doug_stallings

This week, my column focused on answering some questions posed by a couple of first-time travelers to Puerto Rico. They have airfare and are looking for more information for their trip. My answer is in the No-Nonsense Traveler column this week at http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3341.html. But I know that the travelers would also benefit from your advice and suggestions as well. Please add to what I've said, argue with me if you think I'm wrong, and offer your own alternatives and favorites for these first-timers going to Puerto Rico. Dennis and Sarah do have a post somewhere in the forums, but it didn't get much traffic. If you want to see the original post, you'll be able to find it here: http://www.fodors.com/community/trav...uggestions.cfm. Needless to say, it's fine to comment on that thread and bring it to the top if you like instead of commenting here.

coqui_07

Read your article today, lots of good stuff in there. I think for a 5 day trip, you about covered the bases

I think you should consider a car for at least 2 of the days, maybe 3. That way you can cover El Yunque, Luquillo, Luquillo Kiosks one day and also one of the Bio Bays another day.

If you happen to be here over a weekend, consider heading to the Guavate area to sample some of the Lechon (roasted pig). The are is very popular with locals and tourists. Just make sure to get there before noon. This article has more info http://www.visit-the-coqui.com/2008/...of-the-lechon/

As for the Bio Bay - the one near Fajardo you can not swim in at the moment, but the one on Vieques you can swim. This calender will give an idea of the best days http://www.visit-the-coqui.com/place...n-puerto-rico/

Have a great trip

Salden

Thanks so much for all the great advice. Our trip planning is officially underway. We are also considering a trip to the West Coast (Rincon). Given that our trip is only 5 days, is it worth it to spend part of exploring the West coast, or would you recommend staying in San Juan area? Thanks again, we are looking forward to our first visit to PR!

natalia_rosado

Quite frankly, I do not recommend you waste your time at the Luquillo beach, nor on the kiosks. As a PR resident, I've been really disappointed the last few times I've been there. If you really want to experience good creole fritters, nicer people, and ambiance, it's a must that you pay a visit to Piñones. You'll find it east of the Isla Verde beach. It's a lot more colorful, you'll find some restaurants, if you prefer a sit-down meal, and the sights are much nicer.

On the day you visit El Yunque (I suggest you go in the morning to avoid the crowds), you can later go to Fajardo, the easternmost town in PR. You can try one of the little restaurants by the marinas serving fresh fish, conch (order arepas rellenas de carrucho) and other caribbean food. Also, there's the Seven Seas beach and an ecological reseve, las Cabezas de San Juan (check with your hotel if they can get you reservations), which is where the biobay is.

Planning a trip to Vieques or Culebra might be a bit complicated considering that you only have 5 days, and you'd need at least 2 to see the bio bay in Vieques. But if you make it, I guarantee it'll be the best experience of all your stay in PR.

If you want to make that trip to the west coast worth it, you have to stay until sunset. The best one I've seen was from the Cabo Rojo lighthouse (the road is terrible, but the sights are well worth it). There's a beach right next called Playa Sucia (don't be misleaded by its name "dirty beach", because is rather pretty), where you can spend the late afternoon (I'd say 3-4 pm, because other than the beach, there's nothing else over there) and climb the hill towards the lighthouse (be careful if you're traveling with little kids!), to watch the sun set. It is just breathtaking!

Also, the country side is not mentioned a lot to tourists because driving to certain places is confusing (event for us!), but if you're up to the challenge there are some nice restaurants at Lago Dos Bocas in Utuado, that you take a ferry boat through the lake to get to. Again, very nice surroundings, good food, nice people.

No matter where you go, I hope you have a great time visiting us!

Magellan_5

Hi - The article was really helpful, as were the additions above! I'm planning a first-time trip to Puerto Rico for next week (short notice!), and I have two questions:

I'm staying in the Ocean Beach area, and I love to walk a lot and run. I noticed on my map that Old San Juan is only about 3 miles from Ocean Beach. Would this be a "pedestrain-friendly" walk (e.g. are there sidewalks or walkways along the beach perhaps?), or would it be more like walking along a busy road with a ton of traffic (e.g. unpleasant?)

Also would I really stick out like a sore thumb if I went running in this area?

Thanks!

Magellan_5

Sorry, I should have said that I'm staying in the Ocean Park area in San Juan!

Magellan_5

Gawd - I'm losing it tonight. Meant to say pedestrian-friendly!

snorkelluvn

Natalia--
We will be staying in Isla Verde so Pinones sounds interesting. Is it sort of a neighborhood? Also, La Placita in Santurce has been recommended for a good local experience, with music, food and dancing, esp. Thu. or Fri. from 4-7. What do you think of La Placita? Is it safe? I would like the chance to do some things that are more authentic and not just touristy, esp. if I can listen to good music.

doug_stallings

Sorry, but I didn't see this post until today.

No, San Juan is not at all pedestrian friendly for the walk from Ocean Park to Old San Juan, and I'm not sure it's completely safe to walk along that entire route. I've never been over this entire expanse, but you pass through a couple of sketchy neighborhoods along the way.

San Juan does have a bus system, which is slow but doable if you have the time and lack the budget to take a taxi, though that is what I'd recommend in thise case.

Magellan_5

Thanks, Doug - That's good to know! I would have totally tried to walk it

swedishblonde

I just returned from Rincon, and will NEVER recommend it to anyone. My husband and I grew up surfing in SoCal, and have visited Cancun, Hawaii, Tortola, Bahamas, etc. so we were really looking forward to this laid-back surf-haven. Well-we got robbed in broad daylight at Steps. Thieves smashed our car and took EVERYTHING: our gear, our backpacks,everything. The Policia were lazy, arrogant, rude and blamed us. Apparently it was our fault for being stupid enough to be there and having the audacity to actually be tourists. Then they refused to release our rental car to us, first saying to come back in an hour, then saying they had to keep it for 2-3 days for processing. After several hours we managed to reach a live person at Avis, who told us to go back & take the car b/c the Rincon police were corrupt & were known to "lose" the vehicle. Sure enough, they refused to give us a report, the officer refused to give us his name, they had not fingerprinted the car, much less 'processed' it. So, we basically we just ignored their lies, walked out of their pathetic little station and drove it off their parking lot--damaged, broken glass everywhere. We stayed at the Rincon Beach Resort which was lovely to look at and we felt safe there behind their gated walls--but no where else. There was no working phone in our room, a sorry excuse for a pool bar, no Hobie Cats to sail, no snorkeling coves like they had claimed. We will NEVER venture to PR again--the crime and the decay were just too much.

SAnParis2

Since this is your 1st post I find this rather interesting but going forward should you leave such items laying about in your car, in most anyplace, the same thing could well happen. Seems kind of wrong to 'blame' Rincon. Sorry about your trip. Perhaps next time you'll visit this board before the trip, instead of after. It may have helped you avoid such a situation.

swedishblonde

Actually, it is quite right to 'blame' Rincon, and if you're not going to be honest about that then why would visiting this site have made any difference at all? And how do you know that I didn't? Truth is stranger than fiction, and the truth is that this is NOT an ideal place to visit. Crime is high & the police are corrupt. You sound like the police, who said it was our fault for leaving things "laying about"--which we didn't. We parked ON the beach, like others there, our belongings were on the floor of the vehicle (black bags on black carpet, covered with a dark towel--NOT in plain view, not just "laying about" as you suggested). There was a family with children playing in tide pools speaking German(also tourists). We walked away for 5 minutes, out of view of the car for perhaps 2 minutes, and returned to see a truck leaving with our stuff. Furthermore, how could we "avoid" the Rincon police? How could we "avoid" the deficiencies at the resort, when everything we researched did not reveal anything? Even if we had left everything in the trunk, they could have used their crowbar to open that, too. Maybe they could've just stolen the car and stripped it for parts--would that have been our fault, too??? What is also interesting, is that with the major damage done to the vehicle, not one person or officer ever asked us if WE were injured. Even when we described the truck in great detail(which we could have followed but didn't), the Police berated us for not getting a license plate number. The police only made a report because we insisted, but the custom in PR is they will NOT give you a copy of the report, only a "report number". Is that our fault, too? We also needed the name and serial number of the officer taking the report (required by the rental agency) and we had to ask repeatedly for that, and they clearly did NOT want us to have that info. Is that our fault?? We asked to use a phone, and they offered us a pay phone--even tho they knew we now had no money. They could have called our cell phone, as an attempt to find the thieves, but never asked the number. They continually referred to us as "Americanos"(which is odd since PR keeps pushing for statehood) and told us we were "in the way" and to "go sit outside", which I refused to do, so they finally gave us seats in an empty office. If this site is supposed to inform & enlighten, then trying to romanticize every locale is doing a disservice. But please don't 'blame' me for something I didn't do.