Destinations: Cueva Ventana & Cueva del Indio

For most people traveling to Puerto Rico, the island conjures images of sandy beaches with clear blue water. Unbeknownst to most, however, is the existence of hundreds of caves scattered throughout the island. Perhaps the most popular, and the one I would least recommend, is the Rio de Camuy Cave Park. Although it is certainly interesting to visit and explore, my favorites are Cueva Ventana ("Window Cave") and Cueva del Indio ("Indian Cave") because you get to venture at your own leisurely pace. Unlike Rio de Camuy, there are no mandatory guided tours at either Cueva Ventana nor Cueva del Indio. They're also situated close enough to one another, the former is located in Utuado and the latter in Arecibo, so that you can visit both in one day. We left the metro San Juan area at around 10:30AM and had plenty of time to explore these two caves. Amazingly, we even had lunch at Lago Dos Bocas in between visiting both places.

Our first stop was Cueva Ventana. The trail leading up to this cave is located next to a Texaco gas station (note: they were charging $2 for parking per car and $0.50 per person to use the bathroom) on route 10 towards Utuado. It's an easy hike up to the cave but it is unmarked. When you reach a fork on the trail, hang a left and soon you'll reach the first entrance to the cave on your lefthand side. We took the second entrance, which is lies further up the trail, because it was much easier to navigate. Do bring a flashlight, since it gets dark inside. After walking around in darkness for a few minutes or so, you'll start to see a bit of light filtering in. Shortly thereafter, you'll encounter the opening of the cave, which offers a breathtaking view of the very lush and green Utuado countryside.

Cueva del Indio, on the other hand, is located right on the beach and you'll have to descend a wooden ladder in order to reach it. Once you reach down inside the cave, you'll see petroglyphs which reportedly date back to the days of the Taino Indians. Before you this point though, you'll have to walk and climb along a jagged limestone surface. Needless to say, I would recommend wearing sneakers or walking shoes. There were also quite a few sinkholes, so watch your step! We easily found Cueva del Indio, which is located on Road 681 at km 7.8 in Arecibo, since there was a huge sign posted at the parking lot entrance (note: they also charge $2 to park). Both caves are visited more often by locals than tourists. There is no entrance fee to visit either Cueva Ventana or Cueva del Indio. Both caves are well worth a visit!

Destination: the Running town of Jájome

The sun was barely out, but the early morning air was crisp, and fog still hung on top of the mountains as my friend and I began running this narrow, two-lane road up and down the hills of Jájome today. Located in the municipality of Cayey, this mountainous town attracts hordes of runners during the weekends. Given its challenging route, it is officially six miles long and considered to be moderately difficult, people from many different parts of the island head to Jájome to train for upcoming races. Naturally, some also make the trip to simply enjoy the beauty of the mountains of central Puerto Rico.

During our run, between mile 3 and 4, we came across the country home of the governor ("Casilla del Gobernador"). It sits right in front of what looked like a blue-colored house. This turned out to be a police station, coincidence? Along the way, we were able to enjoy some gorgeous views of the mountains, despite having to be on the look out for oncoming cars. Unfortunately, the trail is not strictly for runners but is actually a road that runs through various residential neighborhoods. Luckily, it is not a heavily transited stretch of road. There are also mile markers and road signs clearly indicating that it's an area frequented by runners. Most of the cars, the majority are probably locals, observed the speed limits and were very respectful of runners.

The most challenging part from today's run began at mile 6, where the trail officially ends and we turned around to make our way back. It was all uphill for about a mile. Afterwards, there would be brief periods of leveling off before hitting small hills. Sadly, in Puerto Rico, there aren't many trails designed exclusively for runners or cyclists. Jájome is one of the prettiest places I've gone running on the island. We ran a total of 12 miles today, and it felt absolutely amazing. If you're interested in checking out this popular running area, I suggest an early start, definitely get there before 7AM.

To get to Jájome from the San Juan metro area, head South and take exit 39 (it's right after the famous pork-eating town of Guavate), on the expressway 52. Make a left once you exit the highway, and you'll see a sign which says Jájome with a right arrow. Take this road all the way straight and you'll eventually be making your way up a mountainous road, PR-15, and you'll see mile marker 1 on your lefthand side. It took us about 45 minutes or so to get there. Have a great run!

Destination: Guavate

People always looked at me incredulously when they find out that I have never been to Guavate. Well, after nearly five years of moving back to Puerto Rico, I can finally say that I have been to the island's quintessential gastronomic mecca. Mention Guavate, and lechon (roast pork) is what automatically comes to mind. Located in the town of Cayey, Guavate is only about 30 to 40 minutes south of San Juan. It attracts hordes of people, especially on weekends, and it's best to get there before midday. As you take exit #32 off of highway #52, bear left and you'll immediately find a number restaurants. Continue on this road for another 20 minutes or so until you see Los Pinos, which a friend of mine swears has the best lechon in Guavate.

Just a little further away from Los Pinos is El Rancho Original, where we had lunch. Turns out this was also where the Travel Channel's Samantha Brown had lechon when she came to the island. Guavate is a wonderful place to experience Puerto Rican culture. Not only is this mountain town a great destination known for its delectable lechoneras, but practically all of them have live salsa and merengue bands. The ambiance is lively and fun. Just remember, when visiting Guavate, go hungry and be prepared to eat your heart out! Buen provecho.

Destination: Cabo Rojo

Located in the Southwest corner of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo is truly a hidden gem in an island with thousands of miles of beaches. Unspoiled, secluded, and relatively undiscovered by tourists, this is a spot which I would re-visit in a heartbeat! It took us almost two and a half hours to get there from San Juan, via Ponce. We stayed at the Bahía Salinas Beach Resort & Spa, which I do recommend. It's actually the only hotel in its area. Although they were unable to provide us with the two tickets to the Central American and Caribbean Games, which were part of our reservations, I was very happy with the hotel. They did compensate us with two therapy sessions at their spa.

Cozy, charming and with a lovely view of Bahía Sucia, Bahía Salinas Beach Resort has about 28 rooms and villas. It is what we call on the island, a parador, a local-owned small hotel establishment. One of the things I loved most about the hotel was its location, which is in close proximity to Cabo Rojo's two most famous attractions: Playuela Beach (also known as Playa Sucia, it literally means "dirty beach" in Spanish) and the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, or Los Morrillos. In order to get to both sites, which lie on the same unpaved road, I would recommend going in a jeep or SUV. Better yet, if you like biking, go on two wheels! This is an area with many trails where people can walk, bike or run.

In fact, we did see many cyclists and I watched with envy as they easily passed us by. Nevertheless, we were able to slowly navigate giant potholes and reach the very end of the road, past the lighthouse, where Playa Sucia is located. The beach is not visible from where we parked our car, but it was just a short walking distance away. Small and crescent-shaped, I can see why many people have ranted and raved to us about it. However, I still find Flamenco Beach in Culebra to be the best in Puerto Rico. Playa Sucia seems to be more popular amongst the locals though, as we saw no tourists. Our next stop was the lighthouse, which sits atop a gorgeous cliff with a spectacular view. This trip was definitely the perfect weekend getaway.

Destination: Lago Dos Bocas, Utuado

It was a national holiday, Three Kings Day (Día de Reyes), today and we decided to go on a road trip! Although Puerto Rico is not a big island, there just always seems to be a new place to be discovered. About two months ago, when we visited Hacienda San Pedro, we had passed by a sign which said "Lago Dos Bocas" (it literally translates to "Two Mouth Lake") in Utuado. I thought to myself then, we'll have to go sometime. Lago Dos Bocas is generally a place where people go to eat fish. Today, we had no problem getting there, since the roads were clearly marked. From San Juan, we needed to head west, it took us just about an hour and fifteen mintues or so to get to the dock. There are two public ferries, and most restaurants have their own private boats to shuttle customers back and forth.

During the ferry ride, we saw several restaurants, most of which serve comida criolla (Puerto Rican cuisine). As it was a holiday, I called in advance to see which restaurants would be open. I would highly recommend visitors to do so, since many of them only open on weekends. The place we ended up eating at is called Restaurante Otoao, where the food was excellent and the service was superb! (Note: I am not affiliated with Restaurant Otoao). I ordered a mofongo relleno de pescado (mashed plantains with fish) and it was delicious. Most people who go to Lago Dos Bocas are not tourists but Puerto Ricans who come from all over the island to eat great food and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The lake is surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation. I highly recommend a visit to Lago Dos Bocas!

Hacienda San Pedro

Two weekends ago, a group of us went to Jayuya, a mountain town known for its numerous coffee plantations. From San Juan, the trip took nearly two hours, since it was full of hairpin turns. For those who suffer from car sickness, please take a motion-sickness pill. Although it wasn't an easy journey, it was absolutely worth the effort. The countryside was very lush and green, and the air was very crisp. We even came across several horses in the middle of the road when we reached the center of Jayuya. It felt great to get out of San Juan.

The purpose of our trip was to visit Hacienda San Pedro, which offers tours on Sundays at 10AM and 3PM. Unfortunately, we missed the morning tour but we were able to enjoy our cappuccinos, which were excellent! The cafe, which has a great menu, had a very cozy and inviting ambiance. You can purchase their coffee at the shop. There's also a small exhibition on the second-level providing visitors information about the plantation's history. To our pleasant surprise, we were given a brief tour of the facilities by a gentleman named Roberto, who turned out to be the proprietor of Hacienda San Pedro.

For coffee-lovers and those who are interested in learning more about Puerto Rican coffee, I would definitely recommend visiting this lovely plantation. If going from San Juan, I suggest going through Ponce, since the roads are much easier to navigate. Do call in advance if you're planning on visiting. We also came across several other coffee plantations, such as Hacienda Patricia and Hacienda Ana, along the way. Since my camera's batteries died, I couldn't take any pictures. I'm definitely planning on going back to Hacienda San Pedro though! In the meantime, I did find a photostream on Flickr with some great shots.

Las Cabezas de San Juan

Surrounded by mangroves, flora and fauna, and gorgeous scenery, Las Cabezas de San Juan ("the headlands of San Juan") is a beautiful nature reserve located in the eastern tip of the island. Maintained by the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico (El Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico), despite its name, it is actually located in Fajardo. This nature reserve has a bioluminescent bay, and seven distinct coastal eco-systems. Las Cabezas is now officially one of my favorite places on the island. Visiting this nature reserve has made me appreciate the island's natural beauty so much more.

Tours of Las Cabezas officially last two hours, although ours lasted a little longer. We hopped on a trolley and were taken to see the reserve's mangrove forest, rocky beach and lighthouse, where we enjoyed panoramic views of the Fajardo area. We were able to see Vieques, Culebra and the Caya Icacos islands from the top of the lighthouse. At the end of our visit, the tour guide also gave us demonstrations of a sea cucumber, and other aquatic creatures. The tour was excellent and the nature reserve is very well maintained. In order to visit Las Cabezas, visitors must call the Conservation of PR and make reservations ahead of time. I would also suggest bringing a hat, sunscreen and wear comfortable clothing and shoes if going to the reserve. One last thing, bring plenty of water!

Hiking El Yunque Rainforest

One of the most strenuous hikes I've ever completed was in Mt. Baker, Washington, where a friend of mine got married several years ago. The trail which we hiked was quite steep and some stretches involved some rock climbing. I am by no means an experienced hiker, but I do enjoy hiking. For those who are seriously looking for a challenging climb, El Yunque Rainforest will most likely bore you. Nevertheless, it's a great place to enjoy nature in Puerto Rico. Over a year has passed since I last hiked around El Yunque, which has several different trails available for people to explore.

Hearing the coquis, seeing and hearing the waterfalls and just feeling that mountain breeze felt wonderful. We did a little over 3 miles of hiking today, starting off with the Baño de Oro, then the El Yunque Trail and we ended with the Mt. Britton trail. The last time I was at El Yunque, I hiked the La Mina trail, which brings you to a very pretty waterfall, where many people just hang out and soak their feet or take a dip. The most challenging of the three trails we did today was the El Yunque Trail. The wet and slippery rocks definitely made the hike a lot more difficult.

After climbing up the Mt. Britton Tower, where it was very foggy and windy, we headed back. Once we reached the main road, where there were many cars parked on the side, we had to walk another 10-15 minutes to our car. I would suggest people to put on a good pair of hiking shoes, bring a map, an insect and bug repellant spray, and sunblock when visiting the rainforest. Do also bring plenty of water, a snack and a camera would be absolutely essential too, of course! Most importantly, do not venture off the marked trails. Unfortunately, there have been incidents where people have gone missing.

Destination: Barranquitas, Puerto Rico

Visiting the smaller towns in cities around Puerto Rico is something which I enjoy very much. It has been quite a while since our last roadtrip, and there are still many places in Puerto Rico which I have never been to. A family friend of ours had recommended a restaurant in a small town near Cayey, and so we decided to check it out for ourselves. As we were approaching the restaurant, I saw the sign Luis Muñoz Marin Ruta Panorámica. Curiosity took over me.

I had been on the panoramic route, which runs through the middle of the island, before but have never quite driven through much of it. After looking at a map, and seeing that Barranquitas was not too far away, I decided to just go. Although I was born in Puerto Rico, I was not educated here and I do not know much about Puerto Rican history. For this reason, I thought it would be an interesting place for me to visit, as it is the birthplace of one of Puerto Rico's most important political figures, Luis Muñoz Rivera. He helped negotiate the autonomy of Puerto Rico from Spain, and was subsequently elected the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in 1909.

Luis Muñoz Rivera was also the father of Luis Muñoz Marin, the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico. Barranquitas certainly did not disappoint. In order to get there, we had to drive through a long series of winding roads. Once we got to Barranquitas, we quickly found ourselves in the town's pretty and charming plaza. We visited La Casa Luis Muñoz Rivera, the house which Muñoz Rivera grew up in, and the Luis Muñoz Rivera mausoleum, which was just two blocks away from the museum. Both were interesting places to visit. The former is a tiny little wooden house, which contains a small exhibition with information on Muñoz Rivera's life. The mausoleum is the burial site of Muñoz Rivera and his son, as well as their respective wives. Just beyond their resting places, is a small exhibition commemorating the lives of two of the most important political figures in Puerto Rico. Please note: both exhibitions are in Spanish only. If you're going on a Sunday, all the shops and eateries in and around the plaza will be closed. However, there are many restaurants and kiosks along the panoramic route which will be open.

Destination: Salinas, Puerto Rico

After several days of rain, the sun was back in full force today. It has been a while since our last road trip, so we decided it was time to go out for another adventure. This time, I chose Salinas

because I was in the mood for some seafood. For those of you who have never been to Salinas, it is in the southern part of Puerto Rico and it's a little less than an hour away from San Juan. It's a small, rugged little town known for its seafood restaurants.

This is my second time in Salinas. The last time I was there was on New Years' Day 2007. It was a ghost town, nothing was open but I always wanted to go back and try some of its seafood. All the restaurants and food vendors are a stone's throw away from the beach. We ate at a place that wasn't too bad. The paella we ordered wasn't the best, but the empanadillas we ordered were fantastic! Empanadillas are fried turnovers. We ordered two, one filled with lobster and the other with squid.

There are a lot of seafood restaurants throughout the island, but I would have to say that Puerto Rican cuisine is primarily focused on meat. It was a bit far traveling to Salinas just for seafood but I enjoyed every minute of it. I like discovering and exploring the little towns, with its pretty plazas and churches. It's as if you've stepped back into the past. What I liked about Salinas is how uncommercialized it is. You'll see a lot of small shacks selling empanadillas. It comes as no surprise why many boricuas come from all parts of the island to kick back and enjoy some good food.

Destinations: Isabela and Playa Jobos

To all the moms out there... Happy Mother's Day! I wanted to take
my Mom out and break-out of our usual Sunday routine, and venture out of San Juan! So, I chose to head out to Isabela, which is located in the Northwestern part of Puerto Rico. We had lunch at a very low-key, casual beachside restaurant. The photo above was our view... Yes, that's why I enjoy the Caribbean so much! The name of this beach is called Playa Jobos, which is really pretty and well-known for surfing. It's about another 30 minutes or so from Isabela's plaza center.

After lunch, we just drove around and ended up taking a small road off the highway. It was completely unmarked but I saw a few cars entering, and it looked like there was a pretty beach towards that direction. Turns out that this area was filled with festivities, including a live salsa band! However, what interested my Mom most was the shack selling fresh fish! That's it on the left.

Isn't it great when you encounter something fabulous just out of the blue and completely unexpected? My Mom and I had a great time today. Sun, beach, fresh fish, what more can you ask for? Hmm... I did have something else on my mind... ice cream! Near the center of Isabela, I saw a Rex Cream, an ice cream chain established by a Chinese immigrant (who happens to be my Dad's friend!), and it just made me so happy! Most of all, I shared a lovely day with my Mom.