Side trips and restaurant help in Puerto Rico
Aug 28th, 2008, 06:20 AM
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Side trips and restaurant help in Puerto Rico
The hotel and flights are booked and now I am trying to finalize activities and restaurants for our Nov. trip. We will be there for only a week and I am having difficulty fitting everything in.
On the forum the Panoramic highway is mentioned but not much detail as to where it is exactly. Is there one section we shouldn't miss if we were to do an abreviated trip and not the whole distance between Camuy and Aibonito. What route exactly is it?
We also want to do some hiking in the Guajataca State Forest and combine it with a trip to Isabela. Do you have any reccommendations for lunch places in Isabela?
We are also looking for a good Spanish Tapas restaurant in Old San Juan. Is El Picoteo a good choice?
Is the Bioluminescent Bay in Fajardo a good choice? It seems the closest to Old San Juan for the drive back to the hotel.
What coffee plantations do you reccommend for touring? Or Sugar plantations?
Is the drive to the Manor House (Casa Cautiño) in Guayama a must or should we just spend a day in Ponce.
We also want to spend a day at El Yunqu and maybe ferry to one of the islands on another day . We also want to stop at the Arecibo Observatory and then of course spend a day at the beach.
So much to do so little time!
Thank you for any help you can give me
On the forum the Panoramic highway is mentioned but not much detail as to where it is exactly. Is there one section we shouldn't miss if we were to do an abreviated trip and not the whole distance between Camuy and Aibonito. What route exactly is it?
We also want to do some hiking in the Guajataca State Forest and combine it with a trip to Isabela. Do you have any reccommendations for lunch places in Isabela?
We are also looking for a good Spanish Tapas restaurant in Old San Juan. Is El Picoteo a good choice?
Is the Bioluminescent Bay in Fajardo a good choice? It seems the closest to Old San Juan for the drive back to the hotel.
What coffee plantations do you reccommend for touring? Or Sugar plantations?
Is the drive to the Manor House (Casa Cautiño) in Guayama a must or should we just spend a day in Ponce.
We also want to spend a day at El Yunqu and maybe ferry to one of the islands on another day . We also want to stop at the Arecibo Observatory and then of course spend a day at the beach.
So much to do so little time!
Thank you for any help you can give me
Aug 29th, 2008, 05:37 AM
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It sounds like a very busy week.
I'm not sure why you'd make a day trip to Vieques or Culebra by ferry unless you're very keen on just checking them out maybe this could be your 'day at the beach?' but a short day! The ferries take over an hour each way and you'd be returning before 6pm (last ferry from Vieques). Perhaps a better way to 'see' one of the islands would be to charter a boat (google erin go bragh).
Can't help with the rest of your itinerary but a day at El Yunque is worth it. Try the Mina falls hike.
I'm not sure why you'd make a day trip to Vieques or Culebra by ferry unless you're very keen on just checking them out maybe this could be your 'day at the beach?' but a short day! The ferries take over an hour each way and you'd be returning before 6pm (last ferry from Vieques). Perhaps a better way to 'see' one of the islands would be to charter a boat (google erin go bragh).
Can't help with the rest of your itinerary but a day at El Yunque is worth it. Try the Mina falls hike.
Aug 31st, 2008, 02:00 PM
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Hi. I've just registered on to this for the first time, so I hope you get my reply. I'm a native Puerto Rican, now in the U.S., but I go back periodically (I'm overdue, it's been 2 years).
Re: the bioluminiscent bay-stay away from one in La Parguera (near Ponce). The diesel from the boats has diminished it. I'm not familiar with the one in Fajardo.
Maybe you can combine the off island trip and the bioluminescent bay in Vieques. To see the bay, you'd have to stay overnight.
You can take the ferry, which should go out several times a day unless it's a holiday. Then hop a "publico" to La Esperanza, the southern town in Vieques. At the time I went, 2 years ago, there were places along "el Malecon" (a sort of board walk) where during the day you can make your reservation for the bio bay tour at night. A van will take a bunch of people, hauling kayaks behind, to "Mosquito Bay" (don't let the name scare you, I don't remember being bothered by them). The night my daughter and I went, it was a new moon, so I've never seen so many stars in all my life. The guide wore a glow stick around his neck so we could follow behind him. It's a really lovely sight, so quiet, and these little glowing ripples along your kayak and the glowing from the fish making contact with the dinoflagellates that cause the glow. They have been pretty good about protecting it by not allowing motorboats. I hope that's still the case, because that's what messed up la Parguera. I used to enjoy going there and just snacking and hanging out with the locals at night as we waited for our turn on the boat. I guess we contributed to the pollution problem, didn't we?
On the day we went, to the Vieques one, it turned out to be a holiday so there was only one ferry out and one ferry coming back. The traffic from my aunt's home was a little heavier than I expected, but I wasn't worried, because nothing was ever on time when I lived in PR before. Well, guess what, the ferry was. We parked the car and saw the ferry pulling away from the dock. So we quickly made a change in plans, drove the 5 minutes to the tiny Fajardo airport, and took a puddle jumper to Vieques. The flight itself took 15 minutes (though you have to wait til you have a plane load-about 5-6 people). At that time it was about 22 bucks (seven times the cost of the ferry back then) and we got there well before the ferry would have, and had the enjoyable experience of flight on a small plane, and lovely views. The ferry takes about an hour.
I'm not familiar with the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo, but if they are good about not allowing motor boats, maybe it's nice. Even just kayaking around the mango groves during the day would be fun. Actually, you could maybe do el Yunque during the day, then the Fajardo bio bay that night, since it's not that far.
The Ruta Panoramica is a drive through the Cordillera Central. It should be marked if you have a really good map. I imagine there's a way to get one online. The interior mountainous area is my favorite part of Puerto Rico, even more than the beaches. It's generally about 5-10 degrees cooler and so lush. It's where you really here the coquis, at night, too (I call my dad and at 4:00 pm I can already hear them singing in the background). You'll be there in November? Well, it should be really lush, as that's toward the end of the rainy season. Don't let any threat of rain curtail your plans, though. It can be raining in one place and 15 minutes later it's fine (unless there's a hurricane approaching!).
Good luck and enjoy your trip. I used to love showing off my island when I lived there, and tried to get U.S. friends to visit me there. Too few friends took me up on the offer, though.
Re: the bioluminiscent bay-stay away from one in La Parguera (near Ponce). The diesel from the boats has diminished it. I'm not familiar with the one in Fajardo.
Maybe you can combine the off island trip and the bioluminescent bay in Vieques. To see the bay, you'd have to stay overnight.
You can take the ferry, which should go out several times a day unless it's a holiday. Then hop a "publico" to La Esperanza, the southern town in Vieques. At the time I went, 2 years ago, there were places along "el Malecon" (a sort of board walk) where during the day you can make your reservation for the bio bay tour at night. A van will take a bunch of people, hauling kayaks behind, to "Mosquito Bay" (don't let the name scare you, I don't remember being bothered by them). The night my daughter and I went, it was a new moon, so I've never seen so many stars in all my life. The guide wore a glow stick around his neck so we could follow behind him. It's a really lovely sight, so quiet, and these little glowing ripples along your kayak and the glowing from the fish making contact with the dinoflagellates that cause the glow. They have been pretty good about protecting it by not allowing motorboats. I hope that's still the case, because that's what messed up la Parguera. I used to enjoy going there and just snacking and hanging out with the locals at night as we waited for our turn on the boat. I guess we contributed to the pollution problem, didn't we?
On the day we went, to the Vieques one, it turned out to be a holiday so there was only one ferry out and one ferry coming back. The traffic from my aunt's home was a little heavier than I expected, but I wasn't worried, because nothing was ever on time when I lived in PR before. Well, guess what, the ferry was. We parked the car and saw the ferry pulling away from the dock. So we quickly made a change in plans, drove the 5 minutes to the tiny Fajardo airport, and took a puddle jumper to Vieques. The flight itself took 15 minutes (though you have to wait til you have a plane load-about 5-6 people). At that time it was about 22 bucks (seven times the cost of the ferry back then) and we got there well before the ferry would have, and had the enjoyable experience of flight on a small plane, and lovely views. The ferry takes about an hour.
I'm not familiar with the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo, but if they are good about not allowing motor boats, maybe it's nice. Even just kayaking around the mango groves during the day would be fun. Actually, you could maybe do el Yunque during the day, then the Fajardo bio bay that night, since it's not that far.
The Ruta Panoramica is a drive through the Cordillera Central. It should be marked if you have a really good map. I imagine there's a way to get one online. The interior mountainous area is my favorite part of Puerto Rico, even more than the beaches. It's generally about 5-10 degrees cooler and so lush. It's where you really here the coquis, at night, too (I call my dad and at 4:00 pm I can already hear them singing in the background). You'll be there in November? Well, it should be really lush, as that's toward the end of the rainy season. Don't let any threat of rain curtail your plans, though. It can be raining in one place and 15 minutes later it's fine (unless there's a hurricane approaching!).
Good luck and enjoy your trip. I used to love showing off my island when I lived there, and tried to get U.S. friends to visit me there. Too few friends took me up on the offer, though.
Sep 1st, 2008, 04:29 AM
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::: Tapas in Old San Juan :::
Try the courtyard restaurant (don't remember the name) at El Convento Hotel. Also, we just went to Baru last night for the first time. It was excellent. www.barupr.com
::: BioBay :::
I agree with the previous post -- aim for Laguna Grande in Fajardo or Mosquito Bay in Vieques. The experience in Vieques is better, since you're kayaking in Fajardo and you can use the electric pontoon boat in Vieques. Correction to the previous post about Mosquito Bay in Vieques -- you do not have to stay overnight. East Island Excursions runs an evening trip to Vieques that starts and ends in Fajardo. They'll have you to the biobay and back to Fajardo by 11pm. Read this for more info -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/ea...ieques-biobay/
They do not allow swimming nor motorboats in Laguna Grande in Fajardo, so the health (i.e. brightness) of the biobay there is rebounding nicely. We went recenting and wrote-up our feelings afterward -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/la...jardo-bio-bay/
Check that the moon will be favorable on the night you want to go to the biobay. If the moon is too bright, you can't see the "glow" -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/biobay-and-moon/
::: Overall Itinerary :::
Wow! You have a lot planned for a week! You're going to be doing a huge amount of driving. I'd suggest picking one part of the island and fully exploring that one area. I think you'll be disappointed by how much traveling you'll be doing. Also, as someone else said, taking the day to ferry to Culebra or Vieques may not be worth it given how much else you want to do.
Try the courtyard restaurant (don't remember the name) at El Convento Hotel. Also, we just went to Baru last night for the first time. It was excellent. www.barupr.com
::: BioBay :::
I agree with the previous post -- aim for Laguna Grande in Fajardo or Mosquito Bay in Vieques. The experience in Vieques is better, since you're kayaking in Fajardo and you can use the electric pontoon boat in Vieques. Correction to the previous post about Mosquito Bay in Vieques -- you do not have to stay overnight. East Island Excursions runs an evening trip to Vieques that starts and ends in Fajardo. They'll have you to the biobay and back to Fajardo by 11pm. Read this for more info -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/ea...ieques-biobay/
They do not allow swimming nor motorboats in Laguna Grande in Fajardo, so the health (i.e. brightness) of the biobay there is rebounding nicely. We went recenting and wrote-up our feelings afterward -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/la...jardo-bio-bay/
Check that the moon will be favorable on the night you want to go to the biobay. If the moon is too bright, you can't see the "glow" -- http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/biobay-and-moon/
::: Overall Itinerary :::
Wow! You have a lot planned for a week! You're going to be doing a huge amount of driving. I'd suggest picking one part of the island and fully exploring that one area. I think you'll be disappointed by how much traveling you'll be doing. Also, as someone else said, taking the day to ferry to Culebra or Vieques may not be worth it given how much else you want to do.
Sep 2nd, 2008, 03:43 PM
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Our last trip we traveled around the island splitting our time between OSJ, the rain forest & Rincon. We didn't even get to the islands & we had 10 days. Any of the Bio-bay trips will depend on the Moon as well. You may want to take a look at an almanac. Most of the items you have planned, I would skip. Too me, the rain forest, the Caves, Rincon & OSJ are the places you should concentrate. Or, split time between OSJ & Vieques.
Sep 3rd, 2008, 12:01 PM
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Hi,
If you are looking at going to Isabela do not go to Happy Belly's on the beach. The food is okay, the sevice stinks and the place is not very clean. I would travel that same road into Aguadilla and eat at Cocina Creativa located on 107 next to the Supe Coop. Open in the summer from 11 am to 5 pm and in the winter 11am to 9 pm. Better food and fresh.
If you are looking at going to Isabela do not go to Happy Belly's on the beach. The food is okay, the sevice stinks and the place is not very clean. I would travel that same road into Aguadilla and eat at Cocina Creativa located on 107 next to the Supe Coop. Open in the summer from 11 am to 5 pm and in the winter 11am to 9 pm. Better food and fresh.
Oct 14th, 2008, 07:46 PM
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Sorry i got bumped. Any suggestions for late night carry-out food in Candado.Also casinos with friendly atmosphere, roulette tables and slots. Will be staying at Holiday Inn Express. Anything within walking distance or will I need to cab it? I am a night-owl. Like to play late and take food back to the room before turning in. Have several day excursions booked and just want to chill for the evening/night. And is the island recovered from the last storm?
Feb 14th, 2009, 07:15 PM
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If you go to El Yunque or near Fajardo, go to La Estacion for dinner (not open for lunch). The food is absolutely wonderful, mostly grilled. Try the pinchos with guava bbq sauce..yumm. It's not far from the entrance to El Conquistador Resort.
