Aasco
The pretty pueblo of A asco is southeast of Rinc n, on Carr. 109 off Hwy. 2. It is seldom visited by tourists, which is a shame since it is one of the rare small towns that still captures the flavor of rural Spanish colonial architecture. The coast nearby was one of Columbus' brief stops as he explored the Puerto Rican coast in late 1493 and, although there is no museum to commemorate it, the area is steeped in history. For decades after Columbus, waves of explorers, conquistadors and merchants...
Aguirre
Asugar town frozen in time, the ghost town of Aguirre is a curiosity on an island that is one of the most densely populated landmasses in the world. An abandoned cinema, hospital, bowling alley and other boarded-up buildings lend an eerie atmosphere to this former boomtown. At times, the only evidence that Aguirre is inhabited at all are the red-and-white power plant chimneys that poke up over the palm trees as you approach town on Carr. 705. The center of Aguirre reeks of history. The year...
Hiking Walking
Some of the best hiking snakes through the rain forest of El Yunque trail descriptions are given under Eco-Travel, page 331 , and there are a few idyllic seaside walks along beaches. For hikers seeking on- and off-trail adventures, we highly recommend spending a day or more with guide Richard Druitt of La Casa Vida Natural and his brother John Rubio, who run Island Walkers, PO Box 1916, R o Grande, s 787-887-4359, www.islandwalkers.com. If anyone can get you off the beaten track, it's this...
Surfing 1
The northwestern point of the island is known to surfers worldwide. The combination of swells that wrap around the peninsula, offshore winds and long point breaks create perfect conditions for peeling waves and long rides. Board-toting thrill-seekers usually begin arriving in Rinc n and Jobos in late September for the tail end of hurricane season, which can pro duce a few monstrous swells, and stay through early April, when the sea generally flattens out. Here's a breakdown of the hottest surf...
Touring Sightseeing Ybb
Begin your tour in Isabel Segunda, where some local characters are so friendly they'll cross the street or leap from the backs of trucks to shake your hand and say, Hello The majority of the population of Vieques lives around this five-block port town, and it has the feel of what Puerto Rico must have been like 50 years ago, before large-scale commercial development hit. School children in uniforms crowd the candy store. Elderly men repose on benches in the sunny central plaza. The coconut man...
El Yunques Hiking Trails
Thirteen official trails - a few paved and most extremely well maintained - lead into El Yunque. Many have shelters to duck into during frequent deluges of rain, as well as commodities such as drinking fountains, parking lots and visitor centers. Only a few trails are semi-treacherous, with slippery mud slopes that usually pay off at the end with stunning peak-top views. CAUTION Going off-trail or off-road in El Yunque is not advised, both for environmental and personal safety reasons. It's...
By Air
You will probably arrive on a flight from a major US or European city into the Luis Mu oz Mar n International Airport in San Juan. Most major carriers have flights, and it's a hub for American Airlines, with connections to other Caribbean islands. TWA also offers a near-daily check schedules, as they're subject to change redeye flight from Newark, New Jersey to Aguadilla, arriving at 2 a.m. - the only other destination for flights from abroad. This flight is highly recommended if you're...
Arroyo
It's hard to imagine that Arroyo was once a bustling sugar port with close connections to the then-Danish islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix. A few colorful A-frame homes still stand along the shore, testimony to a mild Scandinavian influence best represented by Danish descendant Edward Lind, one of few aristocrats who actually lived here. In reality, Arroyo has always been the poorer younger sibling of Guayama, and if you found Guayama boring you can skip this overdeveloped town. The town's...
Shopping Areas
s 787-725-1204, 205 Calle Cristo, travelers can stock up on kit bags and tech products. The ultimate gentleman's store, El Galpon, s 787-7253945,154 Calle Cristo, sells fine Suarez Panama hats and the island's best cigars. For kitchen enthusiasts, check out the shelves of Spicy Caribe, s 787-725-4690,154 Calle Cristo, for Caribbean cookbooks, tropical tableware and unique gourmet items. On Plaza San Jos , the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture gift shop is good for Puerto Rican musical...
Isbella Puerto Rico Where To Buy Mundillo
Puerto Rican arts and crafts are available in contemporary and antique forms, and the discerning shopper can pick up some real bargains. Santos are carved religious figures - usually wooden - and few traditional Puerto Rican homes are without at least one. You will often see lighted candles flickering on shrines laden with offerings to the various saints, most commonly St. Anthony or one of the virgins. Warding off evil and bringing good fortune to their believers, santos are immensely...
The Moca Plantations
Driving north on Carr. 110, from Moca toward Isabela a stretch of road called Jardines la Sierra because of its garden-like beauty , you'll find a French plantation-era fortress, called Los Castillos Mel ndez, at the intersection of Carr. 4110. The three fairy-tale buildings look wildly out of place. It's privately owned and, contrary to rumor, is not open to the public, according to the municipal office and the Tourism Company. Continue north on Carr. 110, turn right on Carr. 464 when you see...
EcoSnorkeling with Captain Richard
Native son Captain Richard Barone, a passionate viequense naturalist, educates islanders and visitors alike on the underwater wonders of his birthplace. If you have any interest in sea life whatsoever, don't miss his three-hour eco-snorkeling tour, Vieques Nature Tours, s 787-741-1980, in Esperanza. The tour starts right off the Esperanza pier, in Captain Richard's glass-bottom pontoon boat, the Sea View, which he designed himself. With a natural capacity for storytelling, he explains the...
Gunica The Dry Tropical Forest
When American troops first landed in Gu nica to claim Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War in 1898, they found a charming little residential community jarringly surrounded by dry, twisted scrub bent submissively under a hostile sun. As they prepared to do battle and sweated buckets in their Sears-made uniforms, they probably failed to notice the peculiar beauty of the rare dry tropical forest environment, the abundant bird life or the bright desert flowers punctuating the dusty greenery....
Puerto Rican Slang
baba, nf, literally meaning spittle, used for boring or meaningless talk. bacalao, nm, cod fish, also used as a vulgar term for female sexual organs ba ar el caballo, phr, literally to bathe the horse, a humorous and archaic male term for having sex. batey, nm, from the Taino word, meaning a yard in the country. bellaco a, adj, horny, hot. bicho, nm, literally bug, the most common vulgar term for the male sexual organ. boh o, nm, from Taino language, meaning a hut, usually without walls....
Touring Sightseeing Iak
Punta Guavate amp Carite Forest Reserve gJust to confuse you, this area has two names, which are often used interchangeably. To simplify Carite officially refers to the forest Guavate to the general area, which is best known for the 20 or 30 lechoneras that serve piping hot hunks of spit-roasted pork and chicken. From San Juan, it's a quick 30-minute trip. Take Hwy. 52 through the foothills of the Cordillera Central, then head southeast on Carr. 184, which marks the start of the pork-peddling...
Skydiving
Few activities provoke the eye-popping, sphincter-clenching rush of adrenaline that comes with willingly leaping out of a small plane thousands of feet in the air. The only private DZ drop zone in Puerto Rico is the Puerto Rican Skydiving Center, which operates from the airstrip in Humacao. They apparently offer tandem jumps for beginners you're strapped in with an instructor, who dives with you and controls the parachute , as well as training and certification courses and advanced jumps for...
EcoTravel Dvx
The Dry Tropical Forest of Guanica Despite the rugged terrain, searing heat and scant rainfall, the Guanica forest flourishes with an astonishing number of plants and cacti that burst with desert-like blooms, 245 species of trees and over 1,000 insects, including the yellow, black and red orb-weaving spider and so-called crazy ants, which form endless columns along the trails. Walking the trails see pages 237-240 for trail descriptions , you'll likely come across hermit crabs, geckos and...