Caribbean - Driving around in Puerto Rico---Where to go?

Hello Everyone!

Gearing up for our 2nd trip to PR.

We really loved it so we're back for a 2nd time! :D

For this 2nd trip, we garnered the courage to actually rent a car for a day so we can drive around and explore more of the island outside of the San Juan/Condado area.

A friend suggested going to the western part to the Cabo Rojo area...is that worth it?

We're interested in seeing some cool sights, safe and easy scenic drives, and of course, good local food :D

I usually don't like to drive abroad since they drive a bit different....so any tips on driving would also be appreciated:)

Thanks!

If you are just doing a day out of San Juan, would either drive east to El Yunque National Forest (http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/)with a stop at Luquillo Beach (nice place to take a walk, and there are tons of local food stands setup there). Or perhaps drive inland to see the Arecibo Observatory (http://www.naic.edu/general/).

On my last trip I drove around the island for a few days heading west from San Juan (stayed a night Aguadilla), visited Rincon to see the surfers, then drove down to Cabo Rojo area (stayed another night) and then headed to Ponce for a few nights. It was ok - glad I did it - but the drives took longer than expected and while certain areas were nice (i.e. several of the beaches are beautiful), a lot of the drive was just Burger King after McDonalds after Burger King. Not that scenic. So I would not recommend going to the west end just as a day trip.

If you are just doing a day out of San Juan, would either drive east to El Yunque National Forest (http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/)with a stop at Luquillo Beach (nice place to take a walk, and there are tons of local food stands setup there). Or perhaps drive inland to see the Arecibo Observatory (http://www.naic.edu/general/).


I will second this. I was born and raised in SJU, but live now in ORD. El Yunque is certainly a day trip in itself, you can also combined that with a restaurant in Fajardo area, or beach in Luquillo, there are plenty of kiosk along the way with local food. They also have a bioliluminscent bay.

Thanks to you both for the great suggestions and tips!

I think for now we will go from our hotel in the Condado area and go south to Guavate to the Lechoneras....we really would like to try the lechon/roast pork over there....then back track and head east to the El Yunque for the rest of the day.

I know, it's going to be a lot of driving, but since we'll only have the car for 1 day, I think this would be worth it.

Does this sound doable?

Thanks!

Thanks to you both for the great suggestions and tips!

I think for now we will go from our hotel in the Condado area and go south to Guavate to the Lechoneras....we really would like to try the lechon/roast pork over there....then back track and head east to the El Yunque for the rest of the day.

I know, it's going to be a lot of driving, but since we'll only have the car for 1 day, I think this would be worth it.

Does this sound doable?

Thanks!

The lechon at Guavate is not the be missed. You did not indicate if your 1 day was a weekday or weekend. Guavate tends to be much more of a destination on the weekends.

That and El Yunque in 1 day is doable but it might be a long day. Note that the roads are "small" and you should take your time. Definitely not like the 280 or 880 here in SF.

Enjoy some pig!

Thanks to you both for the great suggestions and tips!

I think for now we will go from our hotel in the Condado area and go south to Guavate to the Lechoneras....we really would like to try the lechon/roast pork over there....then back track and head east to the El Yunque for the rest of the day.

I know, it's going to be a lot of driving, but since we'll only have the car for 1 day, I think this would be worth it.

Does this sound doable?

Thanks!

Here are my thoughts, both places are good for half day/one day trip. However, I would not go to el Yunque at nighttime. (http://elyunque.com/trailmap.htm) The road is very narrow and dangerous in the dark. There are many sights to stop and see at el yunque, along with trails to walk. I gave you a link with sights on it, stop at Las Cabezas observation area, must see La Coca falls, Yokahu observation Tower, Juan Diego Falls, take the trail to la Mina falls, bring comfortable shoes and your swinsuit, as you can jump in the water (there is not clothing change area). The trail towards Mt. Britton is about a mile long, keep that in mind, as this might be time consuming if it has rained before. You can stop by the visitor center for some rest. On your way to Guavate, (http://www.discoveringpuertorico.com/2008/11/guavate-home-of-the-lechon/) remember that it is only open on the weekends, usually after 11:00am Saturday and Sunday. There are many lechoneras along the way, do not stop on the first ones, just follow the road until you reach an area that has several of them next to each other, should be about 15 minutes or so, depending on traffic. I usually go to Lechonera El Monte, or the one across the street from it. Try tostones, pastel, amarillos, mofongo, mavi (a drink made from sugar cane and bark), and of course lechon with rice and beans, if you want beer go for the local one Medalla. Keep in mind the road is rather narrow and curves a lot. This is an excellent place for lechon asado. There is one in old San Juan, but i do not recommend it.

If you like beer, my favorite bar is Taberna Lupulo in Old San Juan, by calle San Sebastian, (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23956). A good restaurant to eat in Old San Juan is Vaca Brava, but you have to go in Early, as you can easily wait 45-70 minutes for a table. Eating in condado area can be expensive, I suggest any of the local panaderias, for a sandwich, try a mallorca.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but i gave you some ideas to try. Enjoy my beautiful island, as much as I enjoy SFO when I visit there, love Sedona, R&G Lounge in Chinatown, and Fishermans Grotto for cioppino and the sourdough bread from Boudin. I'm hungry now.

Thanks again for the great suggestions!

We're going on a Wednesday...would that be a problem for the lechoneras? They said some of them are open 7 days a week....

Would you do the park first then the lechoneras? or vice versa?

Thanks again for the great suggestions!

We're going on a Wednesday...would that be a problem for the lechoneras? They said some of them are open 7 days a week....

Would you do the park first then the lechoneras? or vice versa?

Yeah ... Wed and lechon may not be the best idea. I don't know how many will be open but certainly a lot less than the weekend. Given the multiple constrains you face, maybe just skip it and go to the forest.

are open 7 days a week. I have not visited Guavate on weekdays, so it is difficult to say. Unfortunately none of them mention a phone # to call and confirm. I would prefer to do it on a Saturday, and yes, El yunque first, early morning trip, as it takes about a hour drive from Condado to get to Yunque area.

We just returned from a 9-day driving vacation in PR, and my "must see" list would be much different!
- El Yunque is a definite! Hike to the falls, allow 1.5 hours;
- Torro Negro National Forest (hike, GPS is a must);
- Go to Vieques for the beaches! (day trip is possible, if overnight, stay Hix Island House);
- Arecibo Observatory (again, GPS is a must);
- Bacardi Distillery Tour;
- Ponce & the Museum of Art.
As others have said, secondary roads aren't great. Avoid driving @ night.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

After being notified that we'll need a car for our tour on Monday, I've decided to rent a car for 3 days....so we can do the Guavate/Lechonara stuff on Sunday...(am assuming they're open on Easter Sunday) then doing our mini boat tour in Fajardo Monday morning and then do El Yunque after that....(tour ends at 1230pm then we can grab lunch and head over to El Yunque which is about 30 minutes from there apparently)

I think this is much more doable...hopefully....

Update:

We survived our trip and had an overall great time in PR!

Drive to Guavate was uneventful. Easter Sunday at the area where the lechonera's had a good number of people. Loud music playing, people dancing, some playing that mechanical horse roulette gambling thing.

Pork was nice and tender Skin was nice and crispy...just wish they had a sauce to go with it like in the Filipino version. El Monte was closed that day but we went to the one across the street from it.

Overall good atmosphere...glad we were able to try it out.

Drive the next day to Fajardo was ok. Arrived right on time for our tour. Did the snorkeling/beach island hop excursion. We were back in Fajardo by 1230pm. Went to eat at a place by the entrance to the El Yunque forest. Food was decent but service was very disorganized. felt like the whole place was run by high school aged kids who were volunteering.

Forest was great. Got to see the La Coca Falls, Yohaku tower, and made the hike to the waterfalls where I took a dip and took pictures.

A very tiring day but overall very happy we were able to explore outside of San Juan for a change.

If you are just doing a day out of San Juan, would either drive east to El Yunque National Forest (http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/)with a stop at Luquillo Beach (nice place to take a walk, and there are tons of local food stands setup there). Or perhaps drive inland to see the Arecibo Observatory (http://www.naic.edu/general/).

On my last trip I drove around the island for a few days heading west from San Juan (stayed a night Aguadilla), visited Rincon to see the surfers, then drove down to Cabo Rojo area (stayed another night) and then headed to Ponce for a few nights. It was ok - glad I did it - but the drives took longer than expected and while certain areas were nice (i.e. several of the beaches are beautiful), a lot of the drive was just Burger King after McDonalds after Burger King. Not that scenic. So I would not recommend going to the west end just as a day trip.

Ah. The Arecibo Observatory is where I'd like to go with one of my mates, due to our being James Bond fans. However, as a pathetic driver, can one get there, or many places outside of San Juan easily by just public transit?
Thanks.

We just returned from a 9-day driving vacation in PR, and my "must see" list would be much different!
- El Yunque is a definite! Hike to the falls, allow 1.5 hours;
- Torro Negro National Forest (hike, GPS is a must);
- Go to Vieques for the beaches! (day trip is possible, if overnight, stay Hix Island House);
- Arecibo Observatory (again, GPS is a must);
- Bacardi Distillery Tour;
- Ponce & the Museum of Art.
As others have said, secondary roads aren't great. Avoid driving @ night.

Nice list. I am about to make my first trek to Puerto Rico, alone. Decided staying in San Juan and trying to back and forth to east side wasn't feasible w/o renting a car. Wish I could find hostels there to offset cost, but found one Nauabo.

Opinions on my ideas, please. I am think about driving to ferry to spend day at Vieques to bike around island and may a dive. Would also like to see El Yunque, how far is the drive before you park and do some hiking? What part of island is Torro Negro?

Lone female hiking and such, should I be concerned?

I am going toward the end of May and I planned the following:

San Juan for 2-3 days to check out everything and do some surfing which I heard was good.
1-2 days in Fajardo for snorkeling and a yacht party.

I'm not over 21 yet so I couldn't rent a car. If I had a car, I'd definitely add more to the list.

Ah. The Arecibo Observatory is where I'd like to go with one of my mates, due to our being James Bond fans. However, as a pathetic driver, can one get there, or many places outside of San Juan easily by just public transit?
Thanks.

However, from SJU to Arecibo, is rather erratic or non existent. They have what is called "publico" which basically is a van that picks up people in a central area and drops off on another. Unfortunately, for your options of SJU to Observatory, public transport or "publico" is not an option.
I suggest renting a car, or see if there is a tour that covers an obsevatory trip. You can also take a taxi, but that will be VERY $$$$$$$$$$$

Nice list. I am about to make my first trek to Puerto Rico, alone. Decided staying in San Juan and trying to back and forth to east side wasn't feasible w/o renting a car. Wish I could find hostels there to offset cost, but found one Nauabo.

Opinions on my ideas, please. I am think about driving to ferry to spend day at Vieques to bike around island and may a dive. Would also like to see El Yunque, how far is the drive before you park and do some hiking? What part of island is Torro Negro?

Lone female hiking and such, should I be concerned?

Renting a car is certainly a must if you decide to travel outside the local SJU area. Public transport is very limited or erratic outside SJU area. If you are looking for hostels or short term rentals, try craiglist puerto rico and see what is being offered. There are some "paradores" which is kinda like a small country inn. I myself have not stayed in them, nor know of one i can recommend.

If taking ferry to Vieques, please make sure you check their schedule and get there early, as it does get full from time to time and they will prioritize the local residents over a visitor to take the trip. There is also plane service in a local airport, or from SJU. You could also do same in Culebra Island, which is a little farther from Vieques. I've already mentioned information on El Yunque upthread. As for Toro Negro, it is south/central part of Island. Here is a link with info on it, http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/toro-negro-forest/

As for your concerns of being a lone female hiking, I suggest you take your normal precautions and safety as you will do in any other area you visit. Any place you visit in the world will have its good areas, as much as its bad ones. Certainly El yunque and toro negro are excellent places to hikes, however I can say that cell phone coverage IS VERY SPOTTY. Another area to hike or go bike riding is Pinones, which goes around the beach area and it is close to SJU, http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/therusticexperience/p/Pinones.htm You can enjoy some of the local food in this area, and you do not need to go that far out. Certainly worth a try.

I am going toward the end of May and I planned the following:

San Juan for 2-3 days to check out everything and do some surfing which I heard was good.
1-2 days in Fajardo for snorkeling and a yacht party.

I'm not over 21 yet so I couldn't rent a car. If I had a car, I'd definitely add more to the list.

along route 413, but it does require car as it is out of the way. Some of the local SJU surf spot is Escambron, Isla Verde area (Pine Grove) and also Pinones, (http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/therusticexperience/p/Pinones.htm)

Fajardo is good beach area also, however, bear in mind that there are no big reef in the area in comparison to other Islands. Snorkeling might be better in Vieques or Culebra area, Palomino, palominito, etc, but that requires boat service.

There is another beautiful isolated beach called gilligans, that has calm waters, good kayaking and some snorkeling too.

Just wanted to update everyone after spending a week in Puerto Rico.

PR is definitely a nice island and I recommend it ONLY if you are up to move around. If you only plan on staying in San Juan, you will probably not have the best time.

Here are the top 4 things I recommend (in my favorited order):

1. Sailing off the coast of Fajardo and snorkeling. I paid $90 for sailing to two different islands (one was Icacos) and snorkeling. Lunch, unlimited alcoholic drinks, equipment, transportation from San Juan included. It was fantastic and a blast. A must do!

2. Biobay Luminescent Kayak Tour was another favorite of mine. $70 total for transportation and the tour (plus we got some 100 proof rum at the end). So crazy how you touch the water and it lights up. This is one of those experiences you must have before you die! I never kayaked before but it was easy enough to get a hold of it. Very tiring so be prepared!

3. Check out Old San Juan! We checked out the coastal area which is supposedly where all the gangsters and drug dealers hang out. It wasn't too bad during the day. This old city has a charm to it and the people here are very chill. Worth a long one day walk for sure! While you are in Old San Juan, check out the Bacardi Distillery (you need to take a ferry).

4. Ferry trip to Culebra wasn't my total favorite. Probably because you need to wake up at 3-4AM in San Juan to get to Fajardo to get a ferry ticket. The lines are ridiculously long and if you can't get a ticket (they run out) you will have to wait for the next fleet or go to Vieques. The ferry ride was painfully long (1h30) and the seats were metal hard. The beach was overrated in my opinion. Maybe it was the method of getting there that ruined it for me.