El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa (1000 Conquistador Ave., 787/863-1000, www.elconresort.com, $319–494 s/d), now a Luxury Resorts & Hotels property, is one of Puerto Rico’s best-known and most highly regarded luxury resorts. A behemoth property perched atop a dramatic cliff with a stunning panoramic view of the ocean, El Conquistador is more like a small town than a hotel. It boasts 750 rooms in five separate white stucco and terra-cotta complexes set amid beautifully landscaped cobblestone streets, plazas, and fountains.

There are a whopping 23 restaurants and bars on-site, as well as a casino, fitness center, full-service spa, seven swimming pools, an ocean-side water park, seven tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, and a 35-slip marina. Every room has air-conditioning, satellite TV, telephone, minibar, marble bathroom, CD player, VCR, computer and fax connections, coffeemaker, and a sitting area.

Snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing tours and equipment are available on-site. There’s also transportation available to the more secluded beaches on nearby Palomino Island.