Road Trip in Puerto Rico!!

We only had 5 days to spend in Puerto Rico (and my husband had to work on one of them!). We drove to several different parts of the island during our stay and enjoyed every minute of our trip. However, our payment for seeing so many different places was that we spent quite a bit of the trip in traffic. We definitely wished we could have seen more of the island and had more time in each place!

We started out in Old San Juan, wandering in the narrow, colorful streets and along the sea by the wall around the city. We saw some great views of the ocean and crashing waves, many kite-fliers by the fortress on Saturday afternoon, and the impressive cathedral where Ponce de Leon is entombed. At night, along the Paseo de la Princesa and by the marina, the city was beautifully lit up and busy with people going out to various types of nightlife.

After San Juan, we went on to El Yunque. The winding narrow roads were lined with lush ferns and palm tress, and rays of sunlight filtered through. The Mount Britton hiking trail was a bit challenging but absolutely gorgeous. Slowing down every once in a while, we could see the huge variety of birds, lizards, insects, and plant life flourishing all around us. The view of the mountains at the top of the trail was breathtaking.

We went on to our kayaking adventure in the Bioluminescent Bay near Fajardo, a definite highlight of the trip. There we saw microorganisms called dinoflegellates light up as they were disturbed by our splashes. Both the mangroves and the open bay in which we could go swimming were amazing backdrops for the glowing creatures.

Next, we found ourselves on the other side of the island to visit the impressive radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory, and later that night, we saw a delightful sunset at the beaches of Rincon. We hung out on the west coast in the town of Playa Joyuda, famed for having the island's best seafood. We also went out to see the salt flats and the ocean-side cliffs of Cabo Rojo. Finally, we drove along the southern coast, stopping at Bahia de Jobos, then through the central mountains back to San Juan, sadly, for our return flight home.

Quick Tips:

Check out the paradores, which are clean, cheap, and fairly basic hotels. They are scattered throughout the island outside of San Juan.

Even if you know Spanish quite well (I was a Spanish major in college), most people will still speak to you in English if you are from the United States. It doesn't necessarily mean that they think your Spanish is terrible; they are simply trying to cater to you. Most people do speak English, but every now and then, you may need some Spanish, so I recommend a phrase book. Also, it's always polite and appreciated to at least attempt some Spanish, even if it's just as basic as Hola.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you're going to travel around the island, you have to rent a car. The public transportation system is just starting to be developed. However, if you are staying in San Juan, I recommend relying on taxis, buses, and walking. If you need to park in Old San Juan, the parking lot by Paseo de la Princesa is great, and only .50 a day! If possible, try to avoid Routes 2 and 3 in the north, as they tend to get very busy. Most of the back roads, however, are windy and crazy, so be prepared! Almost all are still paved, however. Make sure you have a detailed map. We got a very good one from our rental agency.

Speaking of car rentals, we were very satisfied with our experience with the car-rental company Charlies. We were able to take a shuttle from the airport to the rental site. While the shuttle did not come as often as Hertz or Avis, the money we saved more than made up for it. Unlike other rental companies, they will also rent to people between 21 and 25 years of age.

This was a great, inexpensive hotel in Old San Juan. It was previously known as the Hotel Central. The staff was friendly and polite, but the best part about it was the location. Personally, I would not have wanted to stay in the resorts in Condado or Isla Verde. Old San Juan is so charming, and the rest of San Juan seemed overly developed to me.

There is no parking at the hotel, so we parked a few blocks away in the parking lot near Paseo de la Princesa. It was a very nice, gated area costing only $2.50 a day. Continental breakfast is included at the hotel, but we did not get a chance to eat it.

We stayed on the third floor, and while there was an elevator, it was not entirely reliable, so we always took the stairs. Our room, called a suite, was simply a large, brightly lit room with a king-size bed and simple decor. The private bathroom was also quite large and had a big shower with a glass door but no bathtub.

We sprang for a room overlooking the plaza, although it was not quite as busy as I had anticipated it would be. (I had envisioned getting a bird's eye view of lots of action, but that was simply not the case.) It was nice, however, to be able to open the windows and get a breeze. Also, once it was time for bed, the heavy shutters on the windows were sufficient for keeping the noise out.

This was the first of two paradores we stayed in while in Puerto Rico. It is about a half-hour from the Arecibo Observatory and the Caves at Camuy, making it one of the closest. We drove there after our outing in the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo, which took about 3 hours. We hadn't showered and were very sticky from the salt, not to mention hiking in El Yunque earlier that day. Once we arrived, it was well after midnight, and as soon as we checked in, we made a beeline for the shower. At first, we could not get the shower to be warm. It was freezing, in fact. However, we eventually figured out that the shower was "backwards," meaning that "hot" was cold and vice-versa. It was quite a lovely shower after that.

Aside from the shower fiasco, our room was fairly large, with a queen-size bed, dresser, and television. The decor was simple but colorful, and the lighting was fairly dim. The bathroom had a few bugs crawling around but nothing major. There was also a bathtub. Overall, it was a great place to crash for the night.

As a final note, the restaurant, after which the hotel is named, is outstanding. Don't stay there without checking it out! (See my separate review of the restaurant.)

Perichi's is one of the island's paradores that was recommended to us by my husband's coworker. It was a clean, basic hotel that was reasonably priced. We paid $66 a night for a room with a king-size bed, large dresser, and entertainment cabinet for the television. We also had two balconies, one overlooking the ocean and the other overlooking the elementary school next door. At about 10am, we could hear recess. The lighting in the room was on the dim side at night, but with the curtains open during the day, it was very bright. The bathroom was large and had a shower but no tub. There was a pool, including a poolside restaurant where they served breakfast (for an additional cost). We stayed on the third floor, accessible by open-air marble staircases.

When we first arrived at about 8pm, there was no one at the desk. We poked into the restaurant and asked the bartender where the receptionist was. He just said she'd be back soon. So we went back and waited at the desk for a while longer, and she eventually showed up. She was polite once she arrived.

We also ate at the restaurant that night. Playa Joyuda is very well known for its seafood, and there wasn't much else on the menu for entrées, just a few beef dishes. Prices ran in the range of $14 to $20. We had the restaurant all to ourselves except for the waiter. The food was very good.

The day my husband went to work, I went out for a walk to see the town and search for a beach. I didn't need a great beach, just somewhere to hangout and swim a little. I walked 1km south of Perichi's, stepping over empty beer bottles and trash on the dusty sidewalks. I found no beach, only a few openings in the sea wall where I could stand at the ocean's edge. I turned around and walked 1.5km north of Perichi's, passing several houses and closed seafood restaurants. Eventually, I did find a very narrow strip of beach covered with litter, including a car tire. When the waves came in, they almost entirely covered the beach. It was pretty and I saw some cool birds, but it was definitely not what I had in mind. I gave up on my beach pursuit and headed back.

Next time, I would probably stay at Parador Joyuda Beach, which is right up the road with a strip of beach on the property. However, if you're looking for a cheap place to crash for the night, Perichi's is an excellent place to go. The hotel itself is very nice.

La Mallorquina is an intimate open-air restaurant specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine. It is the oldest business on the island and supposedly the oldest restaurant in the Caribbean. The decoration includes palm trees and Victorian vases in the corners. All of these vases are tied to the walls, and the chips in the corners of most of them indicate that this is probably a necessary precaution. There is also a bar, and there seemed to be a good selection of wine (though we did not personally partake). The servers wear suits with bow ties.

I had read it is a good place to try asopao, the island's specialty soup dish with rice, vegetables, and seafood, so I decided to give it a whirl. It was tasty, not very spicy, but still flavorful. Puerto Rican-style rice was also included in our meal, along with our choice of a side dish such as fried plantains or black-bean soup. With all the extra food, I could only eat about half of my asopao. Unless you have a huge appetite, the smaller portion of asopao is probably sufficient.

In general, I thought that it was a decent restaurant for the price. However, I felt like it catered a bit too much to the American tourist, and therefore lacked authenticity. For instance, there were no local people eating when we were there (on Friday night), which may indicate they have found better restaurants elsewhere. However, if you happen to be in the neighborhood and are hungry, I would suggest checking it out. In my opinion, there was nothing outstanding about it, but there also weren't any glaring flaws.

El Buen Cafe doesn't look like much, but don't let that fool you! It's very clean, bright, and filled with local people out for a Sunday-afternoon dinner the time we went. There were tables, as well as the typical bar-style seating, at the front of the kitchen. The service was fast and our server was very friendly. The food was even better!

The menu lists Puerto Rican fare, including asopao and mofongo, as well as many foods you would find on mainland USA. We ordered turkey sandwiches, which were huge and came on freshly baked baguette-type bread. Puerto Rican-style rice was included. We also ordered some black-bean soup, which was outstanding. Paired with the sandwich, it was quite a hearty meal. It was wholesome, nutritionally sound food rather than the typical greasy food in most diners. And the best part was that the meal was only $12 for both me and my husband. On our way out, we picked up some dulce de leche at the candy counter to enjoy later. Whether you are staying in the hotel of the same name or simply passing through the area, you shouldn't miss this great little restaurant!

I was definitely excited when I read about the bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico. I love swimming at night, and I simply couldn't pass up such a unique opportunity. Although we wanted to visit the island of Vieques, the best place to see the phenomenon, we went to Fajardo due to our limited schedule. It is located about 2 hours from San Juan. We called the day before our excursion to make reservations and used our rental car to get there.

Upon arrival, we paid, left our towels and clothes with the representative, and climbed into our kayaks, two people in each. The new moon was just starting to appear (the less moonlight, the more visible the organisms). As we rowed through mangroves, we could see the silhouettes of several birds in the jungle-like waterway. The water began glowing brighter and brighter as we glided our paddles through it. We could even see the blazing trails that the fish left behind. We were so enthralled by everything around us that we forgot to paddle and fell a bit behind. Whoops!

Eventually, we reached the open bay, which was quiet except for some other kayaks. After a few minutes, we strung all our kayaks together and had our brief “chat” about the bay. Then, whoever wanted to could go swimming. This was by far the best part! The water was the perfect temperature, and it was awesome seeing tiny speckles of light glowing on our skin. The luminescence was much more concentrated than I originally expected. It was definitely gorgeous, and I was not the least bit disappointed that we didn't get to Vieques.

After 20 minutes of swimming, we climbed back into the kayaks and headed back. Unfortunately, we got caught behind some people who kept crashing into our kayak and the mangroves (and they refused to let us pass). This was a tad frustrating. Such is the nature, however, of group excursions.

Once we got back on shore, we were able to go to the bathroom and have some water, soda, and cookies, compliments of the kayaking company. It was Saturday night, so a lot of people were in the park. My husband and I bought some cheap nachos and people-watched for a while. It was a great way to end the evening!

Directions:
(These were hard to come by, so I'm posting them. However, most people get picked up at their hotels.)
Take route 3 to 194. At the third light, near Burger King, turn left. Go straight, then turn at the second street on your right. There is a church at this intersection. Take the street to the end. Turn left. Follow this street and veer left at the fork, which goes toward El Faro. Continue on down the street until you reach the park. Pull into any of the available parking spaces. There will be several kayak trips gathering near the water. Ask around until you find the right company.

The radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory, located about 2 hours west of San Juan, is the largest telescope of its kind. To get there from Route 22, we had to follow a series of signs leading us through the windy, hilly back roads. Sometimes the signs were few and far between, but sure enough, we were on the right track. We parked in the lower parking lot and had a bit of a hike up to the visitor center itself. (There were, however, a few handicapped spaces at the top of the hill closer to the visitor center.)

The seemingly futuristic telescope is set amongst a picturesque backdrop of Puerto Rican jungles and hills, and visitors can view it from the outdoor patio above the satellite dish and receiver. It was easy to see why filmmakers have selected Arecibo as the setting for movies such as Contact and Golden Eye. The visitor center has many bilingual, interactive displays geared toward both kids and adults. I particularly enjoyed the computer stations on the second floor, in which I could look up information about a wide range of space-related topics. I left my post, however, after a rather bold 9- or 10-year-old asked me to move so that she could use the coloring-book feature of the computer. I also enjoyed the other exhibits that covered topics such as the solar system, stars and galaxies, famous physicists and astronomers, and the work of the observatory. We also went into the theater to watch the rather intriguing movie highlighting a typical day at Arecibo. Every 20 minutes, they replay the movie, alternating between the English version and the Spanish version. We ended our visit with a trip to the museum shop, where I purchased some astronaut ice cream to enjoy at the outdoor picnic tables.

Overall, it was a great place for families and kids of all ages. People with all types of backgrounds in science should be able to find something they enjoy.