Located southeast off the tip of Florida is a little US commonwealth called Puerto Rico. It is known to its inhabitants as the “Isla del Encanto” or the Island of Enchantment. I personally lived there for three years and was looking forward to my first visit in eight years. Like so many ... Read review
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Advantages: Fun, sun and sea Disadvantages: You eventually have to leave
Located southeast off the tip of Florida is a little US commonwealth called Puerto Rico. It is known to its inhabitants as the “Isla del Encanto” or the Island of Enchantment. I personally lived there for three years and was looking forward to my first visit in eight years. Like so many things I found that many things had changed but some things about Puerto Rico will never change.
Getting There
If you are coming from the US ... ...American Airlines though Continental, Delta and Iberia also serve this island. You will arrive in the Luis Muñoz Marin airport. This airport has been recently modified and is quite modern despite its small number of gates. Taxis are easily accessible outside of the baggage claim and cars for hire can be had from Avis or Hertz on location. When you leave the island make sure you run your bags through the agricultural checkpoint if your bags will pass ... more
Located southeast off the tip of Florida is a little US commonwealth called Puerto Rico. It is known to its inhabitants as the “Isla del Encanto” or the Island of Enchantment. I personally lived there for three years and was looking forward to my first visit in eight years. Like so many things I found that many things had changed but some things about Puerto Rico will never change.
Getting There If you are coming from the US or Europe you will most likely be coming in on American Airlines though Continental, Delta and Iberia also serve this island. You will arrive in the Luis Muñoz Marin airport. This airport has been recently modified and is quite modern despite its small number of gates. Taxis are easily accessible outside of the baggage claim and cars for hire can be had from Avis or Hertz on location. When you leave the island make sure you run your bags through the agricultural checkpoint if your bags will pass through the US. Your bags cannot be checked without the USDA approval sticker.
The People The people of Puerto Rico are a wonderful lot. The people of the island refer to themselves as “Boriquens” or strong men. They are a beautiful blend of Taino Indians, Spaniards and Africans. Thus they don’t classify themselves as black, white or hispanic rather they are simply boriquens.
In San Juan, English and Spanish are readily spoken though Spanish is preferred. Once you leave San Juan Spanish is almost exclusively spoken. For those of you that speak Spanish it is important to note that Puerto Ricans have their own accent. It is not sing-songy like that of Mexico or lispy like that of Castilian Spanish. Rather is very rapid like the natives of Cuba however Puerto Ricans tend to drop the s’s off the ends of words. So “Buenas Dias” ends up sounding like “Buen Dia”. This also plays havoc when you are trying to follow verb conjugation since the ‘s’ on the end of a verb signifies the difference between the formal form and the familiar form.
Once this little hurtle is cleared you will find that they are very friendly and very forgiving if you speak Spanish. They will help you through some of the difficult Spanish-Indian words and often politely correct poor grammar. If you only speak English they will likely want to show off their English and if they don’t speak it they will work with you to muddle through the conversation.
Where to Stay I would not suggest staying in any other city but San Juan. All the other cities are no more than a two-hour drive away and the roads are clearly marked. Though there are nice resorts in Fajardo and Dorado, there is not much else to do but enjoy the beach or play golf. San Juan has shopping, restaurants and casinos. San Juan is broken into many smaller neighborhoods. The neighborhoods best suited for lodging are Condado, Isla Verde and Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan).
Customer service is not a Puerto Rican strong point so don’t expect anyone to necessarily go out of their way to help you. You will find the large chain hotels to have beautiful pools and wonderful restaurants. Most hotels include casinos and if you are not a fan of the large chain hotels, many small boutique hotels are springing up around the island.
The Food If you a vegetarian, good luck. This island is all about meat. Mainly beef and pork are served but occasionally you will find chicken. Most meals are served with rice, beans and some additional starch usually in the form of plantain or yucca root.
For those of you that have never eaten a plantain, it is rather like a large banana. When green it tastes much like a potato and when ripe it is sweeter like a banana. It is served three ways. The first is called mofongo. This is green plantain smashed in a pestle with pork fat. It is then baked and served as a side dish or stuffed with meat. The second is called tostones. This is green plantain smashed flat into small cakes and then deep-fried. It tastes like French Fries and sometimes has garlic baked into it. The last kind is amarillos and this is when the plantain is ripened and then baked. It tastes much like a banana but is not quite as soft and is a surprisingly good compliment to steak.
There are also many upscale restaurants on the island. Argentinean, Italian and Spanish cuisines are well represented. There are also many young chefs on the island serving Thai, Asian fusion and Japanese dishes.
I cannot say enough about a little restaurant in which we dined called Tangerine. Tangerine is located in the small boutique hotel called The Water Club (www. waterclubsanjuan.com). The hotel itself is a located on the beach in Isla Verde and is a white building accented in blue neon. Before dinner we took the elevators to the roof bar called Wet. The elevator cars had a waterfall back wall that was lit by the neon light in the elevator shaft. The bar itself was like something out of a Bond flick. A white tarp covered the roof, eclectic furniture filled the room and a gorgeous young lady in white served us. My martini was perfect and my wife’s coconut martini was a tasty delight. After cocktails we went down to the restaurant, which is chicly all white with simple furniture. For appetizers we had lobster spring rolls, ginger spare ribs and the chef surprised us with complimentary ahi tuna sushi wraps. I ordered wine and when our main course was served the waiter brought a complimentary glass of champagne to my wife. Our host had lobster tail which was a bit chewy but made up for it in the flavorful butter and sherry reduction. My wife had a churrasco steak with shaved foie gras and gorgonzola cheese. I had the best sea bass I have ever had. It was lightly grilled and served on a bed of rice with sea urchin ink. The presentation was exquisite and I was so full from the appetizers and main course that I could not have desert. I did however make a deal with the waiter on some good Cuban Cohiba cigars.
The Sites The beaches in San Juan are not remarkable. They tend to be a little rough with a strong undertow. The nicest beaches in San Juan are in Isla Verde. However, in Fajardo, Culebra and Vieques are some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. If you get a chance, take the ferry from Fajardo to Culebra. There is not much else to do on the island but sit on the beach or snorkel, so don’t expect much more than that. For those of you that love the water you will be pleased.
El Yunque is a rainforest that is approximately 45 minutes from San Juan. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US Parks system. The park boasts a visitor’s center for those of you that want to learn more about the forest. It also has an observation tower from which you can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. There are many hiking trails, one of which will take you to La Mina Falls, a spectacular waterfall and pool system.
Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan) is an area of town that contains buildings from the 16th century. One cathedral in town contains the tomb of Ponce de Leon. There are many shops, art galleries and restaurants on the narrow cobble stoned streets. It is also home to El Morro, the oldest fortification in the Western Hemisphere. Built in the 16th century and expanded over the centuries, this fort has survived invasions by the French, English, Italians and Dutch. Up until the Spanish-American war this fort had never been surrendered.
The Bacardi Factory is across the bay from Old San Juan. You can take a ferry across the bay and then pay $1 for a ride in a public van to the factory. The tour is free and lots of fun. The best part is that at the end of the tour you are invited to sit under the gazebo that overlooks the Port of San Juan and El Morro and enjoy all the rum you can drink.
Other sites include the Arecibo Radio Observatory, the Caverns of Camuy and the many art museums in San Juan and Ponce.
Alternate Means of Exploration For those of you on a very tight budget or for the more adventurous type there is an alternate method of exploring the island. The island has many rustic hotels called paradors. These little guesthouses are located in the more rustic areas of the island. Paradors are located near El Yunque, the sulfur baths in Coamo, the surfing beaches of Rincón and other neat little towns. They tend to be much cheaper and there is usually a family run restaurant near the site.
Summary The thing I find most ironic about the people of Puerto Rico is that they beam with pride about their island but it tends to be a bit dirty. Litter is found all over the roadside and the buildings all appear to need a good power washing. I think the fact that they have always been a protectorate of someone else has lead to the “someone else will take care of that” type of thinking.
That being said, they are truly marvelous people. Compliment them on their island and they will bend over backwards to make you happy. For those of you wanting to brush up on your Spanish they will take delight in helping you. Even with all of it problems, I find myself longing to take another trip back to the Island of Enchantment.
