Puerto Rico bound...

[70camaro406]

Wifey and I decided to take a trip next month. She's been working long hours for the past year (50-70 hour weeks) plus taking classes to finish her MBA. So we decided we (she) needed a week away, and we found a nice place where we wanted to go. The Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa (a Wyndham Grand Resort) in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Has anyone been to or are there any people here from PR? We just want to go to relax on the beach (82 degrees average this time of year). But we would like to do some sight-seeing. We definitely want to do the Old San Juan and Bacardi Rum Distillery tour, and maybe a horseback tour of El Yunque (U.S.'s only Rainforest National Park).

Any other ideas?

[jy211]

we did the 4 wheeler tour through the lower part of the rain forest. It was pretty cool.

[mc84_zz4]

There are tons of local restaurants that have excellent food.
Arroz con Pollo (rice w/Chicken) is one staple, another: Mofongo, similar with more spices(not too hot, just a flavor explosion), and usually served over banana chips fried in olive oil. (Tostones)
You can try touring around tasting the same dish at each one, and have a drink too, a very relaxing taste-a-thon.

Old San Juan has 500+ years of history, from the early colonizing days of the new world.
Check out facts about the Coqui (local tiny frog, national mascot) they squeak/chirp after sundown, and sound like their name, cute as heck.
During this time of year, 'Pastelitos' (translates to 'little cakes') are a tradition, and are similar to a mexican Tamal (corn dough stuffed with meat, etc), but the Puertorican version is made by shredding green bananas and making the dough, then stuffing them and rolling them. Its a family tradition to get the family together and make a feast out of them.
Enjoy the trip.
http://boricua.com/information/puerto-rico-facts

[70camaro406]

Thanks for the advice guys. We looked into the ATV tour, too. It's good that they have 2-up versions, since my wife would rather ride with me then ride by herself anyway. We'll look into that further when we get there.

Since I love to eat, we'll check out that dish as well. Is it a good idea to rent a car? We get transportation from the airport (SJU) to the hotel and back included, and there is a car rental place by the hotel. We don't need one for the whole week, but I like driving and exploring new places, especially if we just want to tour at our own pace and eat at whatever looks good and authentic.

[go-fish]

I used to live in Ceiba, which is there on the east side. My favorite spot on the island is Aguadilla on the west side. There is a bio-luminescent bay over there that has plankton that glow at night. The water glows, it's really neat. El Yunque is really cool but there is a place just south of it that you can follow a stream up to the top of a peak and you can jump into crystal clear water from a cliff. I wish I could remember how to get there because I'm planning on going back in May.

If you like to dive, you have to go to Culebra. It is an island off the coast and you'll need to catch the ferry out of Fajardo. It was voted like the #2 dive in the Atlantic/Caribbean. You have to get some fried plantains. Watch out being on the east side, crime is pretty bad but if you stick to the touristy things and spots you'll be perfectly fine. I used to surf Luquillo Beach and La Selva at dusk and it was pretty scary back then, I heard the crime is alot worse now.

[70camaro406]

Thanks Johnny. I found a few places that I want to go eat at in Luquilla...Brass Cactus, Pasta y Pueblo, Ay Bonito! Grill, Miramar and Markitos...so we'll try to it those places in the day time, and then spend the evenings at Rio Mar.

[dadto2jays]

Dont rent a car you are way better off to rent a driver with a car (Carro publico) I am from PR and when I visit I usually just get a driver it costs me right around $60.00 a day and I pay for his food I ask the driver to be at the hotel at a particular time and away we go. Dont have to worry about getting lost or mugged. I left PR when I was 12 so I dont remember my way around too good and this is the reason why I get a driver it works like a champ.


Go to Ponce is the second largest city in the island and it is about an hour and a half ride well worth it. Have the driver take you to the "Parke de bombas" which is the oldest fire station in that town it is very nice. also go to "La parguera" which is about 30-40 minutes west of Ponce which is the place where you see the bay shine at night it is a sight to see. The food is outstanding rice,red beans, pasteles and tostones are ust have. Try something called "Mavi" which is a root drink and it is made in an adjacent city to ponce called juana diaz any of the locals would know what you are asking. To the north west side of the island there is a beach called "Rincon" this is the surfers capital also a great beach to see. Pretty much you can hit many spots in one day because the island is not that big.

http://www.topuertorico.org/city/ponce.shtml

http://rincon-pr.com/

http://travelandsports.com/la5.htm

If you want to see some serious turbo cars and bad ass 4cylinder running 7's and 8's in the quarter mile you can go to the ponce racetrack if you can convince your wife of this one (lol)
http://www.eltuque.com/pista/index.html

[go-fish]

Brass Cactus- It's like Chile's to me. We ate there alot. It's good but there are alot of restaurants that you won't be able to find on the Internet. Dadto2Jays had a good idea about hiring a driver to get you to those good places. There is a place that I saw on Man Vs. Food (food channel), the guy went to PR and went inland, I forgot where it was (9 years ago) but I definitely recognized it. That was really really really good.

The Ponce Fire Station (parke de Bombas), I think, is not only the oldest firehouse in Ponce, or PR, but the whole Caribbean. It is worth seeing.

Rincon- When I said we went to the west side all the time, that is where we went. Surfing is the best on the island and Aguadilla is the next town to the south I think. IMO, you cant beat the west side.

We plan on flying in and getting over there to one of the rental Villas I used to stay at (two nights), then heading down to Ponce where a family friends' mother lives and visit with her and show my wife around Ponce (couple hours).
Go to Luquillo/Fajardo that night, rent a board from La Selva Surf Shop in Luquillo and hit that up.
Next day, find that stream that comes down from the hill and hike up.
Next day catch a ferry out of Fajardo for Culebra to scuba for the day.
Last day, hang out in San Juan and fly out.
I plan on having one extra day in there that is un-accounted for because I think we will get stuck somewhere having too much fun.

7 days!

It's going to dip into the car money but it's worth it, especially to my wife.

[go-fish]

El Yunque is really cool but there is a place just south of it that you can follow a stream up to the top of a peak and you can jump into crystal clear water from a cliff. I wish I could remember how to get there because I'm planning on going back in May.

Found it! Toro Negro!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAg2Xq2BEtA

[newmexicosaint]

Wayne,

My wife and I are going next month also and we are staying at the Rio Mar as well!! we are going to be there from Jan 28-Feb 4th. I appreciate the post, it will help us out alot! Maybe we will see you there? BTW we are doing the rental car

Thanks everyone for posting, its a great help to us. Great suggestions

[70camaro406]

Wayne,

My wife and I are going next month also and we are staying at the Rio Mar as well!! we are going to be there from Jan 28-Feb 4th. I appreciate the post, it will help us out alot! Maybe we will see you there? BTW we are doing the rental car

Thanks everyone for posting, its a great help to us. Great suggestions

Thanks for the info guys.

Gene, that's cool that you guys are going to the same place too...but we'll be there on the 15th-22nd. I'll let you know about any tips or stuff that I find out.

We'll probably rent a car for 2-3 days in the middle of the week. I think the cheapest car from the local Avis place is like $20/day. And I think we'll be doing the ATV tour and kayak/canoe tour through the plankton bay waters...then use the car to visit Ponce and the lighthouse and stuff.

19 days and counting!!

[go-fish]

If you guys want to go to a totally private beach, I mean nobody around, you can go to Luquillo Beach. Park at the farthest south point you can get and walk south down the beach for 15 minutes or so and you'll run into La Selva. The only other way to get there is to go through a cow pasture from up on the highway. 90% of the time there will be nobody there. The other times there will only be a surfer or two. Sex on the Beach aint just a drink, if you know what I mean! :seizure:

When there are surfers the sets don't last long since they're beach breaks. It's mostly surfed when there is a storm. So if it's a calm day you'll probably have it all to yourself. Also, right outside the front gate of the old Roosevelt Roads Navy Base is a really secluded, i.e. deserted, beach seaweed can build up on the beach because it's not maintained. Seaweed stinks and attracts No-See'ums.

[70camaro406]

Well, we got down here yesterday and made our way to the hotel. We stopped at a Bebo's BBQ beside a McDonald's near the airport and the Payless car rental place. No menu, you point to what you want--pork, chicken, rice w/ beans, plantains, yucca, and morcillo (blood sausage). The wife and I shared a plate of pork and a plate of rice w/ beans and plantains. We couldn't finish it all and it was SOOO good. The food with a bottle of water was less than $13. We went to Richie's cafe last night for dinner (right up from the Rio Mar). It was awesome, a little pricey, but lunch made up for it a little.

Will post up again soon

[2blownstangs]

dude get off the PC/smart phone and enjoy PR! Have a great trip.

[70camaro406]

Well, we had a blast. We spent more time doing things than relaxing, though.

Saturday, after picking up the car (at Payless--good people there), we went to a little local dive down the street called Bebo's BBQ. Let me tell you, we had the best tasting pork that I've ever had. It was excellent, and was very inexpensive, too. We split 3 plates, 1 of pork, 1 of rice and beans, and 1 of fried plantains...and a bottle of water, all for $13, and we even had leftovers. Later, we chilled at the resort pool and beach for a little while, then did some grocery shopping, then went out to dinner at Richie's. It was good but very expensive. If it wasn't so late, we'd have gone somewhere else.

Sunday, we drove down to Guavate (town) and enjoyed walking around the little village. It's a little festival every weekend, and there are vendors, music, and lechoneras galore (roast pig). It's called the pig highway (but it's a 10-15mph windy road---about 4-5 miles or so. Awesome afternoon, then we drove down to Ponce (POON-say), and checked out Parqe de Bomba and the Cathedral. Then took the long way back to the resort through Humacao. We stopped in Luquillo to eat at the Brass Cactus Bar and Grille. It was very good and reasonable, too. The game was on so a lot of Americans were there. They spole good English there.

Monday, we tried chilling on the beach, but with the scattered clouds, the wife was ready for a day at Old San Juan, and we checked out El Morro (the fort) and some shops. We ate dinner at La Fonda de Jibarito...a family owned little place smack in the middle. Food was great and so were the prices. Walked around some more that night and visited the shops.

Tuesday, we met at the Ferry to Culebra at 8am, and we did the Aquafari kayaking and snorkeling adventure with KayakingPuertoRico.com. It was a blast. We hung out Flamenco beach for an hour and a half, and then we swam with stingrays and sea turtles at Tamarindo Bay. It was a full day, since the ferry took 1.25-1.5 hours each way. The waves were a little rough, and since we swallowed some salt water, we needed some "regular" food for dinner, so we picked up burgers at Wendy's and ate back at the room.

Wednesday, We chilled at the pool for a little, then we at lunch at Antojito's...lunch special was awesome, and costs $13 for 2, including drinks. We then hiked up El Yunque (only US National Rain Forest)...did about 6 miles round trip and 2000+ feet of elevation. For dinner, we ate at Don Pepe's...which was excellent. Get the Shrimp with local sauce and Arroz con coco (white rice with coconut)...it was excellent.

Thursday, we did the Mini boat adventure tour (miniboatadventure.com), which was SOOOO much fun. I highly recommend it. We took little 13ft boats with 40 horse outboards on them and followed a lead boat with a guide (there were only 2 other couples, each with our own boats). We stopped at different spots and snorkeled, one of which was a little island called Palominito. For dinner, we ate at a little place in north Fajardo called El Bohio, which was right down the street from our final tour that night, which was the Bioluminescent kayak tour to Laguna Grande. That was a very cool experience, the water glowed when we paddled in it. That tour was also with KayakingPuertoRico.com.

Friday was the lay by the pool/beach day. We both just relaxed and read books. Then went to a really good restaurant that night, up near the north part of Fajardo called Calizo Seafood Bar and Grille. The food was excellent.

Saturday, we packed up, had coffee and sandwiches at a little local place right by Antijito's (right by Rd. 3)and then headed to San Juan and the Airport.

It was a great trip and we had lots of fun. Thanks guys for the tips and ideas. Will post pics soon.

[70camaro406]

Wayne,

My wife and I are going next month also and we are staying at the Rio Mar as well!! we are going to be there from Jan 28-Feb 4th. I appreciate the post, it will help us out alot! Maybe we will see you there? BTW we are doing the rental car

Thanks everyone for posting, its a great help to us. Great suggestions

Just wanted to give you a few tips that we learned.

1. Since you are renting a car, rent a small one (easier to maneuver and park on the small streets - we rented a Kia Rio).
2. Make sure you bring your proof of insurance with you. I forgot and had to buy their insurance. Car was $80 for the week, insurance was $147.
3. Take lots of sunscreen
4. Get a cooler and drinks, sweetner and creamer for coffee, and snacks from the grocery store (Super Walmart about 15 minutes away). Drinks at the pool are $10.50, and coffee in the morning at the resort cafe is $5.
5. Take your GPS with you, or if you don't have one, rent one. I was a lifesaver.
6. If you like snorkeling, karayaking, and island hopping by mini boats, then call Karen at www.kayackingpuertorico.com. They were super nice and the excursions were unforgettable. Tell her Wayne Smith sent you. They have a facebook page, too, with pictures.

Restaurants that we ate at and recommend...
- Bebo's BBQ - San Juan - Best pork I ever had
- Don Pepe's - Rio Grande - great food, really nice, close to the Rio
- Antojito's - Rio Grande - $5.50 lunch special, great food and close to the Rio
- La Fonda de Jibarito - Old San Juan Sol Street, great food, low prices, authentic
- Calizo Seafood Bar and Grill - Fajardo - EXCELLENT food, nice people, outdoor seating
- Brass Cactus Bar and Grill - Luquillo (a lot of Americans were here, since we went on a Sunday night, i.e. football game was on TV) good food, but not so authentic, fun atmosphere though
- Salsarita's - Fajardo - kind of like a Subway, but with tacos instead. Really good too, especially for $13 for both of us.

Restaurants that we would NOT recommend...
- Richie's - Rio Grande - good food, but WAY expensive...appetizer, dinner and some drinks was $150 for us.
- El Rancho Originale - Guavate - saw this place on Travel channel...they loved it, but, although big and famous, the pork was not in the same category as Bebo's. I recommend Guavate, but eat the pork at a different restaurant there.
- There are tons of Burger King's, Church's Chickens, and McDonald's...if you get tired of rice and beans, like we (wife) started to, then you can do one of these, since they do have some different menu items than here in the states. We did Wendy's burgers for dinner once, and Burger King for breakfast on our way to the airport.

One more thing...people drive fast on the slower roads, and slow on the highways...be aware of the cars pulling out in front of you at ANY GIVEN TIME!!! lol

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Have a great time!!

[2blownstangs]

looks like you had a blast. We have a place in Carolina and try to make it back there once a year.

[newmexicosaint]

Wayne,

we got here just about an hour ago at the Rio. Thanks for all the tips...looks like we may be mimicking your trip! Thanks for all the good tips. We will give an overview when we return.

Gene and Janet

[70camaro406]

Glad I could help Gene. Just try not to eat too much! (like I did) lol

Here's a few more things that I forgot to mention...
- the local beer, Medalla, is pretty good, and cheaper than the domestics
- if you're brave enough, you can try the soda/malt/young beer thing called Malta India....I tried it and couldn't finish it...and WON'T try it again. lol You've been warned!!! lol
- lastly, drink lots of pina coladas con rum (with rum). At Guavate and other small stands all around, they're only about $2.50-$3.00!

Have fun and enjoy your trip!

[KacyZ28]

Sounds like a good time can't wait for june to get here, got a friend getting married in sept and he wants to go to Puerto Rico for his bachelor party instead of just drinkingin bars.

[newmexicosaint]

Well we Just got back friday night and Had heck getting home. One flight canceled and a 2 hour delay on the next flight. All from the weather in Dallas.

Wayne was spot on on just about everything! We practically mirrored Wayne's trip. Our first outing took us to Don Pepe's and I had Churrasco (skirt Steak) and a Madalla light (very clean, easy tasting beer) and we headed to Old San Juan. It was kinda european looking and the old fort was cool. The interesting thing was that the cemetery was right on the coastline! The Resort was nice especially the beach and the warm carribbian waters...never knew how clear the water would be. the Resort had the typical incredibly high prices for food so we went to Amigo grocery store and bought $3 coolers and loaded up with munchies and sandwich meat. They had this soda called wonder kola champagne and it was GOOD - it tasted like a cross between Dr. Pepper and Big Red. We did alot of sleeping in and just roaming around town.

We were a little disappointed in the shopping...very Americanized and very little souvenirs to bring back. I was also suprised at the lack of service at the restaurants...one place took almost 2 hours to get us our food and the place was HALF EMPTY (now I know why). The drivers are CRAZY! Most all of them get in the left lane to turn RIGHT and do it without notice. We found out that NO ONE carries insurance (or most don't).

We did the mini boat tour by www.kayakingpuertorico.com with the Island hop and snorkeling and It was a blast! Waters were rough going to the islands (5 ft swells) and we took a beating getting there, even caught some serious air a couple of times but once we got there the snorkeling was awesome! I have never done that before and I am seriously hooked! My wife on the other hand was overwhelmed with being in the "ocean" and proceeded to feed the fish Wendy's chicken nuggets, the painful way LOL. One of the guides took us to one of the islands and I snorkeled while she walked the beach and regained her composure. We then did the bio bay kayaking tour (fairly physical tour) which was incredible. The Bio Bay was like being on another planet...you could see the trails glow when fish would dart off and when your ore was in the water the water would literally light up a neon blue color!!! Wicked cool tour!! I liked that there were no deadly poisonous insects or snakes on the island too!

Overall one of the best vacation trips to date and would recommend this spot to anyone. Thanks again to Wayne who put together a great description and what not to do's !! Wayne, you are the man!

[70camaro406]

Glad you guys had a good time Gene. And thanks for the compliment, you're too kind. Maybe this thread can be a "go-to" thread for anyone else that plans to travel there, using the tips from both our trips.

So did you get enough la lechonera y arroz con habichuelas (roast pig and rice with beans)? lol I made some last weekend...but it wasn't quite the same.