Massive forts, the Pork Highway, rainforest parrots, and all the breathtaking nature you can handle
At the San Juan airport for the plane back to Buffalo, I saw a sign with Puerto Rico’s nickname: Island of Enchantment,
“You’re goddamn right,” I said, out loud, surprising even myself.
For a decade I enjoyed the work of Puerto Rican cooks without understanding the inspirations for their cuisine. One trip, and I’ve become a staunch advocate for putting the Caribbean island of 3.2 million American citizens on your itinerary.
Here’s a fact to get you started: round-trip tickets from Buffalo to Puerto Rico start at $160.
Tropical breezes and cobblestone streets, sure, but also massive imagination-stirring forts twice as old as the United States, and fresh snapper ceviche by the refreshing cup.
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Dayglo green parrots screeching and bioluminescent plankton glowing blue-green as your ship’s hull squeezes by on a dark harbor cruise can add breathtaking shades to your view of the world.
My partner Jen Regan, who organized our trip, wrote up some of her suggestions for the Puerto Rico curious.
Learn some Spanish, even Duolingo. Most people speak English, but it’s nice to have a few words like “muchas gracias” and “dos cervezas, per favor.” A smile goes a long way.
Rent a car. Your driver’s license is in effect, but you need to have your insurance information. Best to rent at the airport, from a traditional company. We rented from a cheaper off-site dealer, then hidden additional fees made the final cost far more than advertised. (Specifically, avoid Ace Compact Car.) We found no “pay at the pump” gas stations. You have to go in and pay.
Driving is easy and familiar. Same side of road, same rules of the road. Parking in Old Town San Juan is limited. But there are large lots centrally located at $30-ish per day.
Old San Juan is beautiful, vibrant and surrounded by history, but it can be loud at night. Pack a white noise machine if you’re a light sleeper. Be prepared for loud bars and party atmosphere in much of the district.
If you visit the historic forts, Castillos de San Felipe and Cristobal, paying one entry fee gets you admission to both.
We opted to drive across the island, about four hours north to south, to La Parguera to see the bioluminescent bay. We took a big group boat, opting not to kayak as those are reported to be crowded. We had a blast.
On the way to La Parguera, we stopped on the Lechon Highway for a truly memorable meal and music. Everyone was there with big family parties, definitely a Sunday afternoon tradition.
Here’s a tipsheet to kickstart your own journey to refreshment.
San Juan
402 Avenue Muñoz Rivera, San Juan, Puertó Rico, 787-721-4269
Old-school hamburger joint with 60 years of service turns out burgers that look more like a baseball than a hockey puck. They’re all served medium-well, no picking your temperature. After a roquefort burger ($6), I heartily endorse El Hamburguer’s flaming broiler approach.
1966 McCleary Ave., San Juan, Puerto Rico, kasalta.com, 787-727-7340
Panaderías are bakeries that funnel fresh stuff into a restaurant. People line up at the appropriate counters to order sandwiches, seafood salads, baked sweets, soups, and entrees. Full bar. So busy there’s a parking lot captain.
Mallorcas, eggy sugar-dusted sweet rolls, are split and griddled with butter. Crackly fresh loaves become swoonful sandwiches, but a mallorca griddled with ham and cheese ($10.95) made me not want to leave the island.
105 Calle Fortalez, San Juan, Puerto Rico, cafeelpunto.com, 787-723-7159
Cool glade of a restaurant in a handsome old building. First-class professional service, and a menu of traditional favorites. Here, I discovered that Haas avocados, preferred in the United States, are not the best avocados. A fresh Puerto Rican avocado filled with shrimp salad led me to discover the Haas’ fruitier, lighter, refreshing big brother.
San Juan Bay Marina, Avenue Manuel Fernández Juncos, San Juan, Puerto Rico, tiratepalagua.com, 787-318-6604
Pristine ceviche, pastelillos in seafood and meat, fried whole snapper. Octopus and conch pastelillos were interesting, fish was terrific, but the $5 glass of ceviche spun my whole world round. Why can’t this be part of my life on the daily? Restaurant cannot be seen from the street side of the building, which holds a Sizzler. It’s located on the lower level, next to the marina, accessible from dockside.
Old San Juan’s main public square, Plaza de Armas, holds a coffee kiosk where locals and tourists line up for cafes fríos and calor made with Puerto Rican grown coffee. Guava pastries, mallorcas, and other baked goods are available until sold out for the day. Gangs of roaming pigeons act like crumb sharks, scrapping for every morsel.
361 Calle San Francisco, San Juan
Beautiful old building with huge apartments, tile floors, well-appointed, for less than the generic modern Hyatt boxes. From the balcony facing Calle San Francisco, you can see the Castillo San Cristobal, the largest fort ever built in the Americas, built from 1634 until 1765.
Full kitchen, two bedrooms, full apartment, air conditioning, nice shower in our third floor walkup, traditional for Old Town. Spanish colonial details abound, and there’s a big grocery store next door.
320 Calle Fortaleza, San Juan
Natural wine bar in Old San Juan nestled in a 1700s building, suggested by Puerto Rican food writer Alicia Kennedy. Wide-ranging offerings of minimal-intervention vintages, and snacks like boquerones, marinated white anchovies with flatbread.
101 Calle del Cristo, San Juan
Legendary dive bar with walls marked by generations of drinkers and revelers. The jukebox is all vinyl 45s, mostly from the 60s, when Allen Ginsburg read poetry here. The Rolling Stones drank here when they played San Juan. Food is limited to chips and guacamole, but people don’t come here to eat.
El Yunque
El Yunque is a rainforest-topped mountain on the eastern end of Puerto Rico. Lavish plant life, birds like the bright green Puerto Rican parrot, and tiny coquí frogs are some of the natural attractions. Entry, $8, is on a first come, first served basis. Gates open at 8 a.m. Be there then, or sign up for a tour. Check out the welcome center, too, El Portal.
Guavate, La Ruta de Lechón (Pork Highway)
Roasting whole pigs is a core boricua culinary tradition. A cluster of lechonerias, restaurants dedicated to the specialty, are gathered along this stretch of hilly central Puerto Rico. They are dining and dancing destinations, tables set around vast dance floors.
Get in line, choose from the roast pig parts, pork and blood sausages, seafood salads, yuca, and of course, rice and beans. If it’s the weekend, you’re going to be in the middle of traffic jam party central, as locals pile into the lechonerias.
Km 27.7 Carr. 184, Cayey, Puerto Rico, lospinosguavate.com, 787-286-1917
La Parguera
Some Puerto Rican bays are home to dinoflagellates, a type of plankton that glows when disturbed. A nighttime boat tour can rearrange your idea of how nature works as it reveals that the sea itself is alive. Serene and contemplative, disturbed only by the desire to slap the phone out the hands of flash-using photographers.
The dock area holds several restaurants, many souvenir shops, a modern arcade with digital amusements and pinball machines, and an old-fashioned horse racing game.
XXF2 + 9JX, La Parguera, Lajas, 787-899-5582
Air-conditioned restaurant with solid mofongo, ceviche, pernil, and more, located near the tour boat dock.
Saturday farmers market centering organic producers, held near El Morro, gives small producers a chance to reach city customers.
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