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Day trip to Culebra

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It was 5:30am when we left our snug beds to set out to Fajardo for our trip to Culebra Island.  It’s a 3 hour drive from Rincon. The whole way while driving there I was a tad worried because this was MY idea.  I was 99.9% sure it was going to be worth driving 6hrs in one day, but that .01% was gnawing at me. Turns out I was worried over nothing! It was an incredible trip!

We booked our trip using the Viator app with East Island Adventures. There is a ferry that you can catch from Fajardo to Culebra for $5 round trip, if you want to bring a cooler of food they will charge $1 more.  This option was considerably less than what we went with, but you need to arrive at least 2hrs ahead of time and stand in line to get a spot on the ferry. You never know how many people will be there so there is a slight chance it could sell out before you get your ticket. We took the safe route of a guided tour, snorkel equipment, lunch and booze included- Dramamine not- highly reccomend if your sea legs are weak! Another reccomentation is a good water tight bag or case for your phone. One that you can use under water. You will want to take pics, also there is no dock, you swim to shore. So if you want pics on flamenco Beach, bring a waterproof case or bag. 

There are two stops, a cove with a reef for awesome snorkeling and then Flamenco Beach. My pictures below are in that order as well! 

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Flamenco Beach

La Ruta del Lechon – AKA the Pork Highway!

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On our way to Rincon we took a detour to an area in the mountains that is known for roadside restaurants specializing in roast pig. 

The Pork Highway, or La Ruta del Lechón, is a roughly three-mile stretch of Route 184, which is located in a central area of Puerto Rico called Guavate. This winding road is lined with more than a dozen casual roadside restaurants, known as lechoneras, specializing in slow-roasted whole pig (lechón).

It was incredible! Seemed to be mostly locals, only a handful of tourists. It is known as a place to go on weekends and holidays. It seemed like each restaurant had their own band the music was loud and everyone was dancing, drinking  and eating. It was a mass party! The food and atmosphere was so great. I think it is a prerequisite that you know how to dance here. People were dancing in line to get food, dancing while they waited for their drinks, as well as the people that were dancing on the actual dance floor. You can’t help but smile here! 

We had pig, mofungo, blood sausage, rice and beans and tostones. It was awesome! I’m sorry I didn’t take a picture of our feast! 

Ok, so no words can do this justice, but pictures and video can! 

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Old San Juan 

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Puerto Rico we’re back! Karen and I were here 4 years ago for 4 days, but this time we  brought George along and Karen’s best friend of 13 years, Isabel! 

Traveling to Puerto Rico is easy and cheaper than other Caribbean destinations. If you are a US citizen you do not need s passport. Puerto Rico is a US territory, so the currency is the same and more importantly driving is a piece of cake, making it easy to see the island and explore! Renting a car is a must. 

We flew into San Juan, rented our car at the airport and headed to our hotel in Old San Juan.  Old San Juan is awesome! Narrow cobblestone streets, colorful pastel buildings with ornate balconies and heavy wooden doors make for an architecturally stunning city. We booked a room for one night at Casa Blanca Hotel https://hotelcasablancapr.com/

It was an incredible hotel! Right in the heart of the action. Extra bonus for me, there were movie references throughout the hotel, like the movie playing on a constant loop in the lobby, it was awesome!  Below are a few pics of the hotel and street view from our balcony. 

Casa Blanca playing in the lobby 💗


After we settled in our room, we walked around the city stopping at shops and vendors along the way. San Juan is an easy city to walk. It is about 10-15 min from end to end. There is a tram that you can hop on and off of, but I imagine you can walk the distance you want to go in the time it takes waiting for the tram to arrive! Our approach to seeing San Juan was to not have an agenda. Just wander the cross crossing streets, stop at shops, sit on benches and people watch. Stop at cafes to have a drink. Slow down and enjoy not having an agenda. 

Some highlights of our meandering. 

After all that walking we needed to rest our feet. Most hotel have a rooftop pool or jacuzzi, Casa Blanca had 4 cement double bath tubs! They were awesome! Of coarse I had to try it out! It was awesome!!

Morning view waking up. So gorgeous! 

 

The next morning we set out for the fort, Castillo San Felipe del Morro. This Spanish fort was so cool like stepping into history. 

Sentinel turret. 

Chapel

Beautiful cemetery next to the fort


Next stop the surf town of Rincon where we will stay for the remainder of our trip! 

Stay tuned…