Puerto Rico Help

**teleee** · 02-09-2007, 03:15 PM

Any Mags been to Puerto Rico? My girlfriend and I have the oppurtunity to tget free airfare. Since times are a little tight right now I am wondering if anybody has ideas on cheap lodging. Also any thoughts on what to see and do would be much appreciated. Gracias!

**MassLiberal** · 02-09-2007, 03:20 PM

Teleee-

My mom is from PR, and I have been going there every year since I was born. What would you like to do? You can usually find pretty cheap rates in the Condado area of San Juan, it is extremely touristy, but gives you access to old san juan (great bars where a lot of the locals hang out), and the rest of the city. If you wanted to go and check out other parts of the Island, I would recommend renting a car. Organized tours of areas like El Yunque through the hotels are often lacking.

**teleee** · 02-09-2007, 03:33 PM

MassLiberal,
That is exactly the kind of info I need. Really, I have traveled extensively in Nepal and Tibet and all my research has been accordingly. I suppose I need to go get some reading material and bone up. Seriously, I want to just chill out, gret some sun, surf, drink some beer, meet some cool locals, and possibly get out one day and flyfish for Tarpon. Any must see places you could throw out would be much appreciated.

**snowsprite** · 02-09-2007, 03:42 PM

Try to go to Fajardo and do the night-time kayak biolumenescent bay tour. Very cool! Fajardo also has a national park/lighthouse worth seeing. It's close to El Yunque, which I also highly recommend. Bring a picnic lunch and bathing suit to El Yunque...you can swim in the river and lots of picnic spots around.

Do not miss Old San Juan and El Morro castle. There is nothing disneyfied here. Old San Juan was not dangerous in my opinion...though many people were surprised I felt safe there at night. Nobody jumped us...who knows maybe I was putting out those "I'm a cuban girl, don't mess w/ me bitch" vibes or somethin?

It's a beautiful old City, I'll never forget it and hope to return. Lots of CHEAP places to eat & drink there, and all good IMO (but I'm easy to please).

I pricelined a hotel and won five days at the Hilton Caribe for only $65/night! If you are not super picky, why not try your luck on priceline? I bet you could get a very nice hotel for around that much. I tell you, this Hilton Caribe was GREAT...it's where the Pina Colada was invented and had lovely pools w/ swim up bar and also a nice snorkeling area right out back. Our room was a "garden room" that all the guests apparently complain about...but they are stupid. What the room was is actually a ground-level hotel room w/ sliding glass doors that opened up to a tropical bird sanctuary..yeah COOL! I would open the sliders and peacocks would wander into our room to say hello...lol! And it had a patio just outside the sliders with some chaise lounge chairs and you could just sit out there & sip your coffee among exotic birds and orchids. Sigh... I loved that room. Like I said, people are stupid.

There were so many things I wanted to see there but didn't. I need to take another trip there. Try to get the book Puerto-Rico-Off-Beaten-Path...great book w/ lots of ideas.

I'm jealous you're going...have fun!

Sprite
PS...Traffic on the island is HORRIFYING. Allow for lots of extra travel time if you rent a car (which is actually essential) and avoid driving between the hours of 9:30 am and 5:30 pm generally speaking--early mornings and evening returns are the way to go. Traffic is horrible all day and nite Sat. and Sunday...good days to stay in the hotel area & not travel too far. Planning your agenda is sort of important if you want to avoid sitting in traffic jams.

**Tamarack** · 02-09-2007, 03:42 PM

Fly into Aguadilla if you can. Then rent a car and drive to Rincon. Check this link for deets: http://www.rinconpr.com/

Bottom line is that Rincon is the only true surf town on the island (not that there aren't breaks in other spots mind you).

And if you can swing it, Vieques is about as low-key and chill as you can get in El Caribe. Highly recommended. http://www.vieques-island.com/

**MassLiberal** · 02-09-2007, 03:48 PM

You should spend at least one day hiking in El Yunque, take the trail to the summit, where the incoming air off the carribean collides with the mountain forcing the rain to come up the face, rather than falling down. Pretty cool sensation. Also, if you are out in that direction, don't miss the roadside cafes. Authentic PR food at dirt cheap prices.

For surfing I would recommend going to Rincon or Aguadilla. However, the waves begin to die down in mid march, and it's pretty anemic after the end of april. Also, be careful of locals in the water. They can be pretty territorial on a good day. It's about a two hour drive from downtown, and puerto ricans drive like jackasses. Another option is to go out past Dorado Beach. There's some good surfing, but a lot of car break-ins, also closer and less 'tude.

If you have all the time in the world, go to Ponce, a fantastic city with a real old Caribe feel. Let me know the dates you are going to be there and I might be able to tell you what festivals are occuring (they seem to have one every week)

**MassLiberal** · 02-09-2007, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Tamarack

Fly into Aguadilla if you can. Then rent a car and drive to Rincon. Check this link for deets: http://www.rinconpr.com/

Bottom line is that Rincon is the only true surf town on the island (not that there aren't breaks in other spots mind you).

And if you can swing it, Vieques is about as low-key and chill as you can get in El Caribe. Highly recommended. http://www.vieques-island.com/

I would recommend Culebra over Vieques, solely due to the fact that Vieques has been "discovered" and is crawling with gringos. Culebra has surfing and better diving, vieques has bioluminescent bays.

**teleee** · 02-09-2007, 03:55 PM

This is awesome I am pumped. Thanks for all the great advice.
We get there on March 23 and leave on the 29th. Also I am not sure if it helps but my girlfriend is hispanic (mexican) and speaks spanish fluently so I am not really afraid to venture to out of the way places.

**MacDaddy** · 02-09-2007, 03:59 PM

Im sorry dude and with all due respect to your GF....you might just want to leave her at home...

if not wear your blinders please...

smokin hot chocolate everywhere, its so much trouble waitin to happen.

**teleee** · 02-09-2007, 04:29 PM

Im sorry dude and with all due respect to your GF....you might just want to leave her at home...

if not wear your blinders please...

smokin hot chocolate everywhere, its so much trouble waitin to happen.

SWEEEET! Other than I am not sure how to swing that, since she is the one who scored the airline tix. I guess I will buy some blinders....

**fatback** · 02-09-2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by teleee

SWEEEET! Other than I am not sure how to swing that, since she is the one who scored the airline tix. I guess I will buy some blinders....

I second the blinders. I couldn't believe the sheer number of hot women.

The traffic is worse than horrible in San Juan. The right-of-way is owned by whoever has the loudest horn.

**MacDaddy** · 02-09-2007, 06:36 PM

oh and you should check out the Bacardi plantation/distillery.

and Ill get some name of of "local" eateries, after I give my girls a call out there

**DJSapp** · 02-09-2007, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by MassLiberal

I would recommend Culebra over Vieques, solely due to the fact that Vieques has been "discovered" and is crawling with gringos. Culebra has surfing and better diving, vieques has bioluminescent bays.

Discovered? I spent 4 days there for my honeymoon in June last year (low tourist season) and it was totally dead. It wasn't hard to get a mile and a half of beach to ourselves.

**MacDaddy** · 02-09-2007, 06:48 PM

OK she actually texted me right back.

Try the "Greenhouse"..........Grubbin! so tasty order anything!

1200 Ashford Ave San Juan

**MassLiberal** · 02-09-2007, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by DJSapp

Discovered? I spent 4 days there for my honeymoon in June last year (low tourist season) and it was totally dead. It wasn't hard to get a mile and a half of beach to ourselves.

In june it may be empty (but then again most of the island is). but November through March, it's a madhouse. You might be alright in the end of March though.

**gravitylover** · 02-09-2007, 09:03 PM

There's a seafood restaurant in Boqueron (sp?) that I can't wait to get back to. I had this red snapper plate and the fish was 16 inches long and there were two sides and it cost $7! Place is cool, it's on a pier and there's water lapping at the floor under your feet. I didn't find the traffic to be that bad but we didn't spend much time in the big towns. Rio Camuy is worth the time too, great caves. Guanica, the desert on the beach was one of the best places we wasted a day, cactus growing right on the beach, a must see.

**birdboatboy** · 02-09-2007, 10:01 PM

My company has a plant down in Dorado, just about 20 miles from San Juan. Spent a week down there last fall. San Juan and Old San Juan were a lot of fun, lots going on but it can seem kind of dead on a Thursday in October unless you know where to look. We went out to Culebrita (little island next to Culebra) for a day and I would definitely recommend the ferry to Culebra from Fajardo. Gorgeous white sand beaches and blue waters.

Ate here http://oofrestaurants.com/parrotclub/index.htm in Old San Juan one night. It was pretty good in my book.

Other than that, learn to say Bacardi like a local, Buck-are-dee as near as I can make it sound. Eat some Churrasco (skirt steak), mofongo (mashed fried plantains) and drink some Medalla Light.

Can't give much for the cheap hookup info as traveling on the company bill takes care of that. Driving is fun if you like to be aggressive (as mentioned above). Watch out for rush hours. Let me know if you want any more details from my limited knowledge.

**snowsprite** · 02-10-2007, 12:29 AM

Oh, I just rememberered...we got some dood w/ a motorboat to zip us out to that culebra island off Fajardo too (I think it was that one...there are a few). It had AMAZING snorkeling and there was almost nobody there...just a few puerto rican families hanging out. NOT touristy. Definitely recommended!

Holy Shitstorm...then this freakin' monsoon hit outta nowhere...it was WILD! We got beyond soaked...My digital camera was totally ruined and everything we owned had to be wrung out. And the wind--OMG! But damn if it wasn't cool as hell crouching under some shrubbery thinking "Woo-ha! This is it man, we are going to be sucked into the vortex!" Sorry, I guess like a little excitement on family vacations.

My kiddo was actually pretty freaked out about it, but at the same time he shrieking w/ delight. I know he'll never forget that one.

Sprite

**MassLiberal** · 02-10-2007, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by birdboatboy

Other than that, learn to say Bacardi like a local, Buck-are-dee as near as I can make it sound. Eat some Churrasco (skirt steak), mofongo (mashed fried plantains) and drink some Medalla Light.

Skip the Medalla light and get Presidente, it's dominican, but superior.

**birdboatboy** · 02-11-2007, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by MassLiberal

Skip the Medalla light and get Presidente, it's dominican, but superior.

Agreed. But have at least one Medalla just to appease the locals. For some reason it comes in 10 oz cans. Anyone know why? Maybe so it doesn't get as warm by the time you finish it?