You can’t help but fall in love with an island that keeps surprising you, especially when it’s small enough to drive across in half a day. Puerto Rico, 100 miles by 35 (at its widest point) miles has all the sun, sand and surf you could want in a Caribbean destination. But just beyond the north coast’s famous tourist beaches, an entirely different island awaits exploration.
To fully experience all that Puerto Rico has to offer, pry yourself from the seductive arms of Viejo San Juan – the colonial section of the capital that beguiles visitors with narrow cobblestone streets and intimate courtyards – and hit the road.
Head down Highway 3 to Fajardo (about 90 minutes, depending on traffic), where you can park in a secure lot by the dock and jump a ferry to Culebra, the less celebrated but ultimately more entrancing sister island to Vieques. Both these Puerto Rican offshoots are great getaways, but Culebra, only 9 miles long, has five immense beaches with gently curving shorelines. The 2,000 acres along the Peninsula Flamenco, including 20 offshore cays, form a National Wildlife Refuge and turtle sanctuary, and have kept development at bay (volunteer for an overnight turtle watch when the beaches close for nesting).
Rent a jeep, scooter or bike, or use the services of Willy, the genial town taxi driver, to get to the more remote playas, or beaches – Flamenco, Zoni, Brava, Soldado and Resaca. Dewey, the one and only town, takes five minutes to cross on foot and holds a handful of ex-pat-run B&Bs that are short on high-end amenities but long on Jimmy Buffett-style partying. Hard-core scuba divers throng to the surrounding cays to swim with the fish, but you’ll see plenty of underwater life just paddling around.
When you’ve had your fill sunning with the turtles, return to the “mainland” and follow the highway to Ponce, once known as “The Pearl of the South.”
The evocative remains of the city’s former 19th-century grandeur lend a serene beauty to the Plaza Las Delicias, the sun-dappled and fountain-filled colonial-era square that forms the heart of Ponce. If you ignore the string of neon signs on one corner, all you’ll remember is the nighttime splendor of the lighted Fuentes de Leones (Fountain of Lions), the explosive pops of bomba y plena drummers, the warm scent of rum and the red-and-black Parque de Bombas (old firehouse) next to La Catedral de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe).
You can soak up more of Ponce’s colorful past by visiting Hacienda Buena Vista, a beautifully restored coffee plantation that, not coincidentally, affords a rare look at the history of slave labor on the island, and the Centro Ceremonial Indigena de Tibes (Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center), showcasing native life 1,000 years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The one sight not to be missed, however, is the Guanica Dry Forest Reserve, just 20 minutes away, where Puerto Rico’s steamy interior rain forest gives way to arid desert.
Lizards drape themselves over dusty rocks, and tinder-dry bushes sprout from the sunburned earth. Cross any number of trails of all skill levels in the 9,500-acre dry forest, and you always will end up at the edge of the ocean, where seabirds hang out to catch thermals. Rough paths lead down to the water, but it is also possible to drive along coastal Route 333, which traces the outskirts of the park, and pull over for a dip as the mood strikes you.
Puerto Rico could keep surprising you for days – even weeks – if you continue on to the cheery fishing village of La Parguera, or into the Central Mountains for a stay at the 200-
year-old Hacienda Gripinas. But if your vacation is nearing its end and you need one more fix of Viejo San Juan before you go, jump on the newly finished San Juan-Ponce autopista (highway), and you will be sipping a mojito in the old town in less than two hours.
The details
Getting there:
Jet Blue, Delta, Continental and American airlines have flights from all over the U.S. to San Juan, Ponce and Aquadilla. Local charters like Air Flamenco (787-742-1040; $90 round trip) fly from San Juan to Culebra.
Places to stay and eat:
In Culebra: Mamacita’s (787-742-0090; 64 Calle Castellar; mamacitaspr.com; rooms $85-$100) is a Caribbean-style hotel/restaurant/bar. It’s friendly, fun and upbeat, but expect music and revelry until at least 11 p.m.
To rent a house or villa, call Michael McCarty at Culebra Vacation Planners (787-742-3112, 1-866-285-3272; culebravacationplanners.com).
The Dinghy Dock (787-742-0581; Punta del Soldado Road; $7-$18), famous for its fresh fish, gets first dibs on the locals’ daily catch.
In Ponce: Hotel Melia (787-842-0260, 800-44-UTELL; hotelmeliapr.com; 2 Calle Cristina; $85-$120) is a century-old hotel on the east edge of the plaza. Its restaurant, Marks at Melia’s, puts a new twist on the classic mofongo (mashed plantains).
Pako’s (787-290-4602; Calle Luna 70; $17-$30): Part art gallery and part restaurant, Pako’s is great for lunch or dinner.
Hacienda Gripinas (787-828-1717; haciendagripinas.com; Highway 527, Jayuya; with breakfast and dinner $90/$155) is a fully restored 200-year-old hacienda with alpine surroundings and a restaurant serving local dishes.
Ginger Adams Otis wrote Lonely Planet’s new “Puerto Rico” guide and contributed to “The Kindness of Strangers.”
