseback ride and snorkel. Snorkeling at Villa Montana is some of the best in the Caribbean and now the kids want to surf. I guess we are up for a return visit there and surfing lessons.

My husband and I loved Villa Montana. We walked that beautiful stretch of beach. The villa was expansive and comfortable. We could cook in our villa, and some nights we cooked the kids dinner and then went for a romantic dinner on our own. We went for drinks in the cool “O” Bar, then had dinner at The Eclipse Restaurant, which is right the ocean and lit with candles and torches. Breathtaking. The food was exceptional, not cheap, but worth every penny. And we were never rushed. We could enjoy the peace and quiet and romance of the evening without feeling that they wanted to turn our table. Won’t find that a most places.

We’ll be back to Villa Montana, for the kids to learn to surf and for us to reclaim our beach chair and read another good book. This place really is a piece of heaven and we’ve been around.

Isabel in general is not necessarily a place you would go if you were not staying at Villa Montana. There are no other nice hotels around, but if you are at Villa Montana Beach Resort you don't care! We did venture off the resort on occasion, for other snorkling places and to hit a few beach dives for a beer and food. This was a blast!

So we love Villa Montana, it is easy to get to and honestly even though the resort and surrounding area were not deserted, we felt like we had the place to ourselves. Magnificent!

• Pros:It has Villa Montana Beach Resort, close to Aguidilla airport, lots of beaches to snorkel and surf, fun beach dives for food
• Cons:Only one nice hotel, Villa Montana, but who cares?
• In a nutshell:Pristine, beautiful, remote, relaxing and accessible