El Yunque and the Northeast Feature

Great Food

Puerto Ricans love sybaritic pleasures, and that includes enjoying a well-prepared meal—whether it be Continental, Nueva Latina, or authentically native cuisine. In the east you'll find fine fare of all types. On the traditional side, look for the deep-fried snacks (often stuffed with meat or fish) known as frituras, as well as numerous dishes laced with coconut. Plantains are the star ingredient in the hearty mofongo, a seafood-stuffed dish, or as tostones (fried plantain chips). Fresh fish is commonly prepared with tomatoes, onions, and garlic, or some combination of the three.

Golf

There's something to be said for facing a rolling, palm-tree-lined fairway with the distant ocean at your back. And then there are the ducks, iguanas, and pelicans that congregate in the mangroves near some holes. That's what golf in eastern Puerto Rico is all about. The Arthur Hills-designed course at El Conquistador is one of the island's best. The Flamboyán course, a Rees-Jones creation at Palmas del Mar Country Club, consistently gets raves, as do the courses at the Westin Río Mar. An old-time favorite is the Bahía Beach Plantation course, which was developed on a former coconut plantation.