My husband and I were looking for a place that would be HOT in January. The U.S. Virgin Islands were too pricey, and then I discovered the Copamarina Resort (www.copamarina.com) in Guanica, Puerto Rico.The resort is a 2.5-hour drive south from San Juan, so you can rent a car to drive through the mountains (scenic!) or utilize the resort's transportation service. They offer all-inclusive or regular room rates, so you can choose an option that fits your lifestyle and budget.This is NOT a place for casinos and nightlife. The beach isn't all that great (but we don't go in the water, so it was no problem), and it's adjacent to the Guanica Dry Forest, which provided excellent hiking.
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My husband and I were looking for a place that would be HOT in January. The U.S. Virgin Islands were too pricey, and then I discovered the Copamarina Resort (www.copamarina.com) in Guanica, Puerto Rico.
The resort is a 2.5-hour drive south from San Juan, so you can rent a car to drive through the mountains (scenic!) or utilize the resort's transportation service. They offer all-inclusive or regular room rates, so you can choose an option that fits your lifestyle and budget.
This is NOT a place for casinos and nightlife. The beach isn't all that great (but we don't go in the water, so it was no problem), and it's adjacent to the Guanica Dry Forest, which provided excellent hiking.
We found the employees to be VERY friendly, the resort clean, and the food wonderful. The beach and grounds are well cared for and you'll LOVE the padded cabanas with sliding "curtains" to block the sun. This was our kind of place, and we'll be back!
Quick Tips:
You don't need to know Spanish to visit Copamarina. Everyone, incluidng the staff at the airport, car rental company, and resort, spoke English. Of course, using a few key phrases will impress the locals!
Even though the street signs are in Spanish, it wasn't hard getting around. Be sure to get DETAILED directions from the hotel before setting out in your rental car, however. From San Juan, there were tolls of at the bridge, then .50, .75, .50 and .75.
Tipping isn't necessary with the all-inclusive plan, but we heard that we should tip the bellboys and bartenders. We tipped the bartenders for each mixed drink and didn't always tip for beer. We tipped certain waiters/waitresses extra for wonderful service.
Dress is mostly casual, but the evening restaurant calls for something nicer than a T-shirt in my opinion. It's nice not to have to really dress up for dinner, however. Some nights, with the outdoor dining, a nice sleeveless top was sufficient (for ladies). The evening restaurant, Alexandra's, is air-conditioned. The breakfast and lunch restaurant, La Palmas, is divine open-air dining.Best Way To Get Around:
If you're adventurous, rent a car and explore. If not, use the resort's transportation. We went into Ponce (Pon-say) one day to see the beautiful architecture in their main square.
Route 2 towards Mayaguez was riddled with construction and traffic jams. Stay off Route 2 going west from the resort if you decide to go out and about.
Having a car helped us as we made our way to trailheads in the Guanica Dry Forest. They weren't too far, just too far to walk to.
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