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By Mark Rogers
Photos by Mark Rogers & Sophy Rogers
Puerto Rico is a great choice for travelers venturing outside the U.S. for the first time. While being reassuringly familiar, Puerto Rico still strikes enough exotic notes that it’s clear that you’re no longer in your own backyard. I’ve been to the island numerous times, but I’ve been stuck in San Juan (which, by the way, is a great place to be stuck). This time my Delta Vacations and MLT Vacations trip included ample time to explore the island by rental car.
Prior to jetting off, my agent at Delta Vacations did a great job sorting out my itinerary. My wish list proved to be unpractical. One of my hotel selections was booked solid and a two-night minimum stay was required at my other choices. In minutes she had things sorted out, a task that would have taken me hours of web surfing and emails. The adjustments she made also stretched my budget to the extent that I was able to add a full day to my trip.
My wife Sophy and I touched down in San Juan, where we planned to stay for the first three nights of the 7-night trip. This was Sophy’s first time in Puerto Rico and I wanted to give her a taste of the capital. I opted to pick up our rental car after we left San Juan; I saw no reason to hassle with parking and city traffic. I think I made the right choice since taxis are plentiful and it’s a great city to explore by foot, especially Old San Juan.
We were booked into the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. I’d stayed there before and remembered it fondly. The hotel’s lobby hums like a hip city hotel, with great action in the new hotel lobby bar (try the jalapeno mojitos). Take a few steps away from the lobby and you’re at the hotel’s huge pool, which fronts a beach. The hotel is in the Condado district, which is packed with restaurants, boutiques, convenience stores and nightlife. If you can’t enjoy yourself in this setting you should stay home.
When we picked up our Alamo rental car at the international airport, it was a simple one, two three move and then we were on the main road, Highway 22, heading west for the three-hour drive to Rincon. Driving in Puerto Rico shouldn’t faze drivers from the U.S. You’ll motor along on the right lane and signage is in English and Spanish. Use caution when you merge onto the highway, since a macho attitude sometimes comes into play. While you may think you have the right of way, the male driver in the intimidating pickup may beg to differ. The best advice I have is to play it mellow. Who’s in a rush, anyway?
One of the pleasant aspects of having your own wheels is pulling over at will. We stopped in a little café for a fried chicken and mofungo lunch (enough calories for three days), bought fruit from a roadside stand and stopped to chat with a guy selling Labrador pups. If I was part of an organized tour these kinds of experiences would be hard to come by.
The second hotel we booked was The Lazy Parrot, in Rincon. I’d intentionally booked a cheaper, two-star hotel to get a broader view of what the island offered. Plus, I’m a fan of down market hotels when they’re run with pride and panache. The Lazy Parrot is fine for what it is – I’d recommend it for those travelers who are looking for a place to lay their head after a full day exploring the countryside. It has a wonderful hillside location; the downside of that is you’re not on the beach. This didn’t concern me, since I had my own car.
Sophy and I fell in love with Rincon. The beach is marvelous; with impressive Atlantic waves that attract surfers from around the world. I don’t surf, but the prime body surfing action kept me in the water for hours. There are plenty of villas and apartments for rent, which may be the way to go to get the full Rincon effect. If you’re in Rincon, definitely drop by Tamboo around sunset. It’s considered to be one of the best beach bars in the world.
Sophy and I will be coming back to Rincon for what I would consider the perfect vacation gumbo: writing in the morning, body surfing all afternoon, having a few beers at Tamboo as the sun sinks into the sea, and then cooking up a seafood dinner with Sophy in our beachfront villa.
Sophy and I pried ourselves away from Rincon for a day to explore the city of Ponce, on the island’s south coast. Ponce is Puerto Rico’s second largest city and definitely worth a look. I haven’t made it to Havana yet, but from what I’ve seen, there are some similarities to Ponce. Head for the historic section of town and stroll around the streets; past museums, cathedrals and well-kept parks.
The third and final leg of our trip required a drive back along the Highway 22, east of San Juan to the Rio Mar area. We checked into the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, a huge resort complex with a golf course, villas and a main hotel. The resort offered enough activities to keep a person busy for weeks, but we opted instead to explore the countryside.
Once again, having our own car made all the difference in the world. We spent a full morning driving through the El Yunque National Rainforest, driving slowly along well-maintained, deeply shadowed roads, stopping at waterfalls and climbing the rainforest’s observation towers, where you can look down over a serene green countryside, all the way down to the bright sea. Sophy and I spent the afternoon at the sea food kiosks at the beach in Luquillo, eating oysters, listening to salsa on the jukebox and drinking Medallas, a popular Puerto Rico beer. We capped off a drawn-out lunch with a dip in the sea.
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