Puerto Rico

[ckhorn 208]

Has anyone visited the Island recently. How is the clean up coming along. Don't trust the media or drive byes. Let me know what it is like. This will be the 1st year in Five that we have not visited. Have a lot of in-laws there, but they complained how bad it was before Maria.

Also, any word on the shape Vieques or Culebra.

[Armybrat 40928]

I'd like to hear any news myself. I used to live in Old San Juan (1950-54).

[Chicken fried bacon 46]

Old San Juan has power and is back to normal.  Everywhere else still has power/water issue.   I was there in December.  

[bluto 4943]

Really hope culebra and vieq are bouncing back, cool places. 

[zman13 180]

Pretty thorough article about Vieques from the NYTimes:

 

Returning to Vieques This lush, wild bit of Puerto Rico, a word­ of­ mouth destination that draws a loyal following of visitors, is rebuilding after last year’s ferocious hurricane season. By JAN BENZEL MARCH 19, 2018 

 

Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated islands in the Caribbean last September. Six months later, how are they recovering? To find out, writers for Travel spent time inVieques (below), St. Martin, St. John, Dominica and San Juan (coming tomorrow). The ceiling fan spun lazily overhead. I’d fallen asleep to the tiny tree frogs’ lullaby and awakened to distant cock­a­doodle­doos. Dishes rattled invitingly in the open­air dining space outside my door, promising hot coffee and an omelet. The fan, the eggs, the hot shower, the full tank of gas, the working A.T.M. on Main Street in Isabel Segunda, the twinkling string of lights along the Malecón in the tiny town of Esperanza, even the coquís, those little tree frogs: After the storms, no one on Vieques takes those things for granted. Slammed in September by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, this lush, wild bit of Puerto Rico, eight miles east of the main island, is still recovering. Winds that howled at well over 100 miles an hour hurled roofs, cars and boats, denuded trees and smashed windows. Pounding rains poured through ceilings. For weeks there was no water. For much longer, no electricity. Nearly six months later,Vieques, population about 9,000, is welcoming visitors again. Power is still spotty, largely dependent on generators. Beaches and roads have been cleared. Internet and cell service are back, intermittently. Some restaurants and hotels remain shuttered; others are housing and feeding, along with vacationers, workers who’ve come to repair the power grid. Residents compare notes on insurance claims (agonizingly slow to be paid) and the recovery, sharing cautious hope that although the high season for tourism — the prime driver of Vieques’s economy — may be lost this year, the island will rebuild and be stronger for it. Signs are positive. The trickle of vacationers is increasing, led by loyal visitors who fell in love with Vieques the moment they stepped off the slow ferry or quick tiny plane you take to get here. I’m in that camp. This is not your fancy, umbrella­drink­served­poolside Caribbean island.

 

Getting dressed up means putting on a clean T­shirt and brushing the sand off your flipflops. Isabel Segunda, the bigger of the island’s two towns, is a patchwork of gaily painted Spanish Colonial stucco buildings in various stages of dilapidation. Wild horses roam so freely that drivers have to wait for them to amble off the roads. And then there are the island’s jewels: palm­fringed, soft­sand beaches, stretches of which you may well have all to yourself. I first went in 2015 and returned the next year. In early February, my seatmate on the puddle­jumper from San Juan was a doctor from Florida taking part in a medical mission. In 25 minutes we touched down on the small runway, and glided past the wreckage of a couple of small planes, crumpled in the storms. The airport buzzed with FEMA workers, greeted warmly by Viequenses, many of whom are still angry at and skeptical of the United States government after its slow response, but who have embraced the responders. I picked up a Jeep at Maritza’s Car Rental and checked in at the Hacienda Tamarindo, a quirky inn up the hill from Esperanza where I’d stayed twice before. The proprietors, Burr and Linda Vail, chose Vieques for a second act 22 years ago after selling their Vermont restaurant business. Their hotel is a New England­Caribbean hybrid of earth­toned Mexican tiles, tropical colors and folk art, with a lovely swimming pool and a grand sea view. The hotel and grounds, a bit battered, were as welcoming as ever. A huge tamarind tree grows up through the inn’s center and an English sheepdog lounges in the shade. 

 

In Esperanza — where, pre­hurricanes, visitors, transplants and Viequenses strolled seaside, joking, drinking, eating and listening to music at open­air restaurants — only a few establishments have opened. The pretty white­and­coral cement railing along the walkway had been smashed. But the mood remained lively. Now the drumbeat is the hammering of repair work. Locals in frayed T­shirts and dreadlocks rubbed shoulders with people who’d arrived on dinghies from sailboats bobbing in deeper water, and a few other visitors from colder climates. The first one I met, Stephen, from Atlanta, had been a regular visitor since 2000. “I’ve always thought of Vieques as ‘my’ island,” said Stephen, who was making his second visit since the storms. He’d discovered it when he was living in Boston and spotted a cheap flight to San Juan. “My copy of ‘Let’s Go’ suggested Vieques as a pretty good day trip. So I left my rental car on the ferry dock in Fajardo, figuring I’d be back that night. I ended up staying the whole week.” Others lured by Vieques’s beauty, lack of pretension and low cost of living, have lived here for decades: In my short stay I ran into a museum director, an academic, artists, a retired nurse and a couple from Colorado, Norm and Deb, who had retired early and moved to the island sight unseen to live, as they put it, “on purpose.” Stephen was staying at El Blok, a Brutalist­style cement hotel at one end of the Malecón. When it opened in 2014 it was hailed as hip, chic and a little fancy, with a menu created by a famous chef — something of an anomaly onVieques. Now the building has a plywood facade painted with the slogan “Vieques Se Levanta” — Vieques Will Rise. Workers head to the bar after sunset, and the vibe is friendly and a little raucous. A local chef turns out delicious dishes from a mesquite grill. Prices, like those at many places, have been lowered. Burr and I ate there one night, sharing the dining room with electrical workers, visiting doctors and Mark Martin­Bras, who works with the Vieques Conservation and Historic Trust and ViequesLove, a GoFundMe organization that has been a galvanizing force for the recovery. There were also some vacationers, including a couple with a baby, first­timers on the island. Diners flowed from table to table as if they were at a party. 3/19/2018 

 

“If you take the long view, Vieques will end up better off,” said Mr. Martin­Bras, a biologist who came to work at the Bioluminescent Bay, the ecological marvel that draws visitors from all over the world. “The infrastructure will be stronger. We were on the cusp of a tourism boom; there was the W Hotel, there was talk of cruise ships. Would that be good for the island, or the appeal of the island? Probably not. So now that we have the essentials covered — there’s food in the supermarkets, beer in the bars, music in the streets — we have a chance to create tourism that’s more community­oriented, more nature­oriented, that can preserve and conserve the island, that’s more sustainable.” The trust’s base, a tidy museum in Esperanza that houses nature and history exhibits has reopened. The W Hotel, with 156 rooms the island’s biggest hotel, has not. Its formerly manicured grounds remain gated; a spokeswoman for Starwood, which owns the W, said the reopening date was “up in the air,” and depended on when the power grid was restored so that repair work could be undertaken. Its closing represents a significant loss of jobs and revenue. Tourism accounts for 65 percent or more of the economy, according to Bob Gevinski, a board member of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association and manager of the Hix Island House on Vieques. The Bio Bay has suffered, too. On an earlier trip I had paddled it at night, plankton glowing magically as I let my hands drift through the water or a fish waggled by. I’d planned this trip to coincide with a moonless sky — the best time to see the glow — and had corresponded with BlackBeard Sports to line up a Bio Bay excursion, or perhaps snorkel or bicycle to the sugar industry ruins in the island’s interior. But conditions were uncharacteristically windy for those activities, and the Bio Bay, the outfitters said, was glowing only at about “2 on a scale of 10.” The mangroves that surround it and nurture the sea life have not yet recovered. So a guide, Regalado Miró, and I roamed the island in a van. He pointed out relics of Vieques’s richest days, when Europe couldn’t get enough of the sugar the island produced: a decrepit pier near Esperanza and a rusted 19th­century railway engine that had hauled the sugar cane.

 

7 Next we passed an old military truck, a reminder of the decades beginning with World War II when the United States Navy had used the island for bombing practice. After a Viequense was killed by an errant bomb, Rega took part in protests beginning in 2000 against the Navy’s presence. The environmental lawyer Robert Kennedy Jr., the activists Al Sharpton and Dennis Rivera and the actor Edward James Olmos, among others, joined the cause. Rega took Mr. Kennedy scuba diving to see the effects of bombing practice on the reefs. “Three feet underwater was a junkyard,” Mr. Kennedy recalled during a phone conversation. “There were dozens of sunken ships and hundreds of bombs filled with toxic material.” Mr. Kennedy represented Viequesin a suit against the naval presence and later took part in a protest that landed him in a Puerto Rican prison. The efforts led to the Navy’s departure in 2003. The areas used for bombing practice were designated a Superfund site, and a National Wildlife Refuge. Now beachgoers can poke along dirt roads until they find a spot that suits — gentle waters in coves, waves breaking on rocky cliffs and caves, palm­shaded sand or prime sunset­watching. Elsewhere on the island, Rega and I checked on a huge, gnarled, 300­year­old ceiba tree, sacred to Viequenses. We visited a honeybee farm, La Finca Consciencia, crucial to pollination, and the Tin Box, a funky barbecue joint whose architecture lives up to its name. It hadn’t yet reopened, but rows of arugula, banana trees, avocado trees, cherry tomatoes, cilantro and lemongrass were growing in the garden. Back in Isabel, the lights were out at BlackBeard Sports, but the door was open, and there were even a few customers. Many of the businesses whose buildings were sound enough to open have done so. Owners want employees to have paychecks, even if limited, and open doors boost morale, they say. At the Siddhia Hutchinson Glen Wielgus Gallery, Ms. Hutchinson was leading a workshop in collage­making, while Mr. Wielgus straightened paintings, prints, sculpture and jewelry. Around the corner at El Sombrero Viejo, a lively, weathered bar, locals stopped in to charge up cellphones and maybe drink a cold Modelo. In Esperanza Eva Bolivar had not yet reopened her restaurant, Bili, but she has delivered some 64,000 meals to people in need.

 

Other Esperanza mainstays are also still closed, including Tradewinds, an inn and restaurant; Lazy Jack’s, a hostel frequented by backpackers and college students; and El Quenepo, a restaurant with dishes you’d count yourself fortunate to find in New York. Stephen and I took a taxi to Isabel one night for tacos and margaritas at Coqui Fire. We joined Douglas, a lawyer from Boston, and his client, a developer whose vacation house had been damaged in the storm. When the generator hiccupped and the lights went out, there was barely a shrug; when it came back on there was applause. Another night the four of us — and, in a Fellini­esque moment, just about everyone else I’d met walking Sun Bay Beach or strolling in Isabel — ended up at Bananas, a casual place serving tropical drinks and catch­of­the day dinners. A group of Viequenses played dominoes at a tiled table. El Blok had no power that day. Nor did Hacienda Tamarindo. “We’re definitely glamping now,” Douglas said, “minus the coffee and the hot shower.” The permanent power supply won’t be back for at least two years, a representative of the Army Corps of Engineers staying at the Tamarindo told me, explaining that the antiquated underwater cable from the main island was broken irreparably and that a new one would be installed. Until then the island would run on government­supplied generators. But in a place where sun is plentiful, solar energy is taking hold fast. Tesla installed solar panels and storage on Vieques and Culebra soon after the storms, fueling waste treatment plants and other key sites, including the hospital. Hix Island House, a sleek concrete complex designed by the Canadian architect John Hix, has opened its one solar­powered building.

 

Neeva Gayle Hix, the architect’s wife, gave me a tour, showing off units equipped with kitchens, the swimming pool and an open­air yoga space. “There was one gift this hurricane gave us,” she said. “So many plants and trees were destroyed, but you can see they’re all coming back,” she added, pointing out the new growth on a stand of whispering pines. “And look at what we have now.” The sweep of her arm took in a vast, glorious, unimpeded 180­degree view of green island and sparkling turquoise sea. A few weeks after I returned home, I checked in to see how things were going. Work on the power lines was continuing, Bob Gevinski said. Tourism had picked up noticeably. Bili and the Tin Box had reopened, and were serving full houses. Good news travels fast on an island that depends on it.

[Armybrat 40928]

Thanks for posting. Too bad about the Bio Bay.

When we lived in San Juan, we visited Phosphorescent Bay on the south side a couple of times while driving around the island perimeter during summer vacations & to stay with friends who owned a plantation near Ponce.  Took a fantastic tour at night in a glass bottom boat.

[ckhorn 208]

Thanks for the info. Keep it coming. I will let you know what i hear.

[GRHorn 105]

I’d say Puerto Rico is an excellent covid travel option. Your negative test  has to be within 72 hours of your arrival in PR vs before returning from foreign countries. They ask you by text daily to report any symptoms and people wear masks most everywhere except on beach, but otherwise it’s beautiful Puerto Rico. 
 

And shout out to whichever Surly 1%er has the Longhorn golf cart At the Ritz Carlton Dorado Reserve. Good game, well played.

 

[GRHorn 105]

On 4/5/2018 at 6:15 PM, Armybrat said:

Thanks for posting. Too bad about the Bio Bay.

When we lived in San Juan, we visited Phosphorescent Bay on the south side a couple of times while driving around the island perimeter during summer vacations & to stay with friends who owned a plantation near Ponce.  Took a fantastic tour at night in a glass bottom boat.

Going to one of the bio bays tomorrow, not sure which one. Stopping in Luquillo on the way to eat and shop. 

[Armybrat 40928]

51 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Going to one of the bio bays tomorrow, not sure which one. Stopping in Luquillo on the way to eat and shop. 

When we were stationed in San Juan 70 years ago, there was almost nothing in Luquillo, and the beach was undeveloped. Our post (Fort Brooke) Boy Scout troop went camping on the beach there once in a while, also over to El Yunque rain forest.

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

On 4/4/2018 at 9:55 PM, Armybrat said:

I'd like to hear any news myself. I used to live in Old San Juan (1950-54).

No shit? We were stationed at Fort Buchanan in 54/55. Used to love fucking around El Moro as a kid. Lived a driver nine iron from the beach.

[Armybrat 40928]

5 hours ago, Scooter Monzingo said:

No shit? We were stationed at Fort Buchanan in 54/55. Used to love fucking around El Moro as a kid. Lived a driver nine iron from the beach.

We were stationed at Fort Brooke in the grounds of El Morro (1950-54). Our quarters were in the treed area to the west (right) of the road running up to the fort. Those “modern” US buildings were all torn down after the post was deactivated in the late 1960s. We went to the school on the Navy air station. 

 

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

5 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

We were stationed at Fort Brooke in the grounds of El Morro (1950-54). Our quarters were in the treed area to the west (right) of the road running up to the fort. Those “modern” US buildings were all torn down after the post was deactivated in the late 1960s. We went to the school on the Navy air station. 

 

Awesome. I have printed hundreds of shots from a similar 4x5 negative. My old man was a CID agent that pulled dual duty as the crime lab guy (I have no idea what his MOS was). Taught me how to use both a Leica and Speedgrahic while we were there.

I’m going to guess it was a good duty station for him, as all I seem to remember is a bunch of undercover CID agents sitting around drinking, whoring, and enjoying the sun. I don’t remember if I ever saw my dad in uniform while we were there. 
 

The fun didn’t last however. Our next station was Kegnew Station. If you don’t know it, Google that fucker. Man we ended up in some shit holes.

[Armybrat 40928]

Well, we went from Puerto Rico to St. Louis. Top that?

[Armybrat 40928]

Some of this might look familiar... our NAS Antilles school yearbook  included some pictures of Fort Buchanan elementary classes.
 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Armybrat

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

7 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Well, we went from Puerto Rico to St. Louis. Top that?

No shit!!!, we were stationed there too, (lived in Times Beach) around 65/66?

I believe that entire area is condemned now. Something about a carcinogen in the soil, you know the soil we played in as kids.

 

[Armybrat 40928]

Yeah, El Morro was my playground for almost 4 years (Dad got an extension for our tour). The 9 hole golf course on the post actually made a travelog and Mom was caught on film putting on the sand “greens”. We never saw the travelog, but one of my Dad’s friends was in Hong Kong (attache) a few years later, went to a theater there and saw his mom and mine up on the screen putting on that green. 😀 My brother made a hole in one on the short hole that doglegged over the little entrance bridge that led into the fortress proper when he was 13.

We moved to Jefferson Barracks in 1954 for 3 years. By that time all the post housing had been turned over to the city for public use. The National Guard retained control of the old HQ buildings & motor pools. Dad worked downtown as an advisor in a state NG building.

The main city sewage outlet to the River was right near the National Cemetery. It was untreated shit sewage that was very fragrant when the wind was wrong. Our old (former) officers quarters on Hancock Drive running by the parade ground were demolished in the 1970s, and the extensive wooded area behind our house pockmarked with big sinkholes was filled in a cleared. That was our playground.

In 1957 we were sent to Taipei, Taiwan for a 2 year tour in the MAAG group there. That was our last post before Dad retired to Austin.

St. Louis was on the decline when we got there, and a bunch of Mom’s cousins, longtime residents of the area, were looking to escape to the suburbs. Sure missed Puerto Rico... best assignment of all.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Armybrat

[Scooter Monzingo 821]

3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Yeah, El Morro was my playground for almost 4 years (Dad got an extension for our tour). The 9 hole golf course on the post actually made a travelog and Mom was caught on film putting on the sand “greens”. We never saw the travelog, but one of my Dad’s friends was in Hong Kong (attache) a few years later, went to a theater there and saw his mom and mine up on the screen putting on that green. 😀 My brother made a hole in one on the short hole that doglegged over the little entrance bridge that led into the fortress proper when he was 13.

We moved to Jefferson Barracks in 1954 for 3 years. By that time all the post housing had been turned over to the city for public use. The National Guard retained control of the old HQ buildings & motor pools. Dad worked downtown as an advisor in a state NG building.

The main city sewage outlet to the River was right near the National Cemetery. It was untreated shit sewage that was very fragrant when the wind was wrong. Our old (former) officers quarters on Hancock Drive running by the parade ground were demolished in the 1970s, and the extensive wooded area behind our house pockmarked with big sinkholes was filled in a cleared. That was our playground.

In 1957 we were sent to Taipei, Taiwan for a 2 year tour in the MAAG group there. That was our last post before Dad retired to Austin.

St. Louis was on the decline when we got there, and a bunch of Mom’s cousins, longtime residents of the area, were looking to escape to the suburbs. Sure missed Puerto Rico... best assignment of all.

Man I love sharing those stories. Next time I’m in Austin we got to get a beer, and a bourbon, on me..

[closetojumping 62891]

I'm headed to PR with my wife and one boy for his special birthday trip in a couple of weeks. I haven't been in a decade. Just curious if there are any other folks who have been since the big hurricane and if there are any kinds of insights associated to it or just the island that a traveler might want/need to know.

I have no clue where we're staying or what we're doing, but nothing expensive will scare me off so if there is a thing or a restaurant that is a must do besides visiting the rainforest and doing a bioluminescence trek, I'm all eyes and ears. Thanks for any help in advance, and I will pos rep any meaningful responses. 

[Kringelbert Fishtybuns 944]

Go to Guavate and eat a shit ton of pork at Los Pinos.  Take the rest to go for a late night snack.  Grab a glass of mavi from some dude with questionable dental hygiene on the side of the road.  Grab a sixer of medalla and go find a place on the beach to go take a nap.  
 

Well that’s what I want to do right now, but it’s been a pretty shitty day at work.

[closetojumping 62891]

For the apparently very few that might be interested in a trip to Puerto Rico, here are my cliff notes for future readers:

1) Corona-related requirements were minimal if you have a vax card and fill your stuff out online ahead of time.

2) The St. Regis is about 30 minutes from the airport and was about as nice as you could hope for and well worth the points we spent to stay there.

3) Don't do the fucking bioluminescent bay kayaking tour. It was a fucking beating and the payoff was minimal. By the time we got to the actual lagoon, it was clear that, short of a water nymph appearing and giving me a blowjob, it wasn't going to be worth it. There are like 7 kayaking companies that take 20 kayaks each and squeeze them single file and unaligned up-current through a canal to get there from the ocean bay. Nope. Fucking slow, dark, and miserable.

4) You need reservations to get into the rainforest, due to corona, which is fucking idiotic. 

5) I travel once a summer to Grand Cayman or Costa Rica for a long beach weekend with the kids and my wife. CR is way more wild and less expensive than either PR or GC. GC is way more expensive and cleaner and simpler than PR or CR. PR middles both and doesn't have a customs issue. It's a longer flight from Houston by an hour+ than either GC or CR. Given all of that, I'd prefer CR every time but I'm not the only decisionmaker involved. All 3 are good trips if planned right. I'll be in CR in August and can't wait.

[mchookem 16411]

i'm starting to look at putting together a trip for the husband's birthday in August, we'd probably travel in September.

i was trying to decide between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica...weighing the points you made @closetojumping...since this is a 'surprise' gift, Puerto Rico might be easiest for me to put together, i assume i won't even need his passport for booking. 

we've only ever been to Mexico and Jamaica, so i'm unfamiliar with other Caribbean islands honestly...i'm open to another island suggestion. anybody been to USVI?? is it more expensive?🤔

we will definitely want easy/close access to a nice beach with accessible water (not rocky, etc.) - if we stay in San Juan/city center, are there nearby beaches?

 

 

[Longhorn94 2458]

St John is amazing. We went for the first time in May. Check out the St John thread.

[mchookem 16411]

3 hours ago, Longhorn94 said:

St John is amazing. We went for the first time in May. Check out the St John thread.

took your advice, see that thread for an update!

[closetojumping 62891]

On 6/23/2021 at 8:00 PM, mchookem said:

took your advice, see that thread for an update!

You did what I’d do the next time we wanted to go to a relatively close island that is an American interest. Not that I wouldn’t visit PR again because I would, but the USVIs seem pretty interesting. 

[tokamak 6443]

Bump. Going to be in San Juan for 4 nights in June. Probably staying somewhere in Condado.

Looking for any and all recs. We like to hike, so I'm guessing El Yunque is a must. Good restaurants in SJ? Worth renting a car to get out of SJ for that short of a trip?

[closetojumping 62891]

9 hours ago, tokamak said:

Bump. Going to be in San Juan for 4 nights in June. Probably staying somewhere in Condado.

Looking for any and all recs. We like to hike, so I'm guessing El Yunque is a must. Good restaurants in SJ? Worth renting a car to get out of SJ for that short of a trip?

I would rent a car for El Yunque just to avoid being on everyone else’s schedule. Definitely recommend El Yunque and hiking it. There’s a lot of work in any hike there, so gear up. 

Regarding the food in SJ, the only thing I remember from that perspective is that the ropa vieja is delicious everywhere and mafongo is overrated trash. Hope this helps, since this thread is a surprising desert. 

[Sandbagging Steve 982]

I'll chip in since this thread isn't getting much attention.

I would definitely take CTJ's rec and rent a car. I think the rest of Puerto Rico is prettier than San Juan. It's too bad you don't have a few more days. The islands and beaches south of SJ are the way to go. I used to go there with work and we'd sometimes take a plane ride to the Virgin Islands. You get to see the Caribbean/Atlantic split, it is something else. It's only a 15-mile plane ride away, but I don't think you have enough time for that. You may see if it is worth it to take a trip to Vieques or Culebra. It would be rushing things, but you should be able to pull it off. Get up early, drive to Roosevelt Road, and take the short ferry to the islands.

1 or 2 days in San Juan (forts, food, architecture, etc)

1 or 2 days on the islands,

1 day at El Yunque and back

One day, you could drive as far south as you can go and back. I've gone all the way down the coastline to Ponce checking out beaches and historical places and then came back late that night. 

If I only had four days, I think I would do this:

1 day in San Juan

1 day in El Yunque

2 days for Vieques/Culebra (some of the best beaches in the Caribbean!).  

You will still have nights in San Juan to possibly eat and walk around the city.

A couple of other possibilities:

cave tubing or ziplining. The cave tubing is an adventure! If that's your sort of thing, go for it. 

 

kayaking in the bioluminescent bay. There's one in a lagoon south of SJ and there's another on Vieques.

[Sandbagging Steve 982]

Reading some of the posts above, I would agree with CTJ on the bioluminescent bay. It's why I listed it last on my list.

[Rudiger 1169]

Without a doubt, San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico are two very different things.

Food-wise, if you want fancy, go to 1919, RAYA, or Sage. Bottega for tapas/wine bar. People rave about Marmalade but I wasn't impressed.

Or drive inland to Bacoa, which despite being affordable is incredible. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220215-is-americas-best-restaurant-in-puerto-rico

[gofuckyourself 8387]

Going to PR later this year. Staying near Yunque but definitely want to hit up Culebra and/or Vieques based on beach photos.

Question is what's the recommended transportation once there - are there golf cart rentals or other ways to get around the smaller islands?

Any recommended vendors, don't miss eating locations etc are appreciated.

[bluto 4943]

I posted on here about a trip years ago so grain of salt… vieques get a jeep and go backroading to secluded beaches you’ll have to yourself. Just don’t hit any wild horses. 

[faps 808]

I am headed to Vieques for the third time next week. Rent a car (Kia or Bronco Sport) from Maritza's. There are plenty of airbnb to choose from in all price ranges. Playa Punta Arenas is my fav beach followed by Playa Caracas.

I do love visiting this island, it's a little rough around the edges (no hospital after Maria, and some crime) but very laid back. Fly Vieques Air Link from San Juan over taking the ferry from Ceiba if you can.

[Orange&White 5539]

Great meal in Old San Juan - El Viejo Almacén

Great Golf course near Vieques - Bahia Beach at the St. Regis Resort

[threesheets 1677]

Any trip to El Yunque should include a stop at Luquillo Beach to walk the kiosks and gorge yourself on street food.

 

[justhookit 4191]

Looks like I’m headed there in a few days. Anyone been to Fajardo? Will have 1 day there in Fajardo  for sure to check out a boat but could stay longer if worth it. Otherwise I’m just planning a short trip, maybe 2 nights in San Juan.

@faps @closetojumping @Sandbagging Steve

Edited July 17, 2023 by justhookit

[closetojumping 62891]

2 hours ago, justhookit said:

Looks like I’m headed there in a few days. Anyone been to Fajardo? Will have 1 day there in Fajardo  for sure to check out a boat but could stay longer if worth it. Otherwise I’m just planning a short trip, maybe 2 nights in San Juan.

@faps @closetojumping @Sandbagging Steve

I have been to Fajardo, but not since 2011, so I don't have anything current in that regard. 

Sounds like you have a limited amount of time and you're basing in SJ. Given that you are in CR all of the time, I don't know if El Yunque is worth the trip, but it would be to anyone else and might be worth it for you if you just dig rain forests, hikes and waterfalls. 

El Morro is cool. Walking around that whole area for part of a day and seeing not only the fort but the nearby neighborhoods was fun.

If you're looking for a beach, I'd look for one beyond SJ. 

I know I've said it before, but when dining, avoid the mafongo and get the ropa viejas. It's making me hungry thinking about that dish right now. 

[tokamak 6443]

Just saw this bumped and realized I forgot to update it with a post-trip report

• Bacoa was great. Cool setting, great food, chill vibe. Easy drive. Worth it.
• We weren't super impressed with Cocina Abierta.
• Got some legit-as-fuck pizza at Casa Pimenton. Great service, cool place. The whole area around Mercado de Santurce has a lot going on.
• Got a very solid breakfast sandwich at The Egg Place. My wife liked Cafe con Ce's coffee and the place looks like it's straight out of Instagram, but there's not much to it other than the coffee. Skip Barista Squared, they had a real hard time getting our order right and didn't really seem to give a fuck if they did or not.
• Very classy courtyard bar at the Hotel El Convento.
• Get yourself a chocolate Mallorca at Cortes. God damn that shit was tasty.
• I thought El Yunque was great. Not quite Costa Rica, sure, but very beautiful. Hike up to Torre Britton. About 45 minutes straight up but awesome views from the top of the tower. Make sure to get a reservation to get in the park, the way they do it is fucky.
• We did ziplining at Rainforest Zipline Park. It was fun but if you've been ziplining in CR or some place like that, you won't be that impressed. Looking at pics online, I think the other place up the hill a little ways (Junglequi) is probably better.
• Wandering around Old San Juan is cool. It's a little touristy in parts, but not unbearably so - just the normal shit. We didn't do any forts, even though I wanted to. Five hundred year old forts in 92-degree heat is a hard sell to my wife when we only have 3 days to spend.
• We stayed at the Marriott in Condado. I'm not a beach guy but the beach seemed perfectly fine to me there. A few people selling pineapples and shit but they weren't bothering anyone. We walked down to the Renaissance some as well. It seemed a little more happening and trendy than the Marriott (including their respective casinos), if that's your thing. Renaissance has a big sports book. Walking around Condado feels perfectly safe.
• We spent a half day at the Ritz Carlton Dorado spa. That was some truly next-level shit (with the price to match, of course). My wife is going to be talking about that for a while. You WILL get laid if you take your gww there.

Overall we thought PR was great. Tons of shit to see and do, great food culture, everyone speaks good English, easy to get around (Uber is very cheap).

[zman13 180]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I have been to Fajardo, but not since 2011, so I don't have anything current in that regard. 

Sounds like you have a limited amount of time and you're basing in SJ. Given that you are in CR all of the time, I don't know if El Yunque is worth the trip, but it would be to anyone else and might be worth it for you if you just dig rain forests, hikes and waterfalls. 

El Morro is cool. Walking around that whole area for part of a day and seeing not only the fort but the nearby neighborhoods was fun.

If you're looking for a beach, I'd look for one beyond SJ. 

I know I've said it before, but when dining, avoid the mafongo and get the ropa viejas. It's making me hungry thinking about that dish right now. 

Stayed in Fajardo for a few days back in 2017. 

The beaches are nice. The beach in town (Seven Seas, etc) had lots of locals, food stands, restrooms. A decent hike will get you to Playa Escondida and/or Playa Colora, which are much emptier and beautiful. 

Lots of good restaurants in Fajardo, but there's lot of good restaurants all over PR, so that's not unusual.

There's a bioluminescent bay in Fajardo. We didn't do it but talked to some folks who did and they said it was okay to good. We did the bioluminescent bay in Vieques and it was great. 

I'd say that Fajardo is good for 1-2 days tops. I'd recommend more time in Vieques (or another place in PR) for a more memorable experience. 

Edited July 17, 2023 by zman13

[faps 808]

CTJ and zman covered Fajardo. We stayed at the Conquistador resort there last summer, which was real nice. But didn’t really pop out into Fajardo much.

In Vieques currently and the beaches are great as usual, playa punta arenas and playa caracas in particular. Sadly, Saharan dust in the air is making it look overcast. You can barely see Culebra or the main island.

 

On 7/17/2023 at 2:44 PM, tokamak said:

Just saw this bumped and realized I forgot to update it with a post-trip report

Nice report. 

[Armybrat 40928]

My initials and the date 1954 are scratched somewhere on the bayside wall of El Morro fortress. 
 

[faps 808]

We found this just sitting on top of the grass at El Morro on Sunday. We turned it in to a ranger.

[Sandbagging Steve 982]

On 7/17/2023 at 9:38 AM, justhookit said:

Looks like I’m headed there in a few days. Anyone been to Fajardo? Will have 1 day there in Fajardo  for sure to check out a boat but could stay longer if worth it. Otherwise I’m just planning a short trip, maybe 2 nights in San Juan.

@faps @closetojumping @Sandbagging Steve

I've been on a trip out West and didn't see this in time. I hope you had a fantastic time in PR. If you're ever in that area again, it's worth staying at least two or three more days to see Vieques and Culebra.

[justhookit 4191]

11 hours ago, Sandbagging Steve said:

I've been on a trip out West and didn't see this in time. I hope you had a fantastic time in PR. If you're ever in that area again, it's worth staying at least two or three more days to see Vieques and Culebra.

Ended up postponing the trip until the 2nd week of August. If things work out there I’ll be spending quite a bit of time in August and September there.

[gofuckyourself 8387]

Just a PSA for future PR trip folks:

We just returned and the ferries to both Vieques and Culebra are apparently way, way overbooked. Like months out. Except the 3:30 or 4:30 a.m. ferry I forget which. That was available. Supposedly -- someone else in our party actually drove to the ferry location and got all this info -- the local tour groups buy up all the ferry tickets. So, there may be options if you go with a tour group.

Another local we met said this was a problem there because she claimed people who live on the islands have trouble using the ferry back and forth. Or someone gets "stuck" -- probably worse places to be stuck.

We did find alternate ways over like small plane trips for a few hundred but didn't use them.

Our first PR trip so maybe there's others who have better intel.

Anyway, nothing other to report because we did the fat lazy American "vacation" staying inside the resort the whole time. Eat, drink, gamble, swim, repeat.

9/10 would be fat and lazy again.

[Captainant 27842]

My wife and I stayed at the Wyndham Rio Grand Mar for our (her lol) babymoon and have had an absolutely wonderful trip. We landed late Friday night and basically just got in and slept. The next day we took it easy and my wife got a spa day and manicure and I watched football and enjoyed the resort. Sunday, we rented a car and drove to Old San Juan and walked the big fort on the tip of the island and had some incredible food in a tiny hole in the wall place behind a store. Monday morning, we drove to El Yunque and hit every <1hr trail and observation point, and walked down Angelito trail to the river to dip our feet in. Absolutely incredible and beautiful. Today, we hoped to swim in the ocean some more but every beach has red "don't swim here dumbass" flags up so we settled with driving through Luquillo and getting some souvenirs and enjoying the local food. 

Biggest thing was getting a rental car - it made the island SO MUCH smaller and easier to get around. A one way taxi from the hotel to San Juan was $80, a rental for a day starts at $65. 

But man, we lucked out and got a Wrangler for our rental. Driving through a rainforest with the roof off and listening to the nature is really something else. Highlight of the trip for sure

[LonghornJones 837]

Great thread with some really good info. Wife has landed on PR as the anniversary destination at the end of March next year.

Stay in Condado.

Explore Old San Juan

Hike/Explore El Yunque nat'l forest.

Visit Luquillo Beach on the way to Fajardo for the kayak tour.

I will go back and look at the food recs in the thread. She really wants to day trip to Aguadilla, but 4 hrs of driving does not interest me on vacation.

[threesheets 1677]

I'm way past due for a trip. Wife's family on her dad's side are all from PR, so we used to go every year and just kinda stopped after the hurricane.

Luquillo kiosks are hog heaven. 

[wild_turkey 3185]

I’ll be in San Juan for one night in a few weeks. Arrive mid afternoon, fly out early the next day.

I’m thinking just dinner and drinks in town unless there’s something I should attempt to see or do. I booked dinner at a place called Cocina al Fondo that looks good online.

Someone told me to spend time in Old San Juan. Anything specific? Is it overly touristy?